Our History

In 1984 a Steering Committee of six men was formed to ascertain if a Bowling Club in Willetton was viable and after almost a year the Willetton Men’s Bowling Club was formed on 23 April 1985.

The “Road Runner” was chosen as the Club logo in 1986 and in 1988, the Willetton Ladies Bowling Club was formed.

The men worked extremely hard in building the greens and maintaining them. A & B Grass Greens were completed in May 1989 and were named after Ray Mansfield and Frank Rennie. C Grass Green was completed in 1992 and named after Chris I’Anson. There is now a plaque at the Club entrance to acknowledge these three men.

The Men’s and Ladies Clubs each had their own President and Committee and were responsible for their own finances and competitions. Social activities were combined and held at the Willetton Sports Club with all profits going to that Club. The Bowling Clubs only raised funds from games and Gala Days.

In 1992 a transportable building was acquired and located on site for the storage of grounds and bowls equipment.

On 10 September 1995, the Club flag with the “Road Runner” logo was first raised.

On 27 April 2006, the Men’s and Ladies Clubs amalgamated to become the Willetton Bowling Club, a mixed Committee being formed.

In 2008 the Willetton Sports Club closed their doors and the Willetton Bowling Club used two transportable buildings onsite as Club rooms.

On 18 October 2011 the Club was incorporated and now operates as the Willetton Bowling Club Inc. A Club Restricted Liquor Licence was granted.

Members worked tirelessly to fundraise and to work with the City of Canning and the Federal Government to obtain Grants to build a new Clubhouse which was officially opened on 21 November 2014.

In early 2016, submissions for grants were made to convert the grass on A green to a synthetic surface and, after much hard work by members, the new synthetic green was officially opened on 13 May 2017.

At a special meeting of members in October 2018, they endorsed the decision of the Management Committee (25/9/2018) to accept the finance proposal and the modification of the leased area from the City of Canning, for the sole purpose of installing a 12-rink synthetic surfaced green (plus additional shade facilities), in place of the two remaining grass greens. B Green was officially opened on 12 October 2019.

A Club Full Liquor Licence was granted in December 2019.

During 2020, members were asked to submit designs for a new Club logo and at the Annual General Meeting held in August 2020, members voted to replace the “Road Runner” logo with the new “Swan” logo.

One of the reasons this logo was chosen is that the Bowling Club is situated on Burrendah Park and the meaning of the word “Burrendah” - in the local Noongar language, means “Place of the Swan”.  Members also voted to adopt the current new design pennant shirt and changes came into effect with the start of the 2021-2022 Season.

As at June 2025, the Club has approximately 190 members enjoying our outstanding facilities. We are one of the few Bowling Clubs in WA that is solely run by volunteers.

During 2025, when faced with the challenge of designing a new pennant playing shirt, the sub-Committee agreed that it was time for a complete re-fresh.  The look and design of the shirt was not the only consideration.   The Committee wanted to develop a new and dynamic logo and brand.

After much deliberation, the Committee agreed on a dragon.  The dragon is a legendary creature that has been part of myths and folklore around the world for thousands of years. Dragons symbolize primal power, wisdom, strength and protection. The dragon also has great cultural significance.

We believe that it will help to depict the Willetton Bowling Cub as an inclusive and culturally diverse Club.

The concept of the team logo has deep historical roots, serving as visual representations of a group’s identity and values. Originally, pennants served as communication flags among ships in the 18th Century. Over time, they evolved to include team colours, logos and slogans, becoming iconic symbols of team pride and spirit.

The new logo and pennant shirt were launched at the Club’s 40th Anniversary celebrations on 20th September 2025.