The Club was born in May 1896, in Waite's Hall, at the time Mt Eden's one secular gathering place, a wooden building which stood close to the foot of the mountain. Mr J.J.Holland, then Mayor of Auckland and an enthusiastic bowler, presided over a gathering which made up in enthusiasm for its lack of numbers. All present formed themselves into a committee to canvass for members and they gave themselves a week in which to clear the decks for action. A week later they met again, the whole seven of them, and though they had no success with the canvass, they were undaunted. They formed the Club, fixed the subscription at two guineas a year, decided to purchase a playing area which had already been under offer (three allotments at the top of Valley Road) and arranged for a circular to every resident of the district inviting membership. The seven who so courageously launched the Club and incurred the financial obligations thus involved included Mr Alfred Hosking, for many years headmaster of the Mt Eden Public School, Messrs Stephen Burns, J.M.Morran, Plaw, and Woolams.
Six weeks later the Club held its third meeting, a larger gathering this time. That the Committee had not been idle is shown by the fact that it had not only arranged for the purchase of the three sections, but had also persuaded one of the prospective members Mr John Kneebone to advance, on mortgage, the 150 pounds necessary to complete the purchase. On the strength of this he was made the first President of the Club. The first Secretary was Mr George Thwaites, a city schoolmaster, and the first Treasurer was Mr Woollams.
The Committee did not allow the grass to grow under its feet, and within a fortnight it had decided to call for tenders for laying the first full rink, for the erection of a pavilion which had not yet been designed by the architect, and for a fence to surround the green. A week later - they hustled while they waited in those days - the tenders of Carter & Jackson for the pavilion at 36 pounds 10 shillings and the fence at 33 pounds 7 shillings, and of Warburton & Smith for forming the green at 60 pounds 10 shillings were accepted.
By February the ground had been levelled, grassed and ditched, and in that month the green was opened for play, visitors from the other four greens assisting. The first annual meeting of the Club was held on 18th June 1897, and at that meeting Steve ("Bobbie") Burns was presented with what WAS the virtual championship of the Club, though it was not so called - the Kneebone Bowls, played for by all members under match conditions. It was recorded that it was largely due to the efforts of Mr Burns, who was later elected Green Superintendent, that the Club had been formed and the green so successfully laid and maintained - members did most of the rolling and mowing themselves in those early days.
In its second season the Club played its first game abroad, sending a rink, Messrs Burns (Skip), Thwaites, Hooper and Kneebone to play in the Easter Tournament. Inter-Club matches were also played with the Auckland, Ponsonby and Newmarket (now Carlton) clubs.
At the following annual meeting Mr H.N.Garland, Secretary of the Auckland Hospital Board, was elected President, and during his term the Club made its first entry into the Pennant Competition, playing against Parnell, Devonport, Ponsonby, Remuera, Auckland, Newmarket and the newly formed Mt Albert club.
Funds grew low this year, and a levy of 2 shillings and sixpence a member, which "did not come in as freely as it might", was made to defray expenses of top-dressing the green, the job being done by a working bee. The next year Mr Edmund Mahoney, a well known solicitor, became President, and during his term financial worry, which was to be a bugbear for many years, began to trouble members and to keep the Club alive the Committee urged all members to contribute 10 shillings to the Club funds. Apparently this did not provide enough money to go round, for the Club had to submit to the indignity of receiving a "lawyer's letter" in respect of its failure to repay the loan of its first President, to whom 125 pounds was still owing. There was a mortgage of 300 pounds on the Club property, and, as nothing more could be raised upon it, members were asked to come to the rescue by raising 125 pounds in no-interest debentures, 10 pounds to be repaid annually, by ballot from a sinking fund. They responded fully but applications to the Public Trustee and the Auckland Savings Bank for loans to ease other financial burdens were turned down and the Club had to battle along as best it could.
The work on the green, apart from what members did for themselves, was then being carried out by a man who received 5 shillings a day for three days a week, but even this was a heavy drain on the meagre finances provided by a 2 guinea subscription from a small membership. In 1899 the Club purchased its first plant, a lawnmower, "the cost not to exceed 2 pounds 5 shillings". Apparently a neighbouring member had given the use of his mower up to that time.
In 1901 Mr C.C.Baker was appointed to assist the Secretary, Mr C.G. Brookes, and, despite its financial difficulties, the Club decided to take on the further responsibility of purchasing 4 additional sections, at a cost of 575 pounds, to provide additional playing accommodation. Again members were called upon to provide the deposit funds by debentures, this time 5 per cent. interest being promised, while the earlier debentures, most of which were still outstanding, were brought into line with this arrangement. Again the Club spirit was manifest, and the necessary sum was promptly raised.
Later on in the season a special meeting was held, on the petition of 22 members, to consider a proposal "that the practice of having alcoholic liquor at the meetings of the Club be discontinued". The petition was only partially successful, the decision being "that no funds of the Club be used for alcoholic refreshment, and, in the event of such refreshment being supplied by the Committee, they shall personally arrange for the payment for, and dispensing of, the same".
In May it was reported that the Club's new green was finished. This was the 5 rink green that was later to become the Club's first winter green. The wages went up with a rush at this time, when it was decided to employ a greenkeeper at a cost of 1 pound a week.
16th June 1902 was a momentous day in the annals of the Club, for it was then decided to form the Club into a limited liability company under The Companies Act 1882. The articles and memorandum of association were modelled on those of the Wellington Bowling Club, and the first directors were Messrs Edmund Mahoney (President), Garland, Dawson, Brimblecombe and Dr Coats. The capital was 1500 pounds in shares of 1 pound each. The members responded fairly well to the appeal to take up shares, a total of 674 shares being taken up by members. Thenceforward the Company and the Club worked on parallel lines, the Company owning the greens and the players using them and paying rent for the privilege until the liquidation of the Company and the return to the policy of the Club owning its own assets.
The Championship of 1902 gave a foretaste of the skill of Mr Harry Rankin, who for many years was one of Auckland's most brilliant players. Although it was only his second season he reached the championship final with Mr H. Oberlin Brown. In 1903 a team, skipped by Mr Harry Rankin, after a tie with Auckland at the Rotorua tournament, won the play-off.
The Club had a memorable season in 1906-1907 when Harry Rankin won the Champion of Champions contest, and skipped a rink, including G. Martin, C. Hudson and J. Miller, to win the Rinks Championship of the Auckland Bowling Association. Rankin, Young, Walker and Gill also won the Hamilton tournament. Rankin was chosen as Auckland representative in the Australian bowling tournament in that year. Membership had dwindled to 67 but another accession of 25 players next year again restored it. In that year the Club won the First Year's Player Fours at the Easter tournament, while the Club provided the runners-up in the Auckland Association Pairs and the N.B.A. Champions Pairs.
The annual report of 1911 records that the President, Mr H.R. Rankin, had again been successful in the Champion of Champions competition, earning the title for the fourth time. The Club this year made a clean sweep of the Rotorua tournament, winning both the singles and pairs, and followed this up with a win in the pairs competition at Cambridge. In that year also the Club won all its Inter-Club contests, with the exception of that against Epsom, recording 8 wins in other matches.
In 1903 the Club received a great accession to its membership when 40 were elected at one ballot, bringing the Club membership up to 84. The additional fees enabled the Club to pay 60 pounds rent to the Mt Eden Bowling Club Limited and to finish the year with a credit balance of 4 pounds 12 shillings and 11 pence. Resignations the next year brought the playing strength to 67, but the folllowing year a batch of 25 new players brought the total up to a new record.
In the following year a croquet lawn was laid down. It became very popular and added considerably to the funds of the Club. Perhaps, on the strength of that, the Greenkeeper's wages were raised to 2 guineas a week, while he was given extra assistance on Saturday mornings.
The finances of the Club continued to cause anxiety to the members, and it is recorded in the minutes of one of the committee meetings, in 1909, that the Treasurer of the Company had written asking for a settlement of the rent account of 61 pounds. The Committee asked the Company to accept 30 pounds in full settlement, and, with an optimism that circumstances hardly demanded, expressed the hope that in the future it would be able to pay the accounts in full when due. It also placed on record that a number of members were rather slow in meeting their obligations, and a smart reminder was ordered. The Club reached the membership century in this year, with 84 full members, 2 life members and 14 honorary members. The year also saw another rise in the caretaker's pay, this time to 2 pounds 5 shillings.
In 1913 the Club decided to purchase the adjoining property in Valley Road to make a further playing area. This was needed because of the increasing membership of the Club and also owing to the bad state of the existing green. The ground cost was 365 pounds and the formation cost 160 pounds. Members were urged to purchase additional shares in the Company in order to pay the necessary deposit of 300 pounds, the balance remaining on mortgage. Although it was a wild night when the proposal was discussed, and only 21 members attended, their enthusiasm was such that 118 pounds was subscribed in the room, and within a fortnight the total was increased to 164 pounds, and the purchase was then completed with the assistance of an enlarged overdraft. During that season members began to discuss the possibility of ridding themselves of their recurrent liabilities by parting with their freehold and transferring their headquarters to Nicholson Park, the idea being that the realisation of the main assets and the lease of an area in the park at a lower annual cost would enable the Club to provide a good pavilion and to balance its budget annually. A site was selected, but when a deputation from the Club waited on Mr Nicholson, as Chairman of the Mt Eden and Epsom Domain Board, asking for the desired 2 acres, he pointed out that this area was Crown land. He promised to do his best as a private individual to induce the Minister of Lands to hand the area over. His efforts, however, had no success, and the project was droppen for a time. It slowly developed in the minds of members, however, until it came to full fruition, of which more will be said later. That plan having suffered a temporary eclipse, the Committee decided that it was time to replace its 36 pound pavilion, to which various small extensions had been made from time to time, by a building commensurate with the steadily growing importance of the Club, and in September 1915, it was decided to erect a new pavilion, with which the old building was incorporated, at a cost of 400 pounds. Though it was wartime, and the Club's finances showed a debit of 84 pounds 14 shillings, the work was promptly put to hand.
In 1922 the Secretary of the Company devised a plan for the return of the property to the Club. The finances had been considerably strengthened in the meantime, and the Club had by now 150 pounds in hand, though mortgages were still held over its property and the liability to the limited company remained. The plan was acceptable to members. There were one or two obstructionists, however, and it was not until 1925 that negotiations were completed. The final act was the liquidation of the Company and the transfer of all the assets to the Club, "subject to the existing mortgage of 1,150 pounds, for the sum of 595 pounds, being the amount necessary to repay the capital issued". Again many members showed their generous Club spirit by either surrendering their shares or taking out a small part of their asset value. By this time the Club had again outgrown its pavilion facilities, and lengthy negotiations were opened for the erection of a completely new building upon another portion of the ground. An overdraft of 600 pounds was arranged, and plans were prepared for the building, at a total cost, including the removal of the Caretaker's cottage, of about 2,200 pounds. On 28th August 1925 a special meeting of members endorsed the plan unanimously, but at the same meeting the question of the proposed site on Nicholson Park already referred to was again raised by Mr Gatenby. The two matters, pavilion and new ground, were from then onwards discussed simultaneously. The pavilion was not erected, though in July 1926 it was agreed "to inaugurate a building fund with a view to erecting a new pavilion within 5 years".
In the previous year the negotiations for the new ground began to gather speed. The Mt Eden Borough Council had by now become the controlling authority of the park, and this was regarded as an opportune time to revive the old proposal, another area being suggested on this occasion. Negotiations were long and difficult especially as another sports body was in the field for the same area and a portion of the land required was Crown property. This difficulty was overcome by the exchange of one strip of the education reserve for its equivalent on the park, thus squaring off the bowling area. After much negotiation a lease was granted for this site for a period of 21 years at a rental of 100 pounds per annum. Anything more unlike a bowling green could scarcely be imagined. It had for many years been a quarry, and hundreds of thousands of loads of scoria had been taken from it for Auckland's streets and buildings. Veins of hard rock jutted upwards; a great amount of filling-in and levelling-off was necessary. The Committee, however, realised the potential of the site, and once it had been acquired no time was lost in getting on with the job. Tree-trunks, rocks, tins and derelict motor cars and all sorts of other lumber went down into the holes before the general levelling-off and soiling was begun. The gradual settlement of the overlay upon these has caused a little trouble on the No 2 green.
The work of forming the new green was carried out by the Mt. Eden Borough Council, under the supervision of Mr. Woolley.
The Treasurer then reported that the club's indebtedness totalled 2,800 pounds, made up of 2,000 pounds mortgage, 300 pounds overdraft, and approximately 500 pounds for the levelling and subsequent laying of the Nicholson Park greens. To meet these liabilities it was decided at a special meeting of members to subdivide the Valley Road property, the committee being given authority to sell it in one or more lots, and, under Mr. J. Findlay's presidency, steps were taken to dispose of the area.
This site of the new pavilion was the cause of much discussion, many of the players favouring a site on the green level, but at a special meeting on August 8th, 1929, this proposal was rejected, and the present high level was unanimously adopted. Erection was, however, deferred, and the advocates of the lower site made an attempt to revise the decision. The Borough Council, however, refused even to discuss the issue of s permit for the alternative position, and that settled the matter.
The new green was officially opened on October 19th, 1929, and in the following March members authorised the committee to proceed with the erection of a pavilion "or part thereof" as soon as the necessary financial arrangements could be made. A few days later it was decided to appoint Mr. S. O'Connor, architect, to design the structure at a total cost of not more than 2,500 pounds. The building was ready for the following season. The sale of the sections was still hanging fire, and at the end of the year, when the Club had commitments totalling 700 pounds, against an overdraft limit of 500 pounds, it was decided to make another debenture issue, this time of 300 pounds, on a 5 per cent. basis, with a two years' currency. At the meeting debentures to the value of 175 pounds were taken up, the total being raised to 220 pounds a few days later. At that time the Club's total indebtedness was 3,014 pounds, against which its realisable assets, the remaining sections of the old green, were valued at 3,375 pounds. The Club was thus rapidly achieving the object of its removal to its new quarters, and, the pressing current demands having been met for the debenture issue, its finances went from strength to strength in the succeeding years as the remaining sections were disposed of. By 1934 the total debit on the general account had been reduced to 356 pounds, and six months later it was less than half the amount, 170 pounds, while in October, 1936, the Treasurer was thanked for presenting a balance sheet showing a credit of 172 pounds. Yearly, since then, the Club's finances have steadily improved and they are now in a very healthy condition indeed, despite the increase in the cost of all its requirements, brought about by the war conditions.
In 1941, as a result of the proximity of defence headquarters, the Club was called upon to provide accommodation for members of the staff for several years, the lower half of its pavilion and practically all other space with the exception of the greens being taken over and built upon to provide living and mess quarters for the Army and Air Force personnel. The demobilisation which followed the end of the European war restored the borrowed area to the Club, with the exception of some buildings not yet removed.
An outstanding feature of the Club's history is the generosity of many of its members, who from the first season and all through the years of difficulty freely subscribed to the prize list and to the Club's finances generally, notably in the surrender or partial surrender of debentures and shares and guaranteeing the bank overdraft, while many more have assisted and are still assisting in the preservation and improvement of the Club's assets and amenities. They have shown splendid sportmanship, and the members of today owe much to the generous spirit displayed by their predecessors.