The History of Gold Coast-Tweed District Bowls Association
It all began in 1936 when the three bowls clubs on the South Coast – Southport (inaugurated 1914), Tweed Heads/Coolangatta (1923) and the about to be established Burleigh Heads (1937) decided that they should form a District.
As four clubs were required to form a District, approaches were made to Murwillumbah Bowls Club (1921) to join with them to form the Association.
The four clubs held a meeting in Tweed Heads on 29th October 1937 where it was resolved to form a District Association to be known as the South Coast District Bowls Association.
The application was made to the Queensland Bowls Association for affiliation and on 16th February 1938 this was approved and the South Coast District Bowls Association became an entity with the following office bearers.
Patron Hon. Jos Francis MHR (later to become Sir Jos)
President Mr C Morley (Tweed Heads/Coolangatta)
Secretary Mr A J Bonamy (Tweed Heads/Coolangatta)
Treasurer Mr A W K Dane (Tweed Heads/Coolangatta).
Seven years later Surfers Paradise joined the Association and in 1949 Coolangatta separated from Tweed Heads and also joined the Association as a separate club.
During the 50s seven more clubs joined the Association at the end of which time, the Association changed its name to Gold Coast District Bowls Association.
Over the next three decades, another seventeen clubs joined and the Association in 1989 changed its name to the Gold Coast-Tweed DBA. Another three clubs have joined since. Some clubs have closed while three (Condong, Cabarita, Kingscliff, and South Tweed) have joined the Northern Rivers DBA so 19 clubs are currently affiliated with the Gold Coast-Tweed District Bowls Association.
