The Tolaga Bay Bowling Club is the last bastion of the sport on the North Island's East Cape. In recent years, their small and dedicated membership has seen the closure of the two other clubs on the Cape - Ruatoria and Tokomaru Bay.
However there has been a welcome resurgence within the Tolaga Bay club, and its future is looking much more positive than it was a few years ago. Great news considering its history.
The club was established in 1922 (in association with the Tolaga Bay Tennis Club next door) just off the main road at the western end of Banks Street. But it's not the fact that the club's approaching its 100th birthday that makes it remarkable - it's the fact that this tiny East Cape club has two New Zealand National Fours title certificates proudly displayed in their clubhouse.
Tolaga Bay Bowling Club : The last bastion of the sport on the East Cape
The first time the club won the Nationals was in 1947 with a fours team made up of Bill Crowley (lead); L S Crowley (two) ; Vic Hurlstone (three) and Geoff Crowley (skip). The Crowleys were among a number of bowls-playing sheepfarmers. They lived inland from Tolaga Bay, up the Tauwhareparae Road, where they had their own bowling green next to their homestead. Vic Hurlstone ran a general store in the bustling and busy Tolaga Bay main street.
In his book titled 'Mr Bowls', the New Zealand bowls legend Pete Skoglund noted that he played the Tolaga Bay team in the 1947 final in Wellington. Skoglund's team was ahead 22-12 and sensing victory, but the turning point came on the next end. Tolaga Bay skip Geoff Crowley advised his three, Vic Hurlstone, that a trail was on for a big count. Geoff delivered his bowl, and trailed the jack for a game-changing seven shots - closing the gap to 22-19. Full of confidence, and with Skoglund's four still reeling from losing seven shots, Tolaga Bay went on to take the title.
But the 1947 victory was no fluke. Three years later in 1950, the club gained national honours again when a Geoff Crowley-skipped four won again. J H Meikle played two in place of Geoff and Bill's dad.
Travelling from Tolaga Bay to Wellington and Auckland and back was an doubt arduous journey in those days. So when the 1947 and 1950 teams returned home, the victories were celebrated in true East Coast style - continuing for some days.
But probably one of the most well known bowlers to come out of the club was the late Ivan Craill, also a farmer from Tauwhareparae. He was also an excellent golfer and a leading tennis player.
However, a major disagreement one afternoon with his tennis club led to Craill walking next door to the bowling club - where he asked if he could put up a few bowls and try the sport. That was the end of his tennis career.
A natural sportsman, Craill quickly became one of the best performed Tolaga Bay bowlers - accumulating fifteen Centre titles. Forming a lethal combination with his lead Bert Lawrence, another local shopkeeper, Craill and Lawrence had many memorable Centre Champion of Champion wins against the top bowlers from the Gisborne City clubs.
He also took over the club's greenkeeping duties and for many years produced playing surfaces that were not only top class, but matched the best in the country.
These days, long time club member Chas Henry, whose family has been associated with Tolaga bowls for many decades, has taken over the club's greenkeeping duties. The green has been significantly improved over the last two seasons, with Chas's efforts and the valuable assistance and advice he has received from Centre greenkeepers Jamey Ferris and Denis Francois.
