Club History

The origin and the formation of the Mount Martha Bowls Club began when Dick Chapman a past President of the Mornington Bowls Club placed notices in shop windows in Mt Martha, inviting interested persons to a public meeting at the Mt Martha Yacht Club on 25 February 1977, with a view to forming a bowls club in Mount Martha.
In August 1978 a site became available at the corner of Watson Road and Latrobe Drive that was vacant.
Site works started in December 1978 and the land cleared and work commenced on establishing two greens and a clubhouse. By August 1979 preparation of the site was completed.
In October 1979 volunteer work commenced on the first green began in earnest with the ditches, drains and banks levelled. Work on Stage 1 of the Clubhouse began in February 1980 and completed in October the same year.
The Club was officially opened on 16th November 1980. Since this official opening day two more greens have been established and the clubhouse was extended to its present size in 1985.
Today the Club offers to bowlers the opportunity to bowl 12 months of the year on 2 greens.
New bowlers are given free coaching and an introduction to lawn bowls. Members can decide if they wish to play competitive or social bowls as the Club is involved in playing district pennant and offer many days of social bowls. The Club premises are fully licensed. Contrary to general opinion one doesn’t have to be retired to play bowls! Some of this country’s finest team members are in their twenties (and younger). It is a great game for all ages, developing concentration and team spirit. It is a great family game.

In early 2019 a former club president Alan Yates read in the local paper about a new  Mount Martha/Mornington Petanque Club that had recently been formed, whilst they were playing on the paths in the Mornington Rose Gardens they were looking for a permanent home. Alan forwarded the article to the Board suggesting that the west green , which had recently been decommissioned could be a suitable venue for them.

Following several months of discussion involving the shire, the decision was taken that provided the members of the bowls club accepted the proposal then the west green would be converted into a petanque terrain with the costs funded by the petanque club then steps would be taken to merge the two clubs. On January 21st 2021 the club became known as the Mt Martha Bowls, Petanque & Social Club Inc.

Almost immediately work commenced on the construction of an international class boulodrome.

From its small beginnings the Club has continued to grow and is now certainly one of if not the largest on the Peninsula.