Anger at Brothers on bowls clubhouse sale
AFTER 108 years, the historic Cairns Bowls Club now faces an uncertain future as its Woree clubhouse shuts its doors for renovation.
Members, some angry and others verging on tears, spoke of the club’s golden era in the 1980s and 1990s and the impact of the clubhouse sale on their club’s viability.
Former club president and lifetime member Helen Ward, who joined in 1983 and served as president, said she was sad to see the club in the state it is in today.
“It was a really great club but I’m sad to see it go down like that because we’re not allowed in the clubhouse anymore.”
The Toogood Road club was a social and community hub with more than 110 women members during the ’80s and ’90.
“It was lovely. I made so many friends and it was nice when visitors came from other clubs,” she said.
Some of the club’s 42 remaining members are angry about the sale of the club by its owner Brothers Leagues Club to former A-League player Zenon Caravella, who plans to build a soccer institute.
Cairns Bowls Club member Ken Iverson said the deal has left them with little more than one bowls green and no real prospect of rescuing the club’s finances.
In a letter to the Cairns Post, he accused Brothers of failing to ensure it had adequate facilities after the clubhouse sale.
“The remaining years of contractual obligations to the Cairns Bowls Club members and patrons will no longer include access to the storage lockers nor access to facilities,” he said.
“Instead, open-air storage and portaloos will be the prestigious facilities that the Cairns Bowls Club members can offer to their visiting teams during events competitions.”
The claims are strongly disputed by Brothers Leagues Club management and Cairns Bowls Club executive committee, who both insist obligations to members are being met.
Brothers Leagues Club (Cairns) group executive chairman John McCallum said it had always maintained open and transparent dealings with Cairns Bowls Club through its elected executive.
Cairns Bowls Club executive committee member Allan Sanderson, who stepped down as president this month, defended Brothers Leagues Club and said it had kept its word. and
“We still have a four-year lease so they’re not kicking us out, but it’s going to be hard for us to continue because revenue is being cut off from us. In the meantime we will be struggling on as we are.”
The clubhouse was bought by Mr Caravella, who plans to establish a soccer academy by refurbishing the clubhouse and installing an artificial pitch.
“Obviously we are disappointed the bowlers are unhappy with the sale but with the terms of the lease still being honoured, we are happy to be moving forward with our vision and passion for the sporting industry in Cairns,” he said.