Tiger
Active Member
Mornington Tenpin.
Hobart's ill-fated second centre, it was originally supposed to be built on top of Eastlands Shopping Centre in Rosny.
Instead, at the last minute it was built out in an open field next to the highway to the Airport at Mornington.
There was a lot of fuss and fanfare with the new centre being opened, and it attracted a lot of bowlers away from an old and rundown Moonah across the river.
Mornington had a pretty rough reputation back in those days, and it didn't help that the bowl was located just along a dingey little back road from the roughest pub in Hobart - The Sun Valley Inn - Also known as The Blood Valley.
It opened on 23rd December 1984 and had 24-lanes with urethane lanes, Brunswick A-2's and Brunswick masks.
It was a flat, and quite dark centre which was neat on the inside, but lacked atmosphere.
Ironically, on only its second day of operation, the centre came under threat of being burned down by a bushfire which was burning rapidly on the large hill across the highway and the centre was evacuated - I was bowling there that day.
After the initial honeymoon period of the centre, Moonah was upgraded (in 1985) and Mornington started to lose bowlers.
It had a succession of managers including the champion Victorian bowler Ruth Guerster, but was floundering badly by the late 80's with financial problems, and despite at least three name changes in as many years, it still couldn't attract bowlers.
By about 1990/91 the owners knocked out 8 lanes and built an "all-ball arena" where lanes 17-24 were once located.
Around that time, with the centre still struggling, AMF bought the centre, and not long later it was closed.
Its final day of operation was August 31st 1992.
I bowled there on Mornington's first and last days of operation, and the closure of Mornington was the first signs of the massive decline in the sport in Hobart, which has never really recovered.
Mornington Tenpin is now a church convention centre known as City Gate, where they hold christian youth concerts and other gatherings.
Hobart's ill-fated second centre, it was originally supposed to be built on top of Eastlands Shopping Centre in Rosny.
Instead, at the last minute it was built out in an open field next to the highway to the Airport at Mornington.
There was a lot of fuss and fanfare with the new centre being opened, and it attracted a lot of bowlers away from an old and rundown Moonah across the river.
Mornington had a pretty rough reputation back in those days, and it didn't help that the bowl was located just along a dingey little back road from the roughest pub in Hobart - The Sun Valley Inn - Also known as The Blood Valley.
It opened on 23rd December 1984 and had 24-lanes with urethane lanes, Brunswick A-2's and Brunswick masks.
It was a flat, and quite dark centre which was neat on the inside, but lacked atmosphere.
Ironically, on only its second day of operation, the centre came under threat of being burned down by a bushfire which was burning rapidly on the large hill across the highway and the centre was evacuated - I was bowling there that day.
After the initial honeymoon period of the centre, Moonah was upgraded (in 1985) and Mornington started to lose bowlers.
It had a succession of managers including the champion Victorian bowler Ruth Guerster, but was floundering badly by the late 80's with financial problems, and despite at least three name changes in as many years, it still couldn't attract bowlers.
By about 1990/91 the owners knocked out 8 lanes and built an "all-ball arena" where lanes 17-24 were once located.
Around that time, with the centre still struggling, AMF bought the centre, and not long later it was closed.
Its final day of operation was August 31st 1992.
I bowled there on Mornington's first and last days of operation, and the closure of Mornington was the first signs of the massive decline in the sport in Hobart, which has never really recovered.
Mornington Tenpin is now a church convention centre known as City Gate, where they hold christian youth concerts and other gatherings.
~Mrs STORM~
Revless Wonder...
Shellharbour Bowl!!!
I learnt so much at that place. Had the best air con ever...it was always on and working! The cafe was right inside the front door and as soon as you opened that door you got a massive rush of fresh hot chip smell in your face...oh yeah!
The staff were all awesome (still are mind you
) and that place was like home...
Although the proshop was very tiny. Kind of like standing in a wardrobe lol, but it still had a great variety...and of course Frawlz was more than happy to do anything for you.
Couldnt tell you too much about the lanes...except lanes 13-24 at Strikezone are the lanes from Shellharbour, and it was like 2 months before we were able to bowl again haha.
There is Warrawong Bowl...closed down last year. But all I miss from there is the stupidity of the control staff...especially when you told them you didnt need shoes so they ask what size...hahahaha.
I learnt so much at that place. Had the best air con ever...it was always on and working! The cafe was right inside the front door and as soon as you opened that door you got a massive rush of fresh hot chip smell in your face...oh yeah!
The staff were all awesome (still are mind you
) and that place was like home...Although the proshop was very tiny. Kind of like standing in a wardrobe lol, but it still had a great variety...and of course Frawlz was more than happy to do anything for you.
Couldnt tell you too much about the lanes...except lanes 13-24 at Strikezone are the lanes from Shellharbour, and it was like 2 months before we were able to bowl again haha.
There is Warrawong Bowl...closed down last year. But all I miss from there is the stupidity of the control staff...especially when you told them you didnt need shoes so they ask what size...hahahaha.
Mac Attack
Norm Duke
Rushcutter lanes were crap - I don't quite know when it closed, but it wasn't soon enough. I bowled there in 1981/2/3 Friday night league. You also had to pray that your car wasn't broken into and that tyres weren't slashed by the time you finished your games, and nearly every 2nd week there was a theft of the till.
Leichhardt was great. There was something about marking your scores with white pencil, and seeing your ball return above the lanes.
Also, I can't believe nobody has mentioned the recent closure of Ringwood lanes.
Leichhardt was great. There was something about marking your scores with white pencil, and seeing your ball return above the lanes.
Also, I can't believe nobody has mentioned the recent closure of Ringwood lanes.
Belly, you forgot to mention:
Coburg whiich is now an Italian club.
Preston which was turned into the Council club Hotel.
and Heidelberg which was turned into the Colosseum hotel and is now an Aldi supermarket.
Sad to say but i bowled in these centres as a kid
Regards
Brian King
Coburg whiich is now an Italian club.
Preston which was turned into the Council club Hotel.
and Heidelberg which was turned into the Colosseum hotel and is now an Aldi supermarket.
Sad to say but i bowled in these centres as a kid
Regards
Brian King
KnuckleHead
Vic Represent
Belly also forgot to mention Box Hill thats has just recently closed last yr. sad to say i have been in most of those bowling centers and my dad has bowled in all of them so your not alone Belly.
Chris
Chris
grumpie
Active Member
Now let me see, ones i have bowled in are
Old Chadstone
Old Dandenong
Golden Bowl
Squash Bowl still open i think but don't ride a strike there.(causes injuries )
Cant remember the name of it(Squashways i think) but there was one in Malvern which was one of the first centres i ever bowled in (socially). On Malvern Rd city side of Glenferrie Rd.
Then there was the first place i ever bowled as a young kid , it was in Carnegie or Murrumbeena in a school i think (to long ago to remember) with one lane, manual pin spotter and ball return. I do remember winning there against the other kids i went there with. This was about 1967
Now i'm starting to show my age,but dont feel it .
Old Chadstone
Old Dandenong
Golden Bowl
Squash Bowl still open i think but don't ride a strike there.(causes injuries
) Cant remember the name of it(Squashways i think) but there was one in Malvern which was one of the first centres i ever bowled in (socially). On Malvern Rd city side of Glenferrie Rd.
Then there was the first place i ever bowled as a young kid , it was in Carnegie or Murrumbeena in a school i think (to long ago to remember) with one lane, manual pin spotter and ball return. I do remember winning there against the other kids i went there with. This was about 1967
Now i'm starting to show my age,but dont feel it
.
Carmers
Member
I would have to agree with one of the earlier posts and say the old Geelong bowl in the CBD, the bowl was getting on but had so much atmosphere which it lost when it moved, bowling changed when that happened.
I could also add Corio bowl to that also. I was one of those bowls that people lived and died at. Great centre once again.
I could also add Corio bowl to that also. I was one of those bowls that people lived and died at. Great centre once again.
My mum used to be an assistant manager at the old Footscray Bowl before being transfered interstate. I can't remember if I bowled there or not but apparently she made a lot of good friends in the west since we lived in Sunshine at the time.
I didn't mind Ringwood Bowl before it closed down, it was a bit dry but that's something you have to work with and deal with what's laid down. Box Hill was another good centre that I bowled league in and made some good friends as well, unfortunately, I've lost contact with them now. Which is a little sad. I wasn't aware that Box Hill was closing down until recently. Sad to see it go.
As a junior, I enjoyed the competition during Nationals at Clayfield. Nice centre from what I can remember.
That's all
Danni
I didn't mind Ringwood Bowl before it closed down, it was a bit dry but that's something you have to work with and deal with what's laid down. Box Hill was another good centre that I bowled league in and made some good friends as well, unfortunately, I've lost contact with them now. Which is a little sad. I wasn't aware that Box Hill was closing down until recently. Sad to see it go.
As a junior, I enjoyed the competition during Nationals at Clayfield. Nice centre from what I can remember.
That's all
Danni
Brunswick Tech
Banned
Clayfield was the first Brunswick centre in Queensland............28 lanes with A model machinery.
Clayfield was purchased by the private girls school straight across the road quite a few years ago for a reported $7 million, the building was gutted, all they wanted was four walls and the roof.
From the 28 lanes, 12 were bought by a centre in NSW, whose name I won't mention, the remaining 16 were purchased by a independant bowling proprieter in Brisbane, they remained in storage at Wacol for some time before being re-installed at Strathpine Tenpin around 1998/99.
The first 16 lanes at Strathpine are indeed the old clayfield lanes, lanes 17-20at Strathpine are from the long ago defunct Canberra bowl. The machines on lanes 17 and 18 at Strathpine are very early models in the range of 16,000 series and manufactured Michigan in the U.S.A, lanes 19 and 20 are 45,000 series and manufactured in Berlin, Germany, the machines from Clayfield were manufactured at lane cove, Sydney, Austarlia and are in the 50,000 series.........
Exhibition was a good centre and one of the first 4 centres installed in Brisbane and all of Queensland...............on a quite day they only had one mechanic on duty and he could quite often be seen running flat chat from one side of the building to the other to answer a trouble call on the old 82/30 machines...............LOL
Exhibition bowl was originally managed by a young man known as Brian Kearney and was supervised by a gentleman by the name of Robert Miller, Rob had a long career working for AMF and at one stage in the pioneering days of bowling in Australia was overseeing all of the AMF centres nationwide.
Rob has long since retired and can be found living on his 40 acres of lush rainforeat property in the hills between Eumundi and Noosa.
Some of the lanes from Exhibition were purchased by Brian Kearney and he went on to build, install and establish his very first centre ar Lawnton, the lanes were pretty much worn down to the nails in the middle of the lane bed, so the lanes were flipped over and resurfaced. When Lawnton closed and merged with another owner to form Strathpine the old Lawnton lanes, which in fact were ex Exhibition were sold off to another company in N.S.W, those very lanes are still in use though they may have a synthetic overlay on them by now.
How Brian purchased the lanes without the AMF machinery is a mystery, the machines at Lawnton were Brunswick A models in the 50,000 series and manufactured at Lanes Cove, Sydney, they were originally installed in another southern centre, but she closed down not many years after opening the doors. Brian went on to establish several centres in and around Brisbane and still owns at least 2 centres................he's a good man, Brian and a excellent employer.
Interesting enough, out of the first 4 original centres in Brisbane, Clayfield, Exhibition, Milton and Greenslopes, 2 being AMF and 2 being Brunswick equipped............2 still remain open in their original locations, namely Milton and Greenslopes, however Milton did under-go a total fitout involving brand new lanes and the latest A2 machinery in 75/76 due to being totally under water during the great Brisbane flood of 1974. The water level was so high it completely covered the machines, it was quite a sight to see pins and balls floating around the building, if you ever visit Milton Bowl, imagine standing on the concourse in 4ft of water, this was the water level when staff were allowed access back in the building, it was reported that the flood level at it's peak was just below the ceiling.
Clayfield was purchased by the private girls school straight across the road quite a few years ago for a reported $7 million, the building was gutted, all they wanted was four walls and the roof.
From the 28 lanes, 12 were bought by a centre in NSW, whose name I won't mention, the remaining 16 were purchased by a independant bowling proprieter in Brisbane, they remained in storage at Wacol for some time before being re-installed at Strathpine Tenpin around 1998/99.
The first 16 lanes at Strathpine are indeed the old clayfield lanes, lanes 17-20at Strathpine are from the long ago defunct Canberra bowl. The machines on lanes 17 and 18 at Strathpine are very early models in the range of 16,000 series and manufactured Michigan in the U.S.A, lanes 19 and 20 are 45,000 series and manufactured in Berlin, Germany, the machines from Clayfield were manufactured at lane cove, Sydney, Austarlia and are in the 50,000 series.........
Exhibition was a good centre and one of the first 4 centres installed in Brisbane and all of Queensland...............on a quite day they only had one mechanic on duty and he could quite often be seen running flat chat from one side of the building to the other to answer a trouble call on the old 82/30 machines...............LOL
Exhibition bowl was originally managed by a young man known as Brian Kearney and was supervised by a gentleman by the name of Robert Miller, Rob had a long career working for AMF and at one stage in the pioneering days of bowling in Australia was overseeing all of the AMF centres nationwide.
Rob has long since retired and can be found living on his 40 acres of lush rainforeat property in the hills between Eumundi and Noosa.
Some of the lanes from Exhibition were purchased by Brian Kearney and he went on to build, install and establish his very first centre ar Lawnton, the lanes were pretty much worn down to the nails in the middle of the lane bed, so the lanes were flipped over and resurfaced. When Lawnton closed and merged with another owner to form Strathpine the old Lawnton lanes, which in fact were ex Exhibition were sold off to another company in N.S.W, those very lanes are still in use though they may have a synthetic overlay on them by now.
How Brian purchased the lanes without the AMF machinery is a mystery, the machines at Lawnton were Brunswick A models in the 50,000 series and manufactured at Lanes Cove, Sydney, they were originally installed in another southern centre, but she closed down not many years after opening the doors. Brian went on to establish several centres in and around Brisbane and still owns at least 2 centres................he's a good man, Brian and a excellent employer.
Interesting enough, out of the first 4 original centres in Brisbane, Clayfield, Exhibition, Milton and Greenslopes, 2 being AMF and 2 being Brunswick equipped............2 still remain open in their original locations, namely Milton and Greenslopes, however Milton did under-go a total fitout involving brand new lanes and the latest A2 machinery in 75/76 due to being totally under water during the great Brisbane flood of 1974. The water level was so high it completely covered the machines, it was quite a sight to see pins and balls floating around the building, if you ever visit Milton Bowl, imagine standing on the concourse in 4ft of water, this was the water level when staff were allowed access back in the building, it was reported that the flood level at it's peak was just below the ceiling.
B
bon316
Got to tell you all - I miss Blacktown
The one in Malvern was upstairs across the road from the Town Hall and and as Belly pointed out, it was called Squashway Bowl with six lanes with above lane ball returns and I think it had the orange gutters and panel work.
Can some one tell me how many lanes the old St Leonards Bowl had. I bowled there in about 1974 and from memory, I think the ball returns were above lane and the gutters were the old orange colour.
Can some one tell me how many lanes the old St Leonards Bowl had. I bowled there in about 1974 and from memory, I think the ball returns were above lane and the gutters were the old orange colour.
~Mrs STORM~
Revless Wonder...
Brunswick Tech said:
Why wont you name the centre? Im interested...
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