Sport
2 October, 2024
50 years on the green
The Pittsworth Bowls Club held a celebration last week for Yvonne Collins and her successful bowling career that has seen her receive many accolades over the last 50 years.
Mrs Collins started bowling in 1974 when she was 37 years old.
She has always been a sporty person, having played tennis and golf too.
One thing that Mrs Collins noted had changed significantly in bowling competitions over the years, is the dress code.
Back in the 70s there were strict dress requirements for bowlers.
“Everybody wore white, the men too,” she said.
“The length of the dress had to be four inches below the knee.
“Before I started the ladies had to wear white stockings,” she said.
Mrs Collins was born and raised in Brookstead, attending the local school before studying at Glennie in Toowoomba.
“Then I came back and got a job at Brookstead as the telephonist at the Post Office,” she said.
Her father owned the school bus run at Brookstead, and Mrs Collins, and her motor mechanic husband Trevor, took over the business for 28 years before moving into Pittsworth.
Mrs Collins has not been bowling as much, after a shoulder reconstruction earlier in the year.
Thinking back on her 50 years as a bowler, Mrs Collins commented, “there was nothing nicer to drive past and see a green filled with people playing bowls in their white.”
