Celebrating 90 Years of Ballina Croquet 

The Original Croquet Club

BALLINA CROQUET SEEKS RESTORATIVE JUSTICE - AND WHY IT MATTERS TO BE HEARD

BALLINA CROQUET – SUMMARY: RESTORATIVE JUSTICE CASE (Second in a series)

1.        PURPOSE AND CONTEXT

Coercive and controlling behaviour is marked by denial, gaslighting, and blame‑shifting. Language is used to dismiss, deflect, minimise, and normalise harm. This pattern underpins how Ballina Croquet – a volunteer‑run, women‑led community sport – lost its land not once, but twice.

2.        HOW DID A COMMUNITY SPORT LOSE ITS LAND – TWICE?
Not through accident or misunderstanding, but through a deliberate business strategy by Ballina Bowling and Recreation Club Ltd (Bowling Club): no capital risk – no capital outlay, hollow promises, use, blur boundaries, network, no honoured obligations, no need to keep agreements, no accountability enforced – appear cooperative, mislead then take control.

3.        BACKGROUND
Ballina Croquet operated for decades on public Crown Land reserved for recreation. Over time, a commercial club gained control of both the original croquet site at Hampton Park and the replacement site promised in compensation. This occurred through governance failures, ignored obligations, and decisions consistently favouring a commercial operator over a community sporting club. THIS DIDN’T HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT. WHO WAS INVOLVED?

4.        THE GOVERNANCE GAP
Council (Reserve Trust Manager - Councillors) and Crown Lands (landowner) are responsible for ensuring public land remains for public recreation. These protections collapsed when croquet was involved. This ‘older’ women‑led club – growing in size and popularity was treated as disposable while the Bowling Club was positioned as the preferred long‑term land controller.

BALLINA CROQUET RECEIVED NOTHING – EXCEPT YEARS AND YEARS OF HARDSHIP – 40+

5.        STEP‑BY‑STEP TRANSFER OF CONTROL

5.1   1985 Expansion – The Bowling Club expanded over the original Ballina Croquet’s Hampton Park site. Ballina Croquet removed its clubhouse, shrank its courts, and operated from tin sheds. In exchange, the Bowling Club expanded (boardroom, kitchen, air-conditioning, delivery area etc.,) and agreed to fully fund a relocated site and facilities (2 lawns and clubhouse) – no $ limit, no strings attached – documented in the 2005 Plan of Management.

5.2   21 February 2005 Secretary Ballina Croquet, POM Appendices p. 56. Bowling Club expansion: “Once again, the croquet equipment was moved. Each move has necessitated the removal of more Club property into private homes and honour boards, archives, trophies are scattered about Ballina. Members of the Croquet Club to this day remain keen to see the Club progress and hope one day to have another chapter to write on the progress of the Club.”

5.3   13 May 2005 PoM (p.27) – The Bowling Club had and has offered to pay for the establishment of new croquet facilities. Ballina Croquet received a 3‑year lease, no outlay costs, $5,000 payable per annum for maintenance, and full on-site accountability. These were binding obligations. Ballina Croquet provided - $20,000+ to outfit the site, all croquet eqpt.

5.4   6 January 2006 – The Bowling Club constructed two water tanks, and a green‑keepers work area (over walkways), lease boundaries blurred (fences not accurate to plans), not included or represented in the Council DA.

5.5   2 March 2006 – Independent Liquor Gaming Authority (ILGA) - Administration Board rejected the Bowling Club’s application for 30 additional poker machines. Social Impact Assessment Class 2: Findings included all relevant community organisations consulted opposed the application, high gambling harm, and rejection of croquet relocation as a benefit. Replacing croquet facilities, on the new site was deemed “not a good investment” where an “existing croquet club already operating” existed.p.7   

 “The LGA (Local Government Area): a disadvantaged community. aging population” pp.4, 11“Figures show that the club takes over 27% of all poker machine profit in the LGA but has 10% of the machines.” p.5 “Average profit per machine is high...” p.5 “the gambling industry’s new jobs will harm some other industry’s existing jobs” p.6 “These figures then further completely overshadow and outweigh the benefits. “The Board accepts the lower estimate as to be as to be more likely, namely, 25 additional problem gamblers costing somewhere between $175,500-$555.750, between 150 & 360 more people will be adversely affected.” p.11

To justify additional poker machines the Bowling Club informed “gambling activities will be conducted in a responsible manner, the club is not located in a retail shopping centre and there is NO school, place of public worship or hospital in the immediate vicinity of the club.”  p.1

 “These claims are assessed as valueless.” To “provide two full size lawn bowls greens and a small clubhouse facility. The updated figure to be borne by the applicant club for this work, $140,000 There is currently a croquet club providing existing facilities (Ballina Croquet) for the local community. A relocation and reconstruction therefore will simply mirror an existing community facility”. p.7

Replacing croquet facilities (on the new site) was “not a good investment”, and “an existing croquet club already operating” (Ballina Croquet). p.7 Car Parking, expansion: “the same issues will apply to this benefit is applied to those of the croquet club.” p.8

“Therefore, the relocation (of Ballina Croquet) cannot be claimed as a benefit at the cost of redevelopment. “A new croquet club to be of benefit”. p.7 (Meaning: A new croquet club could be claimed as a benefit?)

Submissions: “Comments received on the application from 8 local organisations”, including local churches, schools and a community service organisation. “Not one positive comment was made”. p.10

It is understood to be routine for the local Council, Police and Lands to be given a copy of submissions from ILGA for comment. None were received. WHY?

THE PENNY DROPPED. WAS THERE ANY BENEFIT IN REPAYING BALLINA CROQUET. WHAT IF BALLINA CROQUET DIDN’T EXIST?  WOULD OUR SUBMISSIONS BE MORE SUCCESSFUL – e.g., poker machines?

5.6   2 August 2006 – The Secretary Manager (CEO) stated a $200,000 relocation budget could not be justified as Ballina Croquet was not part of the Bowling Club. (Untrue. No such stipulation exists. The justification was the promises, legal agreements and the reality of expansion over the current croquet site by the Bowling Club.)

5.7   Bowling Club Board Decision – CEO and Chairman inform planning takes shape for the construction of a synthetic bowling green. Funding $197,000 ($167,000 & $30,000 for revamping the surrounds).  

5.8   2 November 2006 – Ballina Shire Council Reserve Trust notice for DA application – Hampton Park, Crown Reserve No. 54004, falsely claimed amalgamation of Ballina Tennis Club and Ballina Croquet with the Bowling Club while asserting the Bowling Club would fund croquet relocation. (Were the bowling club, public, governments and councillors misled or misleading? The result was no independent services for the croquet area as requested by Ballina Croquet.)

5.9   17 November 2006 – A draft Deed of Merger proposing discontinuation of Ballina Croquet and formation of a Bowling Club sub‑club was never tabled or distributed.

5.10  17-19 December 2006 – Croquet signed for a demountable while commercial/industrial fee schedules emerged elsewhere. Not compliant with community sports venue requirements including standard facilities e.g., toilets

6.        THE STRATEGY
Pretend to support. Promise to pay. Delay delivery. Remove the club. Retain both croquet sites – old and new. The strategy began in 1985 and was progressively implemented.

7.        NETWORK OF INFLUENCE
Interlocking governance roles, infiltration of croquet leadership, and continuity of key Council, Crown Lands, and Bowling Club personnel (Board Members, CEO, Councillors, Administrators) for nearly two decades enabled this outcome.

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE – REQUIRES REMEDIES
This matter requires repair, not punishment. Restorative justice requires acknowledgement of harm, transparency about decision‑making failures, restoration of equivalent and secure croquet facilities under independent community control, and governance reform to prevent repetition. Without repair, harm embeds and repeats.  What next?

Croquet for Every Season

If Ballina had a sport with nine lives, it’d be croquet.
We’ve been swinging mallets since 1936 – that’s 356 seasons of sunshine, storms, tin sheds, relocations, floods, heatwaves, and one very enthusiastic experiment with Gateball.
And somehow… we’re still smiling.

As the original croquet club on Ballina Island, we’ve played it all - Golf, Association, Ricochet – with social and competitive play happily tangled together like wayward balls on a windy day. Through every challenge (yes, even COVID), our members kept showing up, staying connected, and refusing to let a little weather – or a tin shed – stop a good game.

Because here’s our secret: great people, simple joy, endless laughs – a sport that ages better than most of us and a volunteer spirit that powers everything we do.

We don’t just play croquet. We coach, garden, build, repair, fundraise, welcome newcomers and support our community. That’s what makes us us.

So… what exactly makes OUR club, OUR sport so unique?

Ballina Croquet Fits the Bill

🔵 Adapts to Every Season

Croquet thrives year-round – if it’s not blowing sideways or cooking the mallets, we’re out there. Each season brings new challenges: shifting light, cheeky turf, mysterious breezes, and temperatures that demand either sunscreen or three jackets. Perfect conditions for building resilience, adaptability, and the occasional creative excuse for missing that “easy” shot.

🔴 Good for Body and Mind

Don’t be fooled by the calm exterior – croquet is stealth fitness. It strengthens muscles, bones, balance and heart health while sharpening focus and coordination. And the mental perks? Endorphins, confidence, stress relief… plus the satisfaction of finally nailing that hoop you missed last week.

⚫Connection and Camaraderie

On the lawns, friendships grow as quickly as rivalry. Doubles play (four players, two per team) means teamwork, tactics, laughter, and the occasional “You hit what?”
It’s sport with heart – where connection matters just as much as competition.

🟡 A Lifelong Source of Joy

Croquet grows with you. Year-round play keeps your mind sharp, motivation strong, and spirits high. Every game offers variety, challenge, and a spark of joy – whether you’re 9, 99, or somewhere in between.

From blazing summer afternoons to crisp winter mornings, croquet brings people together for fitness, friendship, and fun.

Try Croquet at Ballina Croquet — your community club.

BALLINA CROQUET SEEKS RESTORATIVE JUSTICE — AND WHY IT MATTERS NOW (First in a series)

For more than 40 years, Ballina Croquet has endured what no community club should: broken promises, shrinking space, rising pressure, and the slow erosion of women’s sporting autonomy.

This is not abstract. It is the lived reality of older women who have been the custodians of the sport — setting up, packing away, lifting, maintaining lawns, playing and volunteering through every season and hardship, while watching others profit from their labour.

Ballina Croquet is not imagining this. They are living it.
And it will not stop unless the community — and elected representatives — have the courage to name it.

So …What Is Restorative Justice — and Why Does Ballina Croquet Need It?

Restorative justice is simple at its core: When harm is done, we come together, we acknowledge it, we listen, we repair the damage, and we rebuild trust.

It’s not soft ----It’s not symbolic----It demands honesty, accountability, and the courage to face hard truths.

Reference: The work of Martin Howard (Restorative Justice International Global Advisory Council; Prison Fellowship Australia (Qld Chair); Restorative Practices International (Vice Chair Qld); Sycamore Tree Project (Qld founder and facilitator). Used with permission.

Restorative justice asks three things:

1. Who was harmed? Ballina Croquet’s members — overwhelmingly women — who lost their independence, access, dignity, space, health, welfare and fair treatment.

2. What are their needs? A permanent, safe, independent home. Recognition of the harm done since 1985. Repair – not excuses.

3. Who is responsible for making things right? Those who benefited from the imbalance: the commercial operator, the decisions of Council (staff & councillors) and Crown Lands, and those who shaped or enabled arrangements that disadvantaged Ballina Croquet.

This is not about punishing anyone.
It’s about telling the truth, repairing the damage, and ending a pattern that has kept a women-led community sport under pressure for four decades.

BALLINA CROQUET SEEKS RESTORATIVE JUSTICE — AND WHY IT MATTERS NOW (First in a series.)

When government aligns too closely with a commercial operator, someone pays the price.
In Ballina, that “someone” has been an 89.5-year-old, women-led community club.

What occurred was not a single decision, but a pattern — one that mirrors what domestic and family violence frameworks now recognise as coercive control: not physical force, but the cumulative impact of pressure, fear, dependency, and loss of autonomy.

This pattern is sustained through a blurring of responsibility.
Phrases like “I don’t want to get involved,” “This is political,” or “I don’t want to know” create distance from harm while allowing benefit. This is not neutrality — it is enabling - — a recognised mechanism through which coercive systems persist.

Language also matters. Words such as “co-operation,” “partnership,” “transition,” and “compromise” disguise imbalance and discourage resistance and reframe loss of power as reasonableness, until over time those affected begin to question themselves rather than the system.

For Ballina Croquet, the lived experience reflects this pattern:

• pressure instead of partnership

• “be grateful” instead of “be respected”

• threats of reduced access or exclusion

• rising costs that feed someone else’s profit

• blame for problems they did not create

• repeated demands to adjust, sacrifice, wait, comply

These are recognised indicators of coercive control — not overt violence, the steady narrowing of options until compliance replaces autonomy and survival becomes the goal.  The control group (Ballina Bowling and Recreation Club Ltd Board, Ballina Council, NSW Lands) and supporters believes Ballina Croquet (its’ members) should be thankful for whatever crumbs remain. 

This is WHY restorative justice is essential.
Not to blame – but to stop the cycle, acknowledge and repair the harm, restore agency and rebuild fair, transparent, community-first decision-making.

And the Community Is Already Speaking –

·        When Ballina Croquet was founded by 13 women in 1936 — building 2 lawns and a clubhouse at their own expense and sustaining the club for 89.5 years — that was restorative justice in action.

• When 976 people signed a petition in one week — including local residents, councillors, tennis players, croquet players from both clubs, and Bowling Club members — supporting relocation to under-used Cawarra Park, that was restorative justice in action.

• When Ballina Croquet repeatedly asked that existing agreements be honoured, rejected a forced merger, sought reinstatement during COVID-19, and requested relocation not once but seven times — that was restorative justice in action.

Each time, the message was the same: Ballina Croquet members are saying: “Enough. Fairness matters.”

And the Community Is Asking

• Do all Ballina businesses receive subsidised rates and public recreational land — or just one?

• Are all Registered Clubs treated equally — or only those with political and financial influence?

• Are Incorporated Sporting Clubs treated fairly — or only when they are not made up largely of older women?

• Do Council and Lands plans apply to all — or selectively?

So, What Do We Ask?  We ask Councillors, Ministers, sporting bodies, and community members to insist on:

• transparency

• accountability

• honesty — not rumours or misinformation

• equitable treatment of community sport on public land

• an end to a 40-year imbalance favouring commercial interests

• an end to the proposed commercial licence over three-quarters of Hampton Park Reserve

• an end to parking and an end to the proposed multi-level car park on Hampton Park Reserve

If this can happen to croquet and community open space, it can happen to any group and any land.

Have the courage to act.
Fairness will not return unless it is demanded.

Women’s sporting spaces should not shrink.
Community clubs should not be silenced.
No volunteer-run sport should have to fight this hard to survive on public land.

Ballina Croquet is seeking restorative justice – not just for themselves, but for every community group that believes fairness still matters.

Back in 2007 — the glorious “Tin Shed Era” — Ballina Croquet members were buzzing with optimism.

At last!
Seven days a week of play. TWO lawns. A clubhouse.
And the promised replacement site and shiny new infrastructure on the way — courtesy of Ballina Bowling & Recreation Club Ltd (freshly rebranded as Cherry St Sports Group) supported by Ballina Shire Council and NSW Lands Department.

What could possibly go wrong?
(Yes… yes, we know. But back then we were young, hopeful, and still believed in things like “agreements,” “goodwill,” and “delivery timelines.”)

We even started dreaming big

“Let’s introduce Gateball to the Northern Rivers!”
Why not? With 7-day access and optimum lawn conditions (we thought!), it was the perfect time to bring in croquet’s fun, fast, strategic ‘cousin.’

November 2007 arrived — Moving Month.
Morale was sky-high. Boxes were packed. Mallets polished. Someone even said, “Imagine… Gateball tournaments right here in Ballina!”

And honestly? It wasn’t such a wild dream.

Gateball is played right across Australia — in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, SA, and WA — in croquet clubs and community sports centres everywhere. It began in Japan in 1947 when Suzuki Kazunobu invented it as a speedy, accessible team sport for all ages. Since then, it’s travelled the world and nestled happily beside croquet as the fast-paced, strategic, blink-and-you-miss-it lawn game that keeps players on their toes.

So yes…
In 2007, we genuinely believed we were next.
We had lawns, we had hope, we had plans…

And then — well — history had other ideas.

But oh, what a moment that was.
A whole club dreaming together about a future that felt just within reach.

Meet Mike Gidding: The Man Who Sees Croquet in Angles, Lines, and Infinite Possibilities

Every croquet club has that person. You know the one—turns up early, measures something no one else knew needed measuring, and somehow makes you believe that one more practice swing will change your entire sporting destiny.
For Ballina Croquet, that person is Mike Gidding.

Mike is the sort of character who brings a delightful mix of precision, focus, and “let’s just try it one more time” energy to the lawns. Annoying at times, wanting things just so, harder on himself than others! If croquet had a NASA program, he’d be running Mission Control. And honestly, we’d all trust him with the launch codes.

But behind the angles and the immaculate shot-lines is someone who genuinely makes people better—at croquet, at confidence, and sometimes even at cooking.

A Club Champion in More Ways Than One

Mike’s passion for croquet is contagious. He treats the sport as the ultimate combination of skill, tactics, social connection, and community. He happily coaches anyone—from the elite (offering advice, not always the right move), seasoned players to nervous beginners—to feel like they can do it. And the thing is… they actually can.

Most of Ballina’s croquet members are older women with limited sporting backgrounds. Mike meets every one of them with patience, enthusiasm and clear guidance. They leave the lawn feeling stronger, prouder, and more capable than when they arrived.

He brings that same respect to NDIS participants (sharing the precious lawn time available), who have flourished with increased confidence, new friendships, positive routine—this is what croquet can do when someone like Mike shows the way.

And he doesn’t stop there. He also encourages juniors, one of whom joined the club simply because of Mike’s teaching and encouragement.

The Man Who Does Everything (Including Sausage Sizzles and Baking)

·        Ballina Croquet runs on volunteers—and Mike is everywhere

·        Lawn maintenance – setting of hoops – day in day out – who knows it better?

·        A regular on the Bunnings BBQ roster

·        A magician in the kitchen for social events

·        The man who once taught another member to cook

·        Yes… he actually built a computer for someone

·        And he rescues mallets—fixing equipment after the 2022 floods to help a regional club get back on their feet

Need your phone fixed? Mike.
Need the website updated? Mike.
Need a new club logo? Mike.
Need technical support you didn’t know existed? You guessed it—Mike.

He even demonstrates croquet at Bunnings events, proving that the sport works just as well under hardware store lights as it does on the lawn.

Elite Talent, Local Spirit

2025 has been extraordinary. Mike didn’t just win a title—he won five.
Australian Croquet Association AC Open Doubles (partner Chris Borlase)

NSW AC Open Singles Champion

NSW AC 3 and under
Queensland AC Open Singles Champion

Queensland First 8s

He then represented NSW in the national Eire Cup, and the team finished runners-up. His performances earned him something truly special:
Direct qualification for the 2025 World Association Croquet Championships in Florida, as one of only nine Australians in a field of 72 players from around the world.

He achieved all this while living and training regionally, juggling work as a Consulting Geophysicist, family, and a far smaller pool of elite competition than city players enjoy. That makes his success even more remarkable—and deeply inspiring for the Ballina croquet community.

Precision + Passion = Possibility

Mike is proof that great croquet isn’t about age, background, or being a natural athlete. It’s about focus, effort, curiosity, and the kind of mind that loves learning how things work—and then sharing it with others.

He reminds us that:
Anyone can get better at croquet. All it takes is practice, patience, and maybe one good lesson from a guy who sees the world in angles.

And at Ballina Croquet, that guy is Mike.

A champion player.
A generous coach.
A volunteer powerhouse.
A tech wizard.
A cook.
A fixer.
A friend.

And someone who shows us every day how one person’s dedication can lift an entire club.

BALLINA CROQUET’S GAP YEARS: Ballina Croquet lived a precious interlude

PHASE 1 ENDS (Nov 2007 – Jan 2008) — PHASE 2 BEGINS (Jan 2008 – Apr 2010)

3 Month of a Place (Promises kept) = 3.96 Years of Waiting (Tin Shed Living)

26 Months of Place (Promises kept) = 34.32 Years of Waiting (Tin Shed Living)

It was 29 months of growth, pride, and dignity. A glimpse of the future that might have been ours, had true independence been secured and agreements kept by - Ballina Bowling and Recreation Club Ltd., Ballina Shire Council and NSW Crown Lands. After 25 Years – The Dream Ended – HOPE!

2008 – A Dream with Strings Attached:

The official opening in January 2008 by CNSW brought excitement, but it was quickly clouded.

Reality Check: The Ballina Bowling Club’s message was 'be grateful.'

• Forget the agreements made in good faith – 25 years and counting.

• Forget 22 years of “Tin Shed” living.

• Forget the unpaid volunteer effort INCLUDING paying for the original clubhouse and 2 lawns – left out of the 2004/5 PoM Hampton Park.

• Forget croquet sacrifices while Ballina Bowling Club’s profits soared.

• Forget that the Ballina Bowling Club’s infrastructure expansion was/is happening – not recommended in the 2004-5 PoM Hampton Park, p. 28

·        Forget that the clubhouse and lawns were designed without croquet in mind – bowling greens underneath.

·        Forget that all council services (water, electricity) were found to be connected to the Bowling Club. Ballina Croquet requested disconnection. Council/Bowling Club – No go!

·        Remember we mow the open recreational area on Hampton Park. Quid pro quo? Part if a deal?

Behind the veneer of generosity, new lease arrangements became convoluted and restrictive, undermining our independence. Instead of celebration, members were met with conditional belonging—and a reminder of who “held the power.” 2008 was spent attempting to sort out the mess, betrayal on everyone’s lips. FORGET THE BOWLING CLUB OWES BALLINA CROQUET!

Independence was not secured. Initially, confusing lease arrangements and attempts to impose a questionable 'Deed'.

2009 – The Struggle for Autonomy - Defiance and Legal Advice

Members agreed not to “totally split” with the Ballina Bowling Club but insisted on autonomy. The Ballina Bowling Club continued to refuse to meet with croquet’s pro bono solicitor, showing disregard for fairness and transparency.

• Legal advice was sought:

  • the so-called “Deed” imposed on croquet was not legitimate. True

  • The Corporations Act, Constitution, 2004 Draft and 2005 POM Hampton Park supposedly requiring Ballina Croquet to be a sub-club due to money spent by the Ballina Bowling Club – Commitments & Responsibilities Action Plan 2005, p. 22.  Not True

  • The 2004/5 POM Hampton Park specified the positive role that Ballina Croquet would undertake on the relocated site – Commitments & Responsibilities Action Plan 2005, p. 29. True

Council & NSW Lands Intervene: Recognition of Rights

·        By mid-2009, Ballina Council, NSW Lands acknowledged what croquet had argued all along: no club should be forced into sub-club status if unwilling. Ballina Bowling Club Chairman agreed and reports... the 2005 POM Hampton Park agreement was the Deed…” (Untrue) and in the future, when the Bowling Club is having construction work carried out, the Manager wants to have our building as his Administration Centre and the Board want to use it as a Centre for its Board Meetings...”

·        Unanimous decision to see Solicitor. None of the other Bowling Club sub-clubs was required to have a Deed or a Constitution as required of us.”

Exploitation Exposed

• June 2009: Council confirmed autonomy should be protected. Council’s Reserve Trust considered a lease in croquet’s own name.

• August 2009: Treasurer revealed $30,757 in lawn fees paid since Nov 2007. Clubhouse and lawns paid for by Ballina Croquet… the rest ‘profit’ for the Bowling club. Outlandish cost for lawn maintenance – wrong grass, sea grass paspalum. Members unanimously voted to remain independent.

• Lawn fees kept rising: $2, $4, $5, $6 increments. (2024 - $9) One of the highest in NSW.

• Members even donated $923 in six months to cover cleaning. A commercial club and we clean. Still cleaning toilets, floors in 2025 which other groups also use.

• Members paid for water (water tankers brought in) when water was withheld. $1,000’s

The Ballina Bowling Club expanded, while Ballina Croquet was diminished and ‘fear’ underlined existence.

Meanwhile In response, Ballina Croquet safeguarded their independence. Press articles highlighted croquet’s fight for identity. This was not croquet being “gifted” a future—it was croquet demanding recognition of rights long denied. This wasn’t benevolence. It was extraction.

The Stage Was Set – Legal Protection Drafted – BUT FOR WHO? AND WHY?

Council’s Open Spaces/Lands confirmed:

·        Draft lease provisions to protect Ballina Croquets’ rights to lawns and clubhouse (Lot 561 DP 1119965), 21.10. 2009, for a community club.

·        Croquet-specific terms deliberately erased: “Mallet Sports” became “Sports,” “Lawns” became “Greens.” This was an erasure of identity.

Outcomes:

1. Secure increased profits for the Bowling Club (fees, land acquisition – 2 crown recreational land croquet sites and infrastructure). Community lease rates NOT commercial for a profit making enterprise.

2.        Structural arrangements set the foundation for big business to expand its holdings in Ballina over community and commercial land. Ballina Croquet was in its way and would only exist on Hampton Pak if it could be of financial benefit.

2010 – The Curtain Falls

Despite 29 months of growth, spirit, and new confidence, the era ended not with stability, but with the Bowling Club’s accelerated takeover of not one but two croquet sites.

• Government land set aside for croquet was swallowed into Ballina Bowling Club control.

• Independence—the glimpse seen in the Gap Years—was lost again.

Challenging the Myth of “Gratitude”

The Gap Years prove Ballina Croquet was never a charity case of the Bowling Club:

• Croquet paid its way— 2 parcels of crown recreational land, tens of thousands in fees, donations, equipment, 2 clubhouses, over $20,000 in furnishings, 4 lawns, 2 leases and volunteer labour. The Bowling Club thrived.

• Croquet rebuilt its spirit—membership grew, systems strengthened, and the club moved on.

• Croquet defended its rights—securing Council recognition that sub-club status was unjust.

The idea that Ballina Croquet should have been grateful is false. Croquet was not gifted survival; it fought for it, paid for it, and earned it.

THE GAP YEARS COME TO AN END

CONCLUSION – HOPE, EXCITEMENT, BETRAYAL

The Gap Years gave us a home, but not freedom.

2007 gave us a roof, but not autonomy.

2010 saw the formation of a 2nd croquet club by Ballina Bowling and Recreation Club Ltd.

Who would you trust?

Would you trust the 2005 POM Hampton Park Agreements OR Ballina Bowling Club OR neither?

The fight for Ballina Croquet’s independence AND survival had only just begun.

Ballina Bowling Club still OWES Ballina Croquet. Will they make good on their promises?

BALLINA CROQUET’S GAP YEARS: Nov 2007 – Apr 2010

From Nov 2007 to Apr 2010, Ballina Croquet lived a precious interlude – our Gap Years

• We recovered our health and spirit.

• Membership grew with renewed energy. 60+members

• Volunteering flourished: a House Manager for the clubhouse, a Lawns Committee for two lawns (The wrong grass but so what!)

• We developed strong organisational skills and rediscovered the joy of croquet flexibility - whenever we wanted to play- any time of the day, 7 days per week, every week, all year, any code.

It was 29 months of growth, pride, and dignity. A glimpse of the future that might have been ours, had true independence been secured.

PHASE 1 The Gap Years: Nov 2007 – Jan 2008 (3 months)

1 Month of a Place (Promises kept) = 1.32 Years of Waiting (Tin Shed Living)

3 Months of Place (Promises kept) = 3.96 Years of Waiting (Tin Shed Living)

After 22 Years – A Dream Renewed

For more than two decades, Ballina Croquet endured “tin shed living.” There was no power, no water, no toilets, and no space for social connection. Yet the Club survived. Members played on reduced sized lawns, fundraised tirelessly, and clung to their traditions.

By 2006, HOPE was alive again. Ballina Council minutes and plans promised “relocated croquet lawns” and a small clubhouse on Hampton Park. The Ballina Bowling & Recreation Club Ltd (Ballina Bowling Club) pledged to cover the costs, make good their promises. No limit on funding – as they wanted to continue their expansion program. Members dared to believe after 22 years, we will finally have a home of our own, AGAIN.

Hidden moves – The Truth Matters – Real Consequences

Even as members dreamed, darker currents flowed:

• November 2006, a discovery – A secret draft Deed proposed dissolving Ballina Croquet into the Ballina Bowling Croquet Club, a “sub-club.” ‘Ballina Bowling and Recreation Club Ltd. Croquet Club’. It was never tabled, circulated, seen or approved by members.

• December 2006, a discovery – Ballina Council paperwork reported croquet had “signed off” on a demountable shed. Was the promised brick clubhouse slipping away? Could we have continued as Ballina Croquet if the ‘carrot’ of a brick clubhouse slipped away?

• In the same period, the sitting Ballina Croquet President’s husband joined Ballina Bowling and Recreation Club Ltd Board with promises of helping croquet.

Despite these hidden moves, members clung to the HOPE of two full lawns and a brick clubhouse.

2007 – Building the Future (But Whose Future?)

In January 2007, Ballina Council site inspections revealed disturbing truths. Lawns designed with bowling greens underneath, the Mayor acknowledged, but still passed. 2 croquet members dared to inspect the site (warned not to go there). They found boxed gutters. One cited for expulsion. Membership voted. She stayed.

• All services – power, water, irrigation, water tanks – remained tied to the Ballina Bowling Club.

• Only one toilet planned, with no disability toilet or access, no female toilet, for fifty-six members.

• Boundaries and fences blurred; club house design intended to double as a Ballina Bowling Club office for the Secretary Manager and staff meeting room; green keeper’s worksite permanently located on pathways – huge machines, oil, grease, chemicals (pesticides, fertilisers), unsuitable grass on the croquet area. The spectator area marred by brick pillars.

Still, walls rose, grass laid, and members watched eagerly as their lawns took shape. OH & S issues? Sporting building code compliance issues? In 2025 NOTHING has changed. COME AND SEE FOR YOURSELF.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes:

• 8 May 2007 – Remember the Deed was signed. Why? Ballina Bowling Club said you don’t need legal advice; you can use our solicitor.  Under the 2005 Hampton Park POM, Bowling Club Constitution and Corporations Act a deed was required because of the costs the Board will not approve the construction. Not True. What of their promises? Very few members ever saw the Deed or were aware of the Deed. It was not, passed by the full membership. Those who did thought the deal represented affiliation NOT amalgamation. How wrong could they be? Naive and trusting.

• 6 June 2007 – 1 Month Later - Ballina Croquet President admitted the Ballina Bowling Club had misled her. She signed a sworn statement. Members’ requests to Ballina Bowling Club, Ballina Council and NSW Lands Department for transparency ignored.

• The Ballina Bowling Club’s 2007 Annual Report listed $128,000 spent on the brick clubhouse. A pittance in terms of the money they made (using promises/agreements with Ballina Croquet) over 22 years of expansion, lease acquisition, asset accumulation, and income.

• Ballina Croquet members’ concerns escalated. What about the promises, survival, and dignity after 22 years in the shadows?  

Members Make It a Home

Determined not to let the new building become just another symbol of loss, Ballina Croquet members poured in over $20,000 of their own funds: mallet racks, fridge, cupboards, blinds, chairs, desks, 100-piece cutlery and crockery sets, frypan, microwave, noticeboards, bookcase, filing cabinet, shelving, display cabinet, tools, mower, whipper snipper, hoses and even a flagpole. (Most items are still there but bear the wear and tear of 18yrs.)

We owned all the latest croquet equipment (as we do today) another $20,000 from our pockets, and more.  Our volunteer labour came to the rescue. Every item carried pride and purpose – proof that Ballina Croquet was still a living, independent club.

Yet reality was sobering: the croquet lawns were built as bowling greens, the clubhouse was designed to be Bowling Club’s office and staffroom (says the Ballina Mayor), and all essential services remained tied to them. Autonomy promised but not delivered.

HOPE Meets REALITY

Council’s inspections (Jan 2007) had already passed the building despite glaring irregularities for a community sport and recreation building.

So, while the community celebrated, unease lingered. The year closed with mixed emotions:

• Excitement – after 22 years, Ballina Croquet once again had a clubhouse and lawns.

• Pride – members furnished it themselves.  All the hardships suffered forgotten for a little while.

• Concerns – autonomy remained elusive, and Ballina Bowling Club control lingered. Friends of the Ballina Bowling Club were holding secret invitation-only meetings.

November 2007 – The Big Move

On 21 November 2007, the doors opened. Members walked into their new clubhouse for the first time. After 22 years of “tin shed living,” the joy was overwhelming. At last: 2 lawns to play on (again). A roof of our own.

The ability to play croquet seven days a week on 2 lawns and socialise again, host Friendship Days, hold Pennants, fundraise, enjoy social drinks – alcohol no less (later to be banned by Ballina Bowling Club), and gather with dignity – just as Ballina Croquet had always done before displacement. Honour boards went up.

Clubhouse described simply as: “A wonderful facility.”  But the TRUTH remained: independence still denied.

2008 – The Official Opening

On 19 January 2008, Croquet NSW President J. McDonald officially opened Ballina Croquet’s “replacement” clubhouse and two lawns. Ballina Croquet paid for a dedication plaque (still there) and a clubhouse sign ‘Ballina Croquet Club’ (soon to be stolen, reported to the police, Ballina Bowling Club denied responsibility, sign returned years later by greens staff member.)  The Club transferred its Public Liability Insurance, cementing its return to a recognised, active site.

It was a milestone – the symbolic end of the “Tin Shed Years.”

PHASE 1 ENDS

Conclusion – Hope, Excitement, Betrayal

The Gap Years gave us a home, but not freedom.

2007 gave us a roof, but not autonomy.

The fight for Ballina Croquet’s Independence & Existence had only just begun.

Fair Go for Women in Sport – Let’s Talk Croquet!

Ballina Croquet, Original Croquet Club – Proudly Women-Led Since 1936

Part 2 – Speak Out. Step Up. Swing On.

Croquet: Women’s Sport That Refuses to Be Silenced

Our women have endured:

§  Loss of clubhouse and meeting place x 2 (old and current sites)

§  Croquet time cut from 7 days to 3

§  Rising costs, shrinking promises

§  Takeover attempts instead of independence

§  40 years of disadvantage while neighbours gained land, access, $$$$ and subsidies from Council and Lands.

§  The current croquet site...

o   Is no longer a community sporting site

o   the ex-home of Ballina Croquet (22 months we had it).

o   over the last 15 years it has progressively become a commercial site incorporated into the business holding of Ballina Bowling & Recreation Club Ltd (known as Ballina Bowling Club, Cherry Sports Club).

§  Misleading media commentary

Who really got the help—Ballina Croquet, or Ballina Bowling & Recreation Club Ltd?

Where Do We Go from Here?

We ask our Government, Councillors, and Community:

·        Please take a moment to reflect on the actions that have affected us, both past and present.

·        Support fairness and human decency.

Give us a safe, purpose-built croquet facility on Ballina Island, Ward A—our home since 1936.

YES, to Ballina Island for Ballina Croquet (we will fund)

NO to Alstonville for Ballina Croquet (but YES for Alstonville Croquet Club)

Why We’re Ready

Ballina Croquet has:

§  Self-funded, growing bank balance...$$$$$

§  Site and clubhouse plans (by a woman)

§  Accredited female coaches, referees, and executives

§  Strong community and media presence

§  A 13-member Working Group (10 women) with wide professional expertise

Our message since 1936: Ask us, not others.

What We Need – A community site, a lease:

Two croquet lawns with surrounds

§  A purpose-built clubhouse with female and accessible facilities

§  Shade, seating, lighting, and safe social spaces

§  Mixed-gender, all-ages, affordable play

§  Inclusion of disability groups and community

Why Support Matters

Without it:

§  Women remain stuck in unsafe, male-controlled spaces

§  Participation falls due to barriers – costs fly high

§  Older women’s health and wellbeing suffer

§  An historic, women-led club risks being erased

§  The media is NOT held to account for misinformation or one-sided commentary.

§  Our governments are NOT held to account for misinformation and failing to protect an 89-year-old Ballina Community Sporting Club.

Ballina Croquet Seeks

Autonomy. Equity. A fair go.

We don’t want handouts or conflict. We want independence, good neighbours, and a home in our community—just like every other sport.

It’s Time

§  To support women in sport

§  To support men in sport

§  To support a viable healthy sport

§  To support Ballina Croquet, a community sporting club in Ballina, on Ballina Island for 89 years.

§  To honour our history and safeguard our future

§  To invest in a women-led club that uplifts the community

We are Ballina Croquet. We’ve served Ballina Community for 89 years. With your support, we’ll be here for 89 more.

A Fair Go for Women in Sport – Let’s Talk Croquet!

Speak Out. Step Up. Swing On. Ballina Croquet – Proudly Women-Led Since 1936

Ballina Croquet is calling on everyone—decision-makers, community leaders, and everyday Australians — to give women in sport the fair go they’ve long deserved. We’re not asking for special treatment. We’re asking for equity, respect, and safe, fit-for-purpose infrastructure so that more women and girls can participate, lead, and thrive in sport—our sport. Don’t let us disappear from Ballina Island!

Croquet: The Quiet Revolution in Women’s Sport

Croquet may not be loud, but it is powerful. It’s a sport of focus, strategy, strength, and fun. It’s also a sport where women dominate—on the lawns and in leadership.

Since 1936, Ballina Croquet has been women-led. Today, 62% of our members are female, with six of eight key leaders women. Our heart is older women—finding strength, purpose, and connection after careers, floods, COVID, and life’s disruptions.

The Benefits: More Than Just a Game

Why croquet matters for women’s health and wellbeing and our community:

   It’s safe. A non-contact sport that promotes gentle but effective physical activity.

   It builds bone strength, improves balance, and preserves independence—key for preventing falls and frailty.

   It’s social. Our club is a sanctuary for conversation, laughter, learning, and friendship.

   It’s inclusive. Women support women. Accredited female coaches and volunteers create a learning space that is non-intimidating, welcoming, and respectful.

   It’s empowering. Members become mentors. Learners become leaders. Every woman who joins gain’s purpose, pride, and belonging.

But Here’s the Problem...

Despite our long active history, 89 years and growing numbers, we face the same barriers women face across all sport, especially in regional communities:

Ø Not being heard or listened to (How many times can we say the same thing & be knocked for it?)

Ø No congratulations for following every rule and EVERY recommendation — still no site. Just busy work, rising health costs for us, and complaints from staff about costs to them. Years of neglect!

Ø No female friendly facilities: No female-only toilets or changerooms. No disability access or toilet

Ø No safe lighting, shade structures that fail to protect in wind and rain, or adequate seating

Ø No opportunity for after-hours or evening play BUT then up go the costs again…

Ø No autonomy over facilities built for us, replacement for our old site that included a large clubhouse and 2 full size croquet lawns. Underneath bowling greens AND on top the wrong grass.

Ø No opportunity to stop the soaring costs to play imposed to increase the profit margin of others

Ø No government funding—EVER—for croquet, Ballina Croquet infrastructure in Ballina

Meanwhile, male-dominated sports keep receiving major funding and facilities—

• Even when their sites are unfit for purpose.

• Even when there’s space to share with women’s sport and community needs.

• Even when commercial clubs make millions yet still get subsidies.

Is this the Ballina we believe in—where promises aren’t kept, policies ignored, and those with power OR loudest voice are endlessly deferred to?

Tin Shed Living” 1985 – Nov. 2007 (22 years)

Capturing the day-to-day experience of life in the First and Second Tin Sheds at Ballina Croquet  (The Original Croquet Club on Ballina Island)

In the mid-1980s, Ballina Croquet lost its’ long-standing clubhouse and two full-sized lawns when land was reallocated for the expansion of the Ballina Bowling and Recreation Club Ltd. Promises were made that croquet would be properly rehoused, but instead, members were left with tin sheds as “temporary” replacements—arrangements that stretched on for over two decades.

Tales from the Toughest Clubhouse in Town

Imagine turning up to play your favourite sport…

·        No clubhouse.

·        No toilets.

·        No power.

·        No water.

·        No fridge for your milk or kettle for your tea.

·        No shade from the sun, no shelter from the rain.

And still—everyone’s smiling.

Welcome to Tin Shed Living – Ballina Croquet style.

The First Tin Shed (1985–2001): Bring Your Own Everything

Back in 1985, we traded our beloved clubhouse for a “temporary arrangement”—a tin shed at the edge of the reconfigured croquet lawns. Why? Because our members believed in something bigger than the inconvenience. We believed in croquet. In community. In our word. And we believed that the promises made to us—by the Ballina Bowling and Recreation Club Ltd (Ballina Bowling Club) and backed by our Ballina Council and Clement Park Reserve Trust Committee (Hampton Park)—would be honoured.

We gave up our substantial clubhouse and full-sized lawns in good faith. We moved out, made room, and trusted that what was taken from us would be replaced. It sounded like fair trade. Quid pro quo. It never was.

We got… a corrugated iron box.

Inside? Well… not much. No power points, no plumbing, no bathrooms, and definitely no space for a social hour (unless you count leaning against the wall with a Thermos). But did that stop us? Absolutely not.

So we agreed. The lawns were squeezed. The clubhouse sold. And a modest tin shed, paid for by our members, became our new “clubhouse.” But we played on—holding events with nothing but grit, friendship, and folding chairs.

We became masters of improvisation:

·        Toilets? Ask the Bowling Club nicely and hope they weren’t closed.

·        Water? Bring it in bottles.

·        Shade? Hats, umbrellas, and a good sense of humour.

·        Equipment? Stored wherever we could find a dry spot—in sheds, in garages, under beds (hoops, balls, timing clocks, books…).

·        Honour boards? Tucked into wardrobes or hung proudly in members’ homes.

Still, the lawns were mown (with borrowed mowers), games were played, and friendships thrived. You haven’t lived until you’ve held a committee meeting beside a mallet bag while balancing on a folding chair in gale-force winds.

The Second Tin Shed (2001–2007): A Bigger Lawn Locker, A Dream, and a Whole Lot of Determination

When the Ballina Bowling Club requested to expand again in 2001—this time for air conditioning—they needed our storage space. Members are more cautious this time, more negotiations, more promises. Ballina Bowling Club would pay whatever was needed. But our “replacement”? Another lawn locker paid for by our members became our new “clubhouse.” But we played on—holding events with nothing but grit, friendship, and folding chairs. Not a building. But a bigger tin shed.

And we made it work. Because croquet waits for no one.

We dodged trolleys wheeled across our lawn by kitchen staff. We coped with the smell of kitchen grease and the thrum of exhaust fans. We hauled water to the lawns in plastic containers and dried off the hoops with old towels during downpours. Match draws were done standing in the rain or while someone shielded the paperwork under an umbrella.

·        Our social space? The footpath.

·        Our tin shed, setting games? Sauna conditions.

·        Our shade? Hats and hope.

·        Our spirit? Unshakeable.

For seven years, that tin shed was our clubhouse. Seven years of ducking smoke, negotiating with delivery drivers, and meeting outside when the Ballina Bowling Club didn’t have room. But also, seven years of laughter, resilience, and croquet in its purest form—played with love, not luxury.

We Played On

One president wrote in 2006, “We are at the mercy of the Bowling Club.” And still—we played. Every week. With purpose. With laughter. With perseverance. Jean Hill “I lived it.” Julie O’Brien “I was there.” We were told to be grateful. But what for? The never-ending story.

A Symbol of Strength, Not Just Survival

Ballina Croquet eked out an existence… but we never lost our identity. We never gave up on our game. And we never stopped believing in the value of community sport, of fair agreements, and of standing by your word.

As we near our 90th year, the Tin Shed days remind us why we fight today for fair treatment, for a permanent home, and for the respect our members—especially our older women—have long deserved.

“Tin Shed Living” wasn’t glamorous, but it was unforgettable. The Tin Shed became a symbol not just of limitations, but of the strength of a club that refused to fold.
It made us stronger. It gave us stories. It brought us closer. Because when you’ve had to store your trophies in someone’s hallway and your mallets in a washing basket, you know what it means to belong.
And maybe—just maybe—it’s why Ballina Croquet is still here today.

And maybe—just maybe— someone will step up and make good promises outstanding for not just 22 years but 40 years.

Recycling with Jean!

If croquet had a medal for multitasking, Jean Hill would already have a trophy cabinet full!
Jean has been part of our Club for over 20 years – she’s been Captain, referee, umpire, coach, mentor, and fierce competitor. She’s basically the Swiss army knife of croquet.

But wait… there’s more! For the past few years Jean has been leading a secret double life as our Recycling Queen – she’s been our Return and Earn champion. With nothing but determination, neighbours’ bottles, and a car boot full of clinking glass, Jean has raised nearly $3,550 for Ballina Croquet!

She’s:

• Sorted more bottles than the Easter Bunny sorts eggs

• Recruited neighbours like a recycling superhero

• Turned empties into $$$ that keep our club buzzing

But behind the smiles is also the truth Jean carries for us all:

“I’m tired of promises that never come true.
The Ballina Bowling Club took our old home and promised to replace what was lost —
but words don’t build a clubhouse, lawns, or a place to gather.
We were given hope, and then left waiting.
For nearly a century, council decisions have favoured others.
Money and sites have flowed to clubs and sports while our requests were sidelined.
We are mostly older women — volunteers who bake, coach, and care for each other —
yet our value has been overlooked.”

And this is why Jean fundraises. Bottle by bottle, dollar by dollar, she’s building hope for a proper home for Ballina Croquet — a clubhouse and lawns where members can stand tall again.

On top of that, Jean has also stepped up as House Manager — proving she somehow runs on renewable energy (probably solar powered!).

Jean, you don’t just recycle bottles. You recycle energy, love, and hope back into Ballina Croquet.

From all of us at Ballina Croquet:
THANK YOU, JEAN! You are the heart and soul of our club.

The Price of “Neighbourly Help”: A Story of Endurance on Ballina Island

In community life, we often speak of neighbourly help—a mutual understanding that, in tough times or in tight spaces, we help each other out. We give a little, and we gain a little. That’s how communities grow. But what happens when that “help” begins to cost more than it gives?

This is a story of Ballina Croquet, the original croquet club on Ballina Island — of our toughness, our generosity, and ultimately, the steep cost we’ve paid to protect our place in Ballina’s sporting and cultural heritage. It is only the beginning.

A History of Giving—and Giving Again

It began in the mid-1980s. The Ballina Bowling and Recreation Club (Ballina Bowling Club) needed to expand. Their vision for growth required more space—and that meant the croquet lawns. In the spirit of community, and under assurances that we’d be looked after (supported by our local Council, Councillors and Lands represented by the Clement Park Reserve Trust (Hampton Park), Ballina Croquet agreed to a bold shift. We gave up our substantial club house and 2 full-size lawns. The Ballina Bowling Club promised a rebuilt facility—two new full-sized croquet lawns and a replacement clubhouse at no cost to us, just in a different corner of Hampton Park.

In the meantime, they offered to “look after us”: store equipment, provide a small meeting area, and maintain our lawns. In good faith, we agreed. Our members stored our equipment and history—honour boards, match records, personal gear—in their homes. Our original clubhouse was sold. Our lawns were reduced in size and quality.

This should have been an affiliation (a positive, trusting relationship built on mutual respect and gains, clubs on an equal footing). We kept our identity, our governance, and our community. But we began to live in the shadow of another club.

Promises Delayed, Space Eroded

Years passed. The promised new lawns and clubhouse never came. What did come were more renovations and more requests for “just a bit more room.” In 1995, the Ballina Bowling Club announced more expansion. Again in 2000. Each time, the promise was repeated: croquet would be properly housed, they would pay. Each time, we agreed in good faith, hoping this time would be different.

By 2001, the Ballina Bowling Club was expanding again. Air-conditioning was installed. The building grew. We asked again for our promised space. In response, we lost our storeroom, which was repurposed. In return, we were offered another ‘tin shed’, lawn locker—temporary, inadequate, and exposed. Hope took on new meaning. In 2004 the Draft and 2005 POM Hampton Park saw the agreements formalised.

The Hidden Costs of Kindness

Playing croquet became an act of endurance. The surface of our lawns degraded. Building shadows and fences intruded on play. There was no clubhouse, no shelter from the weather, no access to power or clean water. Delivery trolleys ran over our playing surface. Smoke from the kitchen, stormwater runoff, foul smells—all became part of our “new normal”.

There was no space for social connection—no spot to hang our honour boards, gather as a club, or host events with dignity. Monthly meetings were held in borrowed rooms—when available. Sometimes we met outside.

We were told to be patient. We were told to be understanding. And we were. Croquet lost, Ballina Croquet lost. But the cost was real: in morale, in membership, in identity, and in health. For 22 long years, the balance sheet tilted in favour of the Ballina Bowling Club.

So we ask—

·        Will the Ballina Bowling Club ever honour the promises made to us so long ago?

·        How much longer can their savings, profits, and endless expansion over Hampton Park Reserve, Crown Land, Public Land be built on the free ride of our sacrifice?

·        Will the members of Ballina Croquet, who gave so much in the spirit of neighbourly help, ever see justice—or must we keep waiting in the shadows?

·        How much longer can fairness be postponed before history records this imbalance as deliberate neglect?

·        When does patience stop being a virtue and become complicity in our own exclusion?

·        Are we to be pushed off Ballina Island or deleted from history altogether when public land and money have always been available but never for us.

·        Is it acceptable for women-led, volunteer-driven sport to be pushed aside while commercial interests thrive?

·        What message does this send to future generations about equity, respect, and the value of community sport?

·        What message does this send to future generations about Women in Sport?

·        Isn’t there a park on Ballina Island where prospective neighbours are willing to help write the wrongs for Ballina Croquet?

Resilience and Renewal

Despite it all, Ballina Croquet stayed alive. Our members adapted. We didn’t quit. We gave up space, but we didn’t give up our spirit. We’ve shown what real community contribution looks like—not through glossy announcements, but through decades of quiet endurance.

Now, as we continue to advocate for a home of our own—a modest two-lawn croquet facility and a humble clubhouse—we ask our community, our government our councillors to remember what we’ve already given. Not just once, but time and again.

This isn’t just about lawns and buildings. It’s about fairness. It’s about identity. And it’s about keeping a long-standing community club alive—not in the shadows, not at someone else’s whim, but on equal footing in the town we’ve helped shape, on Ballina Island – Ward A.

Let’s Redefine ‘Neighbourly Help’

True neighbourly help should lift everyone, not just some. It should build community, not displace it. And it should honour contributions made in good faith.

Ballina Croquet Club has already paid its dues. Now, we ask for what was promised—and what’s deserved.

Shouldn’t Ballina Croquet be compensated by Ballina Bowling Club?

Celebrating the History of Ballina Croquet - the Original Club

Ballina Croquet – A Club That Cares (and Cackles) for Community

Ballina Croquet (BC) has been part of local life since 1936. That’s 89 years of swinging mallets, chasing balls, and occasionally chasing each other’s hats across the lawn when the nor’easter blows.

We’re run by volunteers, sustained by volunteers, paid for by volunteers, and established and maintained by volunteers. No poker machines. No corporate boardroom. No mystery billionaire benefactor (although, if you are one, please keep reading).

From retirees to students, we welcome everyone. We used to play 7 days per week all year. Now only three days a week (when allowed) – come rain, shine, or the occasional plover or lorikeet invasions – offering a safe, inclusive sport that keeps minds sharp, knees moving, and social lives thriving. Especially for older residents, mostly women, who’ve discovered the secret to life: laughter, friendship, and a well-aimed roquet.

But croquet is just the tip of the mallet.

A Legacy of Lawn Legends

During WWII, BC sent almost 300 care bundles to Britain, bought War Savings Certificates, and supported the Red Cross and the local hospital – all while keeping the lawns immaculate.

Since then, we’ve:
• Raised funds for cancer research (Fun Runs, Biggest Morning Tea – and the occasional Biggest Slice of Sponge) J O’Brien/J King/M Mitchell
• Backed disaster appeals (Victoria bushfires, NSW floods – including sending supplies, funds, and love to Lismore and Casino Croquet Clubs). M Gidding repaired flood damaged mallets for Lismore Croquet.
• Cheered on local heroes (Ballina SES, Coast Guard, Marine Rescue), D Humphrey & E Lacey
• Kept people smiling (Trauma Teddies -L Downs made over 500 for Ballina Hospital, U3A croquet lessons, Alstonville, Lennox Head and Ballina expos, “Welfare Officer” J Hodgson – which is really code for tea, hugs, and keeping care practical. Cards designed by J O’Brien.
• Lent hands, hearts, and homemade cakes to community projects from the Ballina Art Gallery – J Burrows to Mahjong groups – D Kennedy/J Butson, refugee choirs – C Reay-Young to Rotary, Meals on Wheels – G Spencer to environmental- E Ablett and human rights campaigns, C Emzin-Boyd.
• Celebrated our own legends – including B Farrell, who worked at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

We even served damper and billy tea on Australia Day, J King – because nothing says “Ballina” like tea, scones, and a debate over hoop placement.

In the words of Ben Franklin MP:

“Ballina Croquet Club is one of the oldest and most respected sporting clubs in the Northern Rivers… they promote a healthy, active, social and sporting lifestyle within and beyond our local community.”

We’d add: “…and they can make a sponge cake to rival the CWA.”

Run by volunteers. Sustained by volunteers. Paid for by volunteers. Established and maintained by volunteers.

We have no commercial backing – every dollar, every improvement, every word comes from the hands and hearts of our members, friends and supporters.

But playing croquet is only part of what we do.

We turn 90 on 13th May 2025 – but without a secure home, this party might come with a “For Lease” sign.

We’re proud of our history. We’re proud of our people.

𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲

There’s something quietly powerful about a group of people who refuse to give up. For nearly 90 years, Ballina Croquet (BC) has stood firm — through encroachments, relocations, and broken promises — to protect not just their lawns and clubhouse, but their identity as a community club rooted in Ballina Island’s Hampton Park.

From the moment BC was established in 1936, it became a place of connection, dignity, and sport — especially for older women seeking both challenge and companionship. But from as early as 1954, that space was under threat. The Ballina Bowling and Recreation Club Ltd (Bowling Club) repeatedly proposed to take over croquet grounds for additional greens. The Bowling Club was growing. Croquet was growing. Each time, BC members came together and said, “𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴.”

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲
In 1959, 1985, 1995, 2000, and again in the early 2000s, the story was the same: The Bowling Club wanted to expand. Croquet was in the way. The promises were always grand — new lawns, a new clubhouse, better facilities — but delivery fell short. Time marched onwards.

In 1985, BC even gave up its beloved clubhouse in good faith, believing new facilities would be built. Instead, equipment was stored in private homes. Lawns were reduced in size. The croquet players were forced to practice and play surrounded by walls, function rooms, cooking smoke, exhaust fumes, and delivery trolleys rattling across their playing space. No water. No shade. No power. No dignity. And still—they played on. A tin shed their home.

Yet through each wave of pressure, our members stayed true to their values. They prized loyalty and honour, stood by one another, and worked tirelessly to grow the sport locally even when squeezed into smaller, compromised spaces. Croquet at Ballina became more than a pastime; it was a declaration that this game — and this club — belonged to the community.

𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲
What BC lost wasn’t just a building or turf — it was the heart of a community. One member described conditions during this time as “arranging match draws in sauna conditions.” Another recalled “rainwater having to be carried in containers just to get through the day.”

But even here, innovation shone through. Members learned to adapt, to tackle the challenges of change, and to promote community engagement so croquet would remain part of Ballina’s cultural and sporting fabric.  And we weren’t alone — Ballina Shire Mayors (Phil Silver, David Wright, Sharon Cadwallader), the Members for Ballina (Don Page, Tamara Smith), Members NSW Legislative Council (Ian Cohen, Ben Franklin) and Croquet NSW gave us the courage and determination to stand tall and never give up. The Crown Lands Office represented by the BSC Reserve Trust (all Councillors) for Clement Park (includes Hampton Park Reserve) didn’t fail Ballina Croquet and informed said agreements in the Draft 2004 and final 2005 Plan of Management to be found on Council’s website.

𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱
Ballina Croquet refused to disappear. In 2004, the club became incorporated to protect its independence. When this was cancelled without members' knowledge, Ballina Croquet fought back and re-incorporated in 2009 Ballina Croquet Inc — continuing as an independent, not-for-profit community sporting club.

Eventually, with help from Council and Lands, a transition lease was secured for the relocation area. By 2007, the club moved to its new home again within Hampton Park Reserve, finally gaining access to their promised clubhouse and 2 lawns—a far cry from the two promised full-size lawns with the right grass, independent facilities from the Bowling Club and the correct fence lines. There was no female or disability access and toilets, very poor lighting …but a home, nonetheless.

The promised clubhouse had arrived — but with strings attached. Still, our members persisted, committed to sustainability, determined that high standards would always be in play, and resolute in ensuring that our club would stand out as a true community club.

𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲. 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱.
Today, Ballina Croquet is more than a sport — it’s a symbol of community determination. We’ve won pennants, championships, hosted Friendship Days, and trained new generations. Our members have volunteered, maintained lawns, and embraced every challenge with quiet, unshakable resolve.

We’ve never been about power or profit.

We’ve always been about people.
We are still here, on Ballina Island. Still part of Ward A. Still proudly playing croquet.
And always, always standing up for our place in this community.

 From the Desk of History: “It’s a Great Game!” – A Family Legacy

At Ballina Croquet, our members often say: “It’s a great game”— and they mean it.

Croquet is more than hitting balls through hoops. It’s strategy, focus, laughter, and friendship. Whether playing Association, Golf, or Ricochet, the rhythm of the game and the community it builds are what make it special.

A Family Legacy

In 1963, Mrs. Olga Farrell made history, winning the Ladies Croquet Championship at the Gold Coast Galaxy of Sport (Qld) and proudly representing Ballina Croquet at the 1964 Australian Championships. She went on to compete across Australia, winning the Mum’s Cup (1961) and becoming a Life Member of Byron Bay Croquet Club in 1982. Her wit was as sharp as her play, joking that “Life membership is for old people they don’t want.”

Her husband Alfonse cared for the lawns, while Hazel and Paul (Farrell), Julie’s mother and brother shone at the Players Theatre, with the Farrell family contributing widely to local clubs.

Julie O’Brien Carries the Mallet

Today, Olga’s granddaughter Julie O’Brien continues the tradition—still playing with Olga’s 100-year-old mallet. After travelling Australia with her husband Ken and five children, Julie settled in Ballina in 2001 and played at the croquet lawns at Hampton Park.

Over two decades she has played every code—including Gateball—winning the Mum’s Cup (2009) and the Margaret Mitchell Memorial Doubles (2016). She has held nearly every role—President, Captain, Referee, Tournament Manager, and NRCA President—while promoting croquet at expos and community events in Alstonville, Ballina and Lennox Head.

Creativity & Community

Julie is famous for themed days:
Flowers of Colour — 80 years of women in croquet
Queen’s Jubilee — with “the Mayor as Queen”
Black Friday fun on the lawns — everyone looks good in black

She’s also run school programs, introduced her son Daniel to the game, and taken croquet into the wider community — from Fun Runs and Biggest Morning Teas (Cancer research fundraising) to Bunnings BBQs (with daughter Kathryn on the tongs!).

More Than a Game

From Olga’s championship titles to Julie’s leadership, the Farrell family story proves croquet is about tradition, resilience, and love of the game.

Croquet keeps people moving, thinking, and laughing—open to all ages and abilities. Julie’s biggest frustration? That too many still see it as just “an old person’s game.”

At Ballina, we don’t just say it’s a great game.
We live it.

Independent Sport, United Community: Why Choice Matters

Independence – it’s something we all value. Whether in life or in sport, it means freedom, autonomy, and the ability to pursue what brings us joy without pressure or interference.

At Ballina Croquet, we believe in this spirit of independence. We believe that our community is stronger when people are free to choose—how they play, where they play, and who they play with. The right to choose is enshrined in our members coming together and voting. Our members are encouraged to have a say.

Sport is for Everyone

Sport is more than competition. It’s fun, friendship, wellbeing, and a shared sense of purpose. In the Ballina Shire, we’re lucky to have a rich variety of independent community sports clubs where people of all ages can belong.

These clubs aren’t just about sport – they’re about connection, choice, and community.

Just to name a few:
🏏 Cricket – Alstonville, Ballina Bears, Pirates, Teven-Tintenbar (home: Kingsford Smith Park)
🏐 Netball – All Saints, Lennox Head, Headlands (home: Kingsford Smith Park)
🎾 Tennis – Alstonville, Wollongbar, Ballina, Goonellabah (serving local)
🏑 Croquet – Ballina Croquet and Alstonville Croquet (serving local)

Registered Sport Club – Ballina Bowling and Recreation Club Ltd. (Cherry St Sports Group)

🎳 Bowls and Croquet – Cherry Street (Ballina) and Club Lennox (Lennox Head)

The Power of Choice

Joining a sports club should always be your choice – based on your needs, your values, and your community. One club might suit one person; another may feel at home elsewhere. That’s the beauty of diversity – it reflects who we are.

Just like we respect the coexistence of public and private schools, we should also respect and support the existence of both independent clubs and registered commercial sports clubs. One is not better than the other – they simply offer different experiences. You might prefer a quiet game of croquet with friends and a social drink. Or maybe it’s a cold drink at the bar after a hard match that makes your day. It’s your call.

Support All Clubs – Big and Small

The answer to a stronger community isn’t to reduce the number of clubs or force them to merge – it’s to support them all. Let’s encourage every club to shine in its own way. Every team, every member, and every volunteer contribute to the rich tapestry of sport in the Ballina Shire.

And if a club isn’t for you, that’s okay too. Move on, find another, or take a break. Sport is here for life – your life, your time, your friendships.

Let’s Play Fair – On and Off the Field

In the spirit of sportsmanship, let’s also be respectful on and off the field – especially online. Let’s promote unity, celebrate diversity, and support all sports. Misinformation, personal attacks, or campaigns that tear others down only damage the community we all love.

Speak with honesty. Act with integrity. Remember that what we post reflects who we are.

Let’s stand up for the freedom to choose. Let’s protect the right to be independent. Let’s continue to improve the lives of ALL within our community. And let’s always play fair – for the sake of every sport, every player, and every dream in our beautiful community. Truth Matters.

Support sport. Support choice. Support each other. Independent Sport, United Community: Why Choice Matters.

Ballina Croquet has been rolling along with style, charm, and just the right amount of lawn drama since the 1950s? Here’s a stroll down memory lane that might make you smile — and maybe even want to don a hat with a ribbon again!

💲 1950 – Playing costs go up
Mowing got serious when the cost of petrol and oil bumped the lawn fee from 12/6 to a lofty 15 shillings. Even the grass felt the inflation!

💲 1952 – Members pay
Club spirit was strong! Members rolled up their sleeves and paid for both the new fence and shelter sheds. Community-built, community-proud.

🟢🔴🔵⚪ 1953 to Now – A Colourful Evolution
Originally, players wore green cardigans. By 1954, cream (or white) with a chic green ribbon hatband was the look. Fast forward to red, then royal blue and white in 2003, and now a fresh take in 2023/24: green, blue, and white — with classic whites for summer.

🎨 1957 – Renovations
On the clubhouse cost £94 (plus £34 for a fresh coat of paint). Members even loaned money to the Club to get it done. Now that’s dedication!

🌱 1961 – Technology meets turf
The purchase of a shiny new Scott-Bonnar mower — £97 well spent thanks to member contributions.

🧦🎀 1964 – Etiquette and Fashion
President Mrs. Stewart delivered a talk on Lawn Etiquette (three-penny bits as ball markers!). That same year, the rules allowed “bobby socks on the home green” … as long as they matched the shoes. Priorities!

✂️ 1965 – Big Changes
The Clubhouse grew by 12 feet, with two new rooms, a kitchen, veranda, and more. Two full-size lawns maintained with care and love. That June, the Opening Day saw trophies, laughter, and a ribbon-cutting by Mrs. Cummine. (Memories revisited at the 50th Birthday Celebration.)

🎀👒 1968 – Fashion update
A win for fashion: red ribbons on hatbands were out, and skirt hems got a modern update — 13 inches from the ground, thank you very much!

🎩 1974 – The First Gentlemen Join
History made: the first two men, Mr. G. Bull and Mr. M. Thompson, joined the club.

Got a favourite croquet memory? Share it in the comments!
Let’s celebrate the laughs, the lawn, and the legacy of our incredible club.

A Jolly Good Game: Croquet in NSW, 1948 Official Style

“The Revised Laws of Croquet. Clubs! Handicaps! Etiquette! All for just TWO SHILLINGS (postage extra, of course).”

Step back into the neatly trimmed lawns of post-war New South Wales, where crisp whites, quiet concentration, and the satisfying clack! of mallets reigned supreme. Published in 1948, the Official Edition of The NSW Croquet Association’s Constitution and Rules was more than just a booklet—it was the holy grail of hoops and strategy.

 How It All Rolled into Place

The New South Wales Croquet Association was no mere gathering of mallet-swinging hobbyists. Oh no—it was a finely tuned network of clubs and players, stitched together with dignity, tea, and a shared reverence for the sport.

• It united clubs and individual members across NSW.

• It was affiliated with the Croquet Association of England—the motherland of lawn order.

• It even had sponsors like the legendary department store Anthony Horderns and cricket hero Bert Oldfield—because who says croquet can’t have celebrity backing?

 Where the Action Was

From the coast to the country, croquet clubs bloomed like springtime jacarandas:

• Inner city gems: Cammeray, Chatswood, Coogee, Marrickville

• Country charmers: Dubbo, Temora, West Wyalong’s “Mallee Plains”

• The beachy elite: Manly, Cronulla, Byron Bay

• Even Canberra joined in, proving croquet wasn’t bound by state lines.

And don’t overlook the Far North Coast Branch, formed in 1934, helmed by President Mrs Somerville of Casino Street, South Lismore and Hon. Secretary and Treasurer, Mrs Marsden of Ballina Street, Lismore. Their clubs? Alstonville, Lismore, Nimbin, and beyond (Ballina – OUR CLUB, Byron Bay, Casino, Mullumbimby and Murwillumbah). Picture wide-brimmed hats, steady swings, and the soft hum of cicadas.

 What Was It All For?

The Association had big goals:

• Spread and steward the glorious game across NSW.

• Host everything from inter-club duels to state-wide trophy matches.

• Maintain uniform rules and handicaps, lest chaos reign.

• Keep things aligned with British regulations—because tradition matters.

• Partner with Commonwealth croquet cousins to keep the spirit alive across the empire.

Who Made the Decisions?

A Council ran the show:

• Delegates from each club gathered to steer the ship.

• They could create rules, change them, or toss them out (politely).

• They handled finances, events, referees, umpires—you name it.

Membership & Meetings

Want to have a say? You needed:

• A club with enough members to earn delegate votes.

• To pay annual dues (croquet doesn’t come cheap!).

• Or become an honorary member—respected but not voting.

Every year, it all came together at the Annual General Meeting (AGM):

• Minutes were confirmed.

• Officers appointed.

• Big ideas debated—and, when needed, the Constitution revised (with proper notice, of course).

 Final Whack:

What might seem like a dry rulebook today was, in 1948, the lifeblood of a croquet community spanning from the city to the bush. Behind every clause and committee was a vibrant network of people who loved the game, the ritual, and the rare joy of a well-timed roquet.

All for just two shillings.

Welcome to the Game of Croquet with Ballina Croquet
“Where strategy meets sunshine and everyone gets a turn at the fun!”

Think croquet’s just for old ladies? Think again.

You’ve probably heard it all before —
“It’s an old person’s game”…
“It’s too genteel”…
“A nasty game played by nice people”…
“I’m not old enough to play croquet – yet.”

Time to smash the stereotypes.

Ballina Croquet is the largest independent community croquet club on the North Coast of NSW — and we’re inviting you to discover why so many new players say:
“How could I have been so wrong? I wish I’d started sooner!”

So pick up a mallet, step onto the green lawns at Hampton Park, and find out why this legendary game is having a quiet revolution in Ballina.

Whether you're 9 or 90, curious or competitive, croquet is the game you didn’t know you’d love — until now. Ballina Croquet Inc. invites you to pick up a mallet, step onto our lawns in Hampton Park, and discover why this classic game has lasted over a century and is still winning hearts today in Ballina. You can come and visit us on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays OUR days of play.

And yes, we’re nearly 90 years young ourselves. In 2026, Ballina Croquet will celebrate nine decades of swingin’ hoops, savvy shots, and community spirit. So, what better time to get involved?

🔵🔴⚫🟡 So… How Is Croquet Played?

Croquet is not just a backyard pastime — it’s a sport with tactics, teamwork, and satisfying clunks of wood-on-wood, metal-on-metal. Let’s break it down:

The Aim

Your goal? Guide your ball through six hoops in a set order — from both directions — then finish by hitting the central peg. Sounds simple? That’s just the beginning…

Each team competes to score points by running hoops before the other team does. And with strategy-packed codes like Association Croquet, Golf Croquet, and the exciting new Ricochet, there’s something for every style of play — from casual to cunning.

 The Court

Croquet is played on a rectangular grass court with six hoops and a central peg. Two games can even be played at the same time, using different sets of balls:

·        Set 1: Blue, Red, Black, Yellow

·        Set 2: Green, Pink, Brown, White

 Golf Croquet: The Gateway Game

Easy to learn. Quick to love.

·        4 players (2 teams of 2)

·        Blue & Black vs. Red & Yellow

·        Play in order: Blue, Red, Black, Yellow

·        First team to run the hoop scores it

·        Play continues to the next hoop

·        Games usually played to 7 points

 Think of it like checkers: fast, friendly, and easy to pick up!

 Association Croquet: The Strategy Game

This is where the brain gets a workout.

Each team plays with two balls. The player decides which of their balls is better placed and starts their turn by hitting another ball (a Roquet). After that, the magic begins:

·        Place your ball next to the one you hit

·        Take a Croquet shot — both balls move

·        Continue playing – run hoops, hit more balls, score points

·        Make multiple hoops in one turn — a Break

·        Mess up? Your turn ends. Now it’s their shot.

Think of it like chess: thoughtful, tactical, and rewarding.

Ricochet: The Modern Mix

New. Fast. Fun.

Ricochet takes the best of Association and adds a modern twist. It’s growing in popularity and is perfect for beginners and seasoned players alike. You’ll still make Roquet shots, run hoops, and aim for breaks — but the pace is quicker, the rules slightly simplified, and the focus is on fluid play and fun.

Why Try Croquet?

Croquet is more than a game — it’s a lifestyle! At Ballina Croquet, we offer:

• Fun for all ages (youth to retirees)

• Mind games + footwork (yes, you’ll get your steps in!)

• Affordable recreation

• Social AND competitive play

• Time to practice, learn, and improve

• Experienced coaching and refereeing

• Three different codes to suit your style

• A welcoming community space on Ballina Island

JOIN NOW!           

KEEP BALLINA CROQUET GOING FOR ANOTHER 90 YEARS  

A Club with History, Heart & Hampton Park Views (since 1936)

Ballina Croquet has been a proud part of the local sporting community since 1936 — and we've stood strong through relocations, renovations, and the rise of digital games. We play, we connect, we celebrate — and we’re here for YOU.

So whether you’re here to play a game, make new friends, or simply sip tea while others go mallet-to-mallet — we say:

Welcome to the Game of Croquet.
Let the fun begin.

 Ballina Croquet – Proudly turning 90 in 2026
“At 89, you’ve seen it all, done it all… At 90, you’re just getting warmed up!”

Celebrating the Legacy of Ballina Croquet Club – Est. 1936

A Proud Tradition Rooted in Community, Sport & Social Connection

The Original Croquet Club in Ballina was situated in the grounds of St. Mary’s Anglican Church. A Commemorative badge was issued.

On the 13th of May, 1936, a pivotal moment in Ballina’s sporting history unfolded at the Ballina Municipal Council Chambers, where sixteen visionary women, under the leadership of the Mayor, convened to establish what would become the Ballina Croquet Club.

Mrs. D. Clark of Tamar Street moved the founding motion, and with overwhelming support, the club was officially born. The meeting proudly elected its first officers and established its home ground on Hampton Park Reserve, with Council granting permissive occupancy just two days later, on 15 May 1936.

Founding Members & Officers
- Patron: E. Hogan
- President: Mrs. D. Clark, Tamar Street
- Vice-Presidents: A. E. Sheather (Ballina), H. Harris, Pickering (Swift St.), H. King (Bentinck St.), McCartney (Moon St.)
- Mesdames: Smith, Kuhn, Mountfield, Blanch, Hollingshead, Warner, Cummine, Crossman, Bailey, Lyttle, Holmes, Cross, McIntyre

The annual fee was set at 30 shillings, with a weekly fee of six pence, and a focus on affordability and accessibility was key. Ballina Council further extended support by granting the Club additional land in Clement Park No.2 on 12 June 1936.

Foundations Built on Community Spirit
The Club quickly moved to secure vital equipment with prepaid member subscriptions. In a gesture of tremendous support, Mr. D. R. Clark offered a £30 loan to fund a clubhouse — repaid over two years — and a local tender was accepted for its construction at £8.

The Clubhouse officially opened on 2nd October 1937, celebrated with a cherished “florin afternoon,” marking a golden era for croquet in Ballina. The first greenkeeper was appointed shortly after, paid ten shillings per week.

                
Leadership & Legacy
Mrs. Cummine, a steadfast contributor, became Club President in 1941 and led the club for over a decade, shaping its identity and future.
Join Us as We Celebrate 90 Years of Ballina Croquet in 2026
Whether you're a history enthusiast, sport lover, or proud local, help us honour the women and families who laid the foundation of one of Ballina’s oldest sporting institutions.

Location of Original Grounds: Hampton Park & Clement Park No. 2
Established: 13 May 1936
First Clubhouse Opened: 2 October 1937
Still Proudly Serving the Community Today

“More than a game – a legacy of connection, courage and community spirit.”

Ballina Croquet Congratulates member Mike Gidding who has qualified for the World Croquet Federation Association Croquet World Championships - Florida October 2025

The Expo in full swing

Northern Rivers Croquet Association Presentation 13 December 2024 - hosted by Ballina Croquet

GC badges presented by Sharon Daley, Ballina GC co-ordinator, Pennants trophies presented by Carolyn Reay-Young, President Ballina, Ricochet badges presented by Mary Hughes, Captain Ballina

Bunnings BBQ - 22 September 2024 - a very successful day with takings of over $2500.  The fully stocked fridge shows how many sausages it takes to meet the demand. Tireless workers Kathryn (who stepped in at the last minute) Liz and Wendy doing the final clean.  Thanks as always to members who helped with the preparations and who worked on the day.

Northern Rivers Croquet Association (NRCA) Golf Tournament 2024 Ballina Croquet members achievements

Bunnings BBQ preparation and teamwork

Mike giving Joe the finer points of croquet

Ballina Bunnings Christmas Fair - December 2023

Ballina Croquet had a successful night at the Ballina Bunnings Christmas Fair selling handmade Christmas decorations and demonstrating croquet. It is always a buzz to see the joy and fun children have playing croquet - skittling the dolls and running hoops. Lots of the children came back for repeated goes, making massive strides in their skills and enjoyment.

Bunnings Father's Day Event

A busy last day of practice, training and come and try on Friday 1 Sept 2023 before the annual lawn repairs.  

Karlye, Steven, Brett and Robert making the most of a glorious day before the enforced break. Askam and Kymbra with Michelle and Di from Bangalow CWA 

CNSW ADVANTAGE GC TOURNAMENT

Congratulations to members  Margaret Mitchell and Sharon Daley (bottom left)  winners of the doubles in the first CNSW Advantage GC Tournament. The  doubles tournament was  held at Ballina and Byron Bay on 28, 29, 30 June 2023.  Also below (bottom right) some of the other doubles competitors Mary (Ballina) Gerd (Byron Bay), Wendy (Ballina), Geoff (Byron Bay), Margaret (Ballina), Stuart (Byron Bay), Sharon (Ballina), David TM (Cherry St), Jim (Cherry St), Simon (Coutts Crossing), Chris (Port Macquarie), Paul (Coutts Crossing), Pam (Maitland), Richard (Ballina).  Congratulations also to Wendy Fryer and Mary Hughes who came fourth in the doubles.

Sharon topped off a very successful tournament as runner up in the singles, held on 30 June to 2 July 2023.  Winner was Margaret Carwood, Maitland.  (Below top left) Sharon in action in the final with her swag of scoring clips.  She had to run 11 hoops in the 19 point final against Margaret who had to run 8 hoops.  We were delighted to welcome Sharon Cadwallader, Mayor, Ballina Shire Council who came to see the action on  Friday 30 June (Sharon with Catherine top right).

Advantage Golf

Ballina Croquet has been playing advantage GC in addition to usual extra turns and level play.  Sharon Daley, the club GC Co-ordinator, has developed a score card to make it easy for players to score games.  Sharon was also concerned that the clips attached to the centre peg and the advantage post were not easy to see for the players and spectators so she has developed scoreboards which are portable, easy to read, easy to understand and to use. Sharon's son Blake made the score boards.  A great mother and son team!

Competitors (including club member Mary Hughes, who won the Plate event) warming up before play at the inaugural ACA Ricochet Championships held at Tempe 14 to 21 April 2023.  Congratulations to the winner of the singles Peter Freer - Canberra Croquet Club and the doubles Ray Chapman and David Scott - Ballina Cherry Street. (photo Petula Shun, Tournament Referee)

A good turn out of local club members and the local State Member Tamara Smith who worked with the club to ensure the club got the necessary grants.  Thanks to Ballina member Catherine for the gift for Alstonville. Tamara had a go running hoops with a Hoopmaker Mallet! 

BALLINA BUNNINGS SPRING FAIR 10 and 11 September 2022

Two days of promoting croquet as a game for all ages and backgrounds.  Many children came back again and again for a hit.  A few even came back on Sunday to have another crack.  Thanks to Bunnings for including Ballina Croquet in this wonderful, fun, festive community event.

Ballina Croquet Friendship Day, 85th Anniversary and Cancer Council Biggest Morning Tea 28 May 2021

COVID-19

Bunnings BBQ, preparation and team work

LIsmore Croquet Club Friendship Day 

Thursday 28th November