Ashburton is one of those many towns in New Zealand that has prospered over the last 150+ years from the support of the surrounding rural community.
It’s a town powered by Farmlands, PGG Wrightson and Farm Source stores … and purveyors of irrigators, spreaders and hay balers to mid-Canterbury farmers. Soy trim flat latte pop-ups, which you might trip over in the inner suburbs of Auckland, don’t carry great sway here.
The town’s centrepiece is the beautiful Ashburton Domain … nurtured by arborists unashamed of the mighty examples of deciduous flora that dot the park.
And right plonk in the middle, you’ll find the Ashburton Bowling Club … a tenant of the domain for over 125 years, occupying what must be one of the most stunning backdrops of any bowling club in New Zealand.
The curtain of trees cuddle the two natural greens … providing both the good and the bad : they’re welcome relief from the incessant nor’wester that rushes across the Canterbury Plains, but their unwelcome falling autumnal leaves tease the greenkeeper Roger Gutberlet interminably.
Ashburton Bowling Club is also the home of 85 year old Colin Dennis, a man who first picked up a bowl over 65 years ago and still continues to play today.
“I was born in Wellington,” says Colin. “But moved to Arapuni in 1943. Then in 1950. Mum remarried a well-known bowls identity, Jim Ritchie, and we moved to Tauranga where I went to Tauranga Boys’ College. After school, I joined the Post Office in the telegraph section, and ended up being transferred back to Wellington.”
“I had been too small to play other sport, so I ended up joining the Wilton Bowling Club. I was there for 17 years before moving to Tawa Bowling Club in 1977, where I played for a further 21 years. I was lucky to become John Lambert’s ‘whipping boy’, and I went with him to the Wanganui Easter tournament for more than 10 years.”
“Then Police Commissioner Bob Walton was also at the club, and over the years he invited me to play in his team at the Police Tournament.”
“I learnt a lot from both John and Bob.”
“I retired from Telecom in 1997 after spending years up at the telegraph department in Parliament, where I came to say ‘hi’ in the corridors to the likes of Rob Muldoon, Norm Kirk and Keith Holyoake.”
Colin and his wife Jo moved to Levin, and Colin joined the Central Bowling Club. That was fairly short-lived, and in 2000 they moved to Invercargill where Colin became a member of the Waverley Bowling Club in the days before the club had a roof.
But Colin and Jo weren’t finished their gypsy lifestyle.
They went to live in Nelson and Colin played at the Richmond Bowling Club for 3 years. And wanting to wander more, lived in a caravan in Temuka. before going on to Hawea in 2007. They finally ended up in Ashburton in about 2010.
“I joined the Ashburton MSA Club,” says Colin. “And when that club sold up, I moved to Ashburton in 2023. So while I’m a long-time bowler, I’m a real newbie at this club.”
Colin is one of those bowlers we all like to think of ourselves as being … a ‘very good’ bowler, but not someone who is renowned for moving and shaking the green.
“I’ve probably got about 10 club titles,” he offers modestly. “And just the one centre title with John Lamber in the fours in Wellington. I’ve also qualified in some big tournaments over the years … in the Taranaki Fours and in the Pairs and Fours at the Nationals.”
“Funnily enough my biggest game was a game I lost against Grant Tull in the club singles in about 2005. The game went for 38 ends!”
“But I think my biggest contribution to bowls has been in the hospitality area … I’ve particularly enjoyed organising the hospitality for the Aotearoa Maori Bowls Tournament in past years.”
We’re sure Maori bowls appreciates it, Colin. As does the whole bowls community.
Keep on bowling!