Tup Honeybone

Dorothy “Tup” Honeybone was one of our earliest bowlers of renown.

In her own words “My introduction to bowls was one afternoon early in 1929 when Frank Honeybone (not my husband until a year later)and his father both members of Leichhardt Club took me up, put a bowl in my hand and told me to see what I could do.

Extremely shy and nervous and not having the vaguest notion what it was all about, I tried and, to my surprise as the afternoon progressed managed to get a few within a reasonable distance from the jack. This intrigued me and from then on I was sold on
bowls.”  
At the age of 23, she joined Leichhardt Club in 1929.

Her achievements include:

(From 1930 until 1964 the only State Championships played were Singles, Pairs and Champion of Club Champions)
“Tup” was Leichhardt W.B.C. Singles Champion 29 times and was made a Life Member and Patron of the Club.  In 1979 three separate days had to be arranged to accommodate those who wished to honour her 50 years as a
bowler with Leichhardt.

Gladys Suttcliffe B.E.M

It is doubtful if “Suttie’s” long list of Australian and New South Wales bowling achievements will ever be equalled or surpassed by any bowler at present playing bowls.
She was awarded the British Empire Medal for her services to sport.  She was a member of Manly WBC and the Club’s No.1 Green was named in her honour the “Gladys Sutcliffe” Green.
Throughout her bowling career she acted as the Club’s Honorary Coach.

Her achievements include:

 
“Suttie” also Skipped teams that won four (4) State Carnivals.

Merle Richardson O.A.M.

Merle started her bowling career with Bulli W.B.C. in 1959 but by 1980 had moved to Corrimal W.B.C. Her most outstanding year was 1981-2. 
Her achievements include: 

Australia v Hong Kong Test 1983 Merle was the Singles player & skipped the Triples.

Australian Champion of State Champions 1982Merle also represented Australia in 136 matches and NSW in 497 games between 1963 and 1995.

Dorothy Roche O.A.M

Dot played for Rosehill W.B.C. until 1990 when she then moved to Merrylands W.B.C.
In 1979 she was awarded the Alpha-Romeo Sports Star of the Year honour ahead of male rivals Ray Price of Rugby League and Doug Walters of Cricket.
In 1990 Dot was granted the Freedom of the City of Parramatta, an honour accorded only four times previously and then later that year was awarded the A.O.M. for her service to lawn bowls.

On the 18th July 2001 Dot was inducted into the N.S.W. Hall of Champions.

Dot represented NSW in all Test Matches from 1978 to 1997.

Gwen Wilson 1916 -

This remearkable lady commenced bowls at Broken Hill Bowling Club in 1958 when her husband, Jack realised his swimming careeer was over having been beaten by a 12 year old! Jack, an Electrical Engineer with the Technical College, was a keen sportsman and both loved Bowls immediately.

In 1960 the family was transferred to East Maitland for 3 years where Gwen played No. 1 Pennants.
In 1963 the Australian Government transferred the family to Suva, Fiji where Gwen was a member of Tamavua and Suva Bowling Clubs.
In 1965 they moved to West Dubbo and in 1967 to Corinthian Bowling Club where she won her first Major Singles.
She joined the prestigious Ashbury Women's Bowling Club and won the Major Singles in the second year. She was rewarded with a position as lead in the No. 1 Pennantss and she played in this grade, ultimately as skip, until 1998 when she joined Roselands Women's Bowling Club where her two daughyers were playing.

During Gwen's many years at Ashbury she was asuccessful member of the City West District plating skip in many District and Group Games.
She returned to Suva, Fiji to win the South Pacific Singles.
On 12/11/1998 Gwen joined Roselands Women's Bowling Club where her two daughters, Lyn Smith & Trudiann Flack were members.

This red-headed, immaculate bowler is an icon in the modern day bowling fraternity. She wears thecoloured shirts and navy slacks and loves playing against the younger players. She marvels the coloured clothing and bowls and embraces it all. She wears her State badge with pride.
Gwen will be 92 this year and still plays Pennants, Pairs, Triples & Fours in the District.

We are all very proud of her and she loves saying "A family that bowls together, stays together!"