Malvern Bowling Club has served the local community for over 110 years. We provide a place for local people to meet, socialise, play an inclusive, gender neutral sport and have fun! If you’d like to meet new people and help your community, we’re the club in Stonnington for you.
Although the club owns its own land (donated over a century ago by community benefactor, F A Hagelthorn) Malvern Bowling Club is not an exclusive private club. Everyone is welcome – and not everyone in the club plays lawn bowls. Some join simply to socialise or contribute some community service. Our hall is available for use by the community and you don’t have to be a member to walk in the gate or buy a drink at the bar.
Membership fees are kept as low as possible, so that anyone can afford to join as either a Social Member, Social Bowling Member or Full Member. For further details of membership options and costs visit our membership page
Malvern Bowling Club is a not for profit, community organisation, wholly run and staffed by volunteers. It has a stable committee and membership base and interest in the club is growing. We welcome new members, particularly those prepared to roll up their sleeves occasionally and contribute their skills, expertise and experience for a few hours here and there, to keep things rolling.
If you’d like to take a closer look at one of Stonnington’s best community clubs, with no pressure to join, why not give us a ring on 9509 2004 and one of our volunteers will happily answer your questions and show you around the place!
Vision
The aim of the Malvern Bowling Club is to continue to serve the Stonnington community by providing a social and sporting club that is readily accessible to all. This means that like any organisation we can’t simply keep doing what we’ve always done and hope that that is enough. Society and culture changes and evolves and so should community clubs. Put simply, in today’s world, if we’re standing still, we’re actually going backwards.
Structural Changes to MBC Constitution
In keeping with the Victorian State Government’s preferred structure for not-for-profit clubs, Malvern Bowling Club is about to change its Federal business registration with ASIC as a public company limited by guarantee, to an Incorporated Association under the Victorian Associations Reform Act 2012.
At the same time it is an opportunity to overhaul the 110 year old Club Memorandum and Articles of Association in a new set of Model Rules, to align with current social and legal requirements.
To quote from the Consumer Affairs Victoria website;
“There are more than 38,000 incorporated associations in Victoria. They are clubs or community groups, operating not-for-profit, whose members have decided to give their organisation a formal legal structure.”
If you wish to view or download the draft New Model Rules proposed for the Club, just click here
History
In 1911, Malvern thrived, enjoying considerable prosperity. It was declared a city in March of that year. The tramline along Dandenong Road was opened. There was talk of constructing another line along Glenferrie Road to link Malvern and Kew.
A bowling green (probably the first in Victoria) had been put down in 1862, beside the Gardiner Hotel at the corner of Dandenong and Glenferrie Roads. This benefits “gentlemen who are desirous of practice at cricket, bowls, or pigeon shooting” and who were patrons of the hotel.
As one of Victoria’s oldest bowling clubs, Malvern Bowling Club is historic. Experience it when you walk through the doors!
For those with relatives who might have bowled at Malvern, below are pictures of some of the old honour boards that line the club walls.
About our Life Members
Sponsorship Partners
Like a great majority of self-funded sporting organisations, the Malvern Bowling Club relies on the valuable support offered by its sponsors and supporters.
Social Engagement
There are plenty of ways to get involved with the club’s many social activities. For example:
- Movie days
- Wednesday Night Dinners
- Friday drinks from 4:30 pm
- Annual dinners and club events (e.g., Opening of the Green, Xmas Cocktail Evening)
