Thelma Robertson (now Smith) began her bowling journey back in 1954, starting out at the now‑closed Kaukapakapa Bowling Club, bowling alongside her dad. It was there she met her late husband, Pat Robertson, a highly respected bowler who won numerous titles and represented New Zealand.

Thelma in her NZ blazer (1992)

After taking time out to raise a family, Thelma returned to the greens in 1964 at Helensville Bowling Club, where she went on to build an extraordinary record - 48 club titles and 15 centre titles, many of them in singles. Her contribution went well beyond the green, serving as President of both the Waitemata and North Harbour Centres, and later as North Harbour Ladies Selector for five years.

That selector role led to an unforgettable first meeting with clubmate Jimmy Gifford (pictured above).

“It was my birthday, we were all on the bus heading to Whangārei, and I may have been a bit loud,” he laughs. “Thelma stood up, told me to shut up, and sat back down. I didn’t even know her. I thought she was very grumpy!”

Despite first impressions, their paths crossed again many years later - this time at Woodend Bowling Club in North Canterbury.

After playing at Silverdale, Hobsonville, Tauranga and Mt Maunganui, Thelma moved to Christchurch in 2019 to be closer to her son Wayne and joined Woodend. True to form, she soon became Ladies Selector again. She is now happily remarried to Brian Smith - “and yes,” she says, “he’s not a bowler!”

In 2024, at age 93, Thelma asked Jimmy to play alongside her in the Over 60s Mixed Pairs.

“She said, ‘We go back a long way, let’s have a crack.’ We weren’t expecting much – we just wanted to enjoy it.”

They went on to win the title.

“She hugged me at prizegiving and said it would probably be her last club title. That was pretty emotional.”

But Thelma wasn’t finished yet.

In 2025, now 94, she agreed to give it one more go - and they won again.

“Winning back‑to‑back titles with a 94‑year‑old is one of my proudest moments in bowls,” he says.

Thelma turns 95 this year, and whether or not there’s a third title run, her legacy is already extraordinary - a lifetime of service, leadership, success, and an enduring love for the game.

A small tribute to a truly remarkable bowler 💙