West Pymble Bicentennial Club appoints new board after members reject planned poker machine sell-off

A cash-strapped bowling club is weighing up its long term future after a proposal to sell off three poker machines to boost its bottom line was rejected by members.

The bowling club has been operating for more than 60 years.

A cash-strapped bowling club is weighing up its long term future after a proposal to sell off three poker machines to boost its bottom line was rejected by members.

The West Pymble Bicentennial Club is investigating new ways of staying financially viable after suffering a downturn in trade fuelled by two-years of Covid-19 restrictions and rising inflation.

The club had proposed to sell off three of its nine poker machines to provide a quick cash injection for the venue, however the proposal was rejected by a majority of club members at an extraordinary general meeting convened by the club.

This publication understands the decision to reject the sale was based on concerns the sale of income generating assets could place the club in further financial strife, coupled with fears it could set a “precedent” for the club to sell off the remaining six poker machines and go entirely poker-machine free.

Some members, however, supported the sale – pointing to other bowling clubs in Sydney that have seen visitor numbers surge after transitioning away from poker machines, including Petersham Bowling Club in the inner west.

The club has been operating since the 1960s.

At the conclusion of the meeting, a number of club board members stood down from their positions and were replaced by five new members, including a new chair.

Newly appointed board member Rob Ryan said the club’s focus was now ensuring the club could remain financially viable as it seeks to engage with the broader community to keep the long-running venue alive.

The club has 1500 social members.

“One of the things we’re looking at is new ways of engaging with the community which could be about getting functions at the venue or having live music on Sunday afternoons to attract more people to the venue,” he said.

“As many retail and other businesses struggled through Covid the club was not immune and coming out of Covid our overheads have increased, cost of supplies for food and drink have increased, wages have increased.

“People haven’t returned to the club at the same levels we were seeing pre-Covid – I think with rising inflation people are not eating out as much and are watching their pennies.

“Ultimately we would love to do a refurbishment of the club and get it looking more modern but the reality is we have to trade through the current environment to get to that point.”

The bowling club operates under a lease with Ku-ring-gai Council.

The financial pressures facing the club are far from unique with research by the University of NSW in November finding Sydney had lost nearly half its bowlos in the past 40 years, with no new clubs established in the 15 years to 2020.

The research estimated the number of registered playing members had more than halved across Sydney since 1980. Researchers said the few clubs that had managed to thrive had diversified by investing in live music, entertainment and dining to attract a more diverse crowd.

“Bowling clubs have traditionally been a fixture of the suburban landscape in the big cities and country towns too. But there has been a notable fall in their numbers over the years. Many that have survived have also significantly changed their operations,” researcher professor Robert Freestone said.

Bowling membership has declined at the venue.

At West Pymble, Mr Ryan ruled out any suggestion of replacing bowling functions at the venue with other facilities. The club – which has been operating since the 1960s – has 1500 social members and 40 bowling members.

“It’s no secret bowling isn’t as popular of a sport as it was in previous years but it’s still a key component of the club,” Mr Ryan said.

“We’re also a community club and we work closely with football, netball, Probus, Rotary. We have great food, a great atmosphere, and the focus is to create that attractive environment to encourage more people through the doors.”

As the club looks at new ways of remaining viable, several club members have already pitched in to volunteer for cleaning duties at the venue to help cut back on overhead costs.

A fundraising campaign has also been launched by the club as it seeks broader community support and input into the venue’s future.

Board member Peter Field said the club was a vital part of the community.

“In West Pymble there’s not much in the way of community gathering spaces apart from the big clubs and hotels so I think it’s important we maintain ourselves as a sports club and a place where the community can get together and socialise.”