Country Club of the Year

Awards Night 2022

Country Club of the Year Gingin – an outstanding Country Club

• Gingin – Country Club of the Year.

Presented and announced by Bowls WA Country Director Ross Warburton the winner of the Jim Murray Trophy for the 2021/2022 season as the best country club was Gingin Bowling Club.

Accepting the Award on behalf of the club was Stephen Beckwith on behalf of the Club President John Fewster who unfortunately couldn’t attend.

Most notable for the club was the installation of two synthetic greens replacing their worn out original greens. The club showing the value of maintaining a sinking fund which meant they were 100% funded by the members.

The club has also been active in recruiting new members and in particular a number from Irish background had strongly contributed to the club and are very keen players.

The increase of 46 members to 59 represents a 28% increase which is amongst the best percentage of any club in WA. This jump was on the back of a very innovative community event known as the Gingin Shire Community Challenge.

The idea was born with Murray Butler the Captain at Gingin who invited all the sporting clubs in the shire to come to Gingin Bowling Club which not only filled two greens it also provided a great social occasion for individuals and gave them a chance to win prizemoney for their own sporting club.

This prizemoney was contributed by both the Shire and the club and proved a real incentive for people to come along and participate in a sport they may otherwise have never tried.

According to Steve, “Probably the best thing was that the Gingin Cricket Club won it. One of the new bowlers this year, that won the Novice Singles was one of those players and it has continued to flow on from that. It was just a terrific story really.”

On the green Kathy Gobbart was certainly a star winning the Women’s Country Week Singles and Champion of Club Champion Singles. “Kathy is our fine wine; she just keeps getting better,” Stephen remarked.

Adding that the club whilst small in numbers has always had top players in both the Men’s and Women’s competitions. Gingin Black also claimed the Moore Districts Men’s Pennant flag his season.

Certainly, a terrific effort by the Gingin Bowling Club as the outstanding Country Club of the Year, so once again congratulations to the committee and members and well done on a fantastic season.

Awards Night 2022

Men,s Country Bowler of the Year Mitchell – Men’s Country Bowler of the Year

The Men’s Country Bowler of the Year Award is known as the Vice Patron’s Medal. Unfortunately the Bowls WA Vice Patron Norma Samuel couldn’t be at the Awards Night which left Bowls WA Country Director Ross Warburton to announce the winner.

In a sign of the strength and future of Country bowls the three finalist were all similar age around 30 years old and spread across the state in Shane Giudice-Nairn (Geraldton), Matthew France (Merredin) and Matthew Mitchell (Emu Point).

With Matthew Mitchell being announced the winner this meant both Male and Female winners of the Champion of Club Championship Singles winners also took home the Country Bowler of the Year Awards with Kathy Gobbart joining Matthew, a rare first in Western Australian Bowls.

Matthew Mitchell would be well known to many in the bowls community having started as a junior in Albany along with his brother Tom. Both have represented WA and been regulars in Premier League and major State Championships over several seasons. Matthew had a sensational year skippering his Emu Point side to a win in the Country Week Fours and of course the previously mentioned Champion of Club Champion Singles title and a semi final appearance in the Country Week Singles his major achievements.

“Country Week is an amazing event, it really is, for that many people to come to the city and put the effort in, we love it,” said Matthew reflecting on his Country Week achievements.

Special mention was made of Matthew’s second in the fours being Doug Wright who won the 1981 Country Week pairs with a Kellerberrin teammate making it over 40 years between titles. Matthew explained that Doug who was a very good bowler back then got married and moved to Canada for many years before returning to WA in the early 2000s where he again took up bowls.

• Matt Mitchell with the successful Emu Point Country Week Fours team. • Matthew Mitchell – Men's Country Bowler of the Year.

Doug has been a big asset for Emu Point along with close teammate Jon Sharp who Matthew has also won Country Week Pairs with. Together they have taken Emu Point to Lower Great Southern Pennant success and rejuvenated the club.

“I love Sharpy, he is great to play with, the blokes a freak,” said Matthew of Jon and their success on the green.

Matthew along with his young family made the decision to head back to Albany three seasons ago and help run the family farm. This has meant a lot of travelling, commitment, and support to keep playing bowls at the highest level.

Reflecting on the move back to his homeland Matthew said, “I love it, it’s really good but it’s a serious lot of effort to come up to Perth to play these events. My family and especially Kate for the sacrifices that she puts in, I’m away from home a lot when I do come to Perth and for someone to hold the fort at home its pretty special. And to my dad, we have a farm at home and for someone to then look after that as well, love you guys.”

Matthew’s win makes it his second in three seasons as the Men’s Country Bowler of the Year, a terrific achievement and just reward for his effort and commitment to the game.

Awards Night 2022

Women,s Country Bowler of the Year Gobbart crowned top Country Bowler

The Penny Needham Brooch is presented to the Women’s Country Bowler of the Year.

The winner was Kathy Gobbart from Gingin Bowling Club who has received this award for the sixth time having won it previously in 1995, 96, 98 and 99 whilst at the Dandaragan Bowling Club and in 2008 at Gingin.

The daughter of Penny Needham, Penny Sibon presented this award on behalf of her mother who was a big supporter of bowls in Western Australia, in particular the country clubs for which she was a delegate over a long period of time.

Prior to announcing Kathy as the winner Penny made a rather salient comment around recent covid times.

“I’d like to congratulate Bowls WA, clubs, and volunteers and especially the players for working through a tough couple of years. I think you have shown sportspeople have great fortitude and great courage and I congratulate everyone of you on that.”

Kathy made special mention of Penny’s mother noting, “She was a delightful and wonderful lady. I won this award in 1994 and she was around then so I’m very thrilled to receive this award again. Being a country bowler has never hindered my aspirations in bowls as we have many competitions, we can prove ourselves in.”

Kathy returned to some of her career best form on the greens this year winning the Champion of Club Champion Singles along with the pinnacle for a Country player in the Country Week Singles.

Kathy told a couple of rather endearing stories about her recent successes.

“Being part of a small club has never been more gratifying than this year when I came back to the club after winning the Country Week Singles to a rousing reception.

“One of our young Irish guys who play for us rang his wife and said, ‘the best thing has happened Kathy’s won the Country Week Singles’, as if there was absolutely no hope for someone of my age, and he cried,” exclaimed Kathy on what was an obviously touching moment.

Kathy has played in the Champion of Club Champions Singles final on six occasions previously only to lose on every occasion, so she really set her sights on winning it this time.

It was a case of lucky number seven on this occasion much to her delight and relief.”

• Kathy Gobbart.

After coming back from the Champion of

Champions I turned into our street and there were all these cars in front of our house and it was lovely because our friends over there on the table (signaling to a table of guests at the Awards Night) had come up with wine, food and it was very lovely to arrive home to such a reception,” Kathy added before thanking all those at the Gingin table for coming tonight and thanking everyone who had supported her along the way with her bowls. A true star of the sport well done Kathy Gobbart our 2021/22 Women’s Country Bowler of the Year.