Women's bowls in Australia

Women's bowls in Australia
Lawn bowls, Maryborough, ca. 1907
Country	Australia
National team	Australia

The first women's bowls match played in Australia took place in Stawell, Victoria in October 1881. The first women's only bowls club was not created for another seventeen years, when the Rainsford Bowls Club was created on 16 December 1898 at the home of J. Rainsford Needham, who lived in Glenferrie, Victoria. The first women's bowls association was created in September 1907. The association was called the Victorian Ladies' Bowling Association, and was created by six Melbourne, Victoria based clubs. It was the first women's bowling association created the world.

In 1902, a women's bowling club was created in Ashfield, New South Wales by daughters, wives and sisters of a men's club in the region.

Lawn bowls was a popular women's sport in Australia during the 1900s. It was viewed as fashionable for women to play. The game was acceptable for women to play because men did not perceive the game as strenuous for women to play. Uniforms of the time were similar to other sports of the era: Large hats, long multilayered skirts, tight belts, and long sleeved blouses. One place the sport was being played was in Maryborough, Queensland by 1907.

In 1922, the New South Wales Ladies' Bowling Association was created. That same year, the Kenningston Gardens Bowling and Tennis Club was created in South Australia. This was the first women's bowls club formed in the state. In 1926, a women's only bowls club was created in Loton Park, Western Australia. This was the first women's only bowls club created in the state.

In 1922, the Riverview Ladies' Bowling Club was created. It was the first women's only bowling club to be formed in Queensland.

In 1934, the Victorian Women's Centennial Sports Carnival was held. The event was organised by the Victorian Women's Amateur Sports Council and held at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds. The purpose was to increase women's interest in sport by providing them opportunities to play. Sports that were included on the programme included cricket, field hockey, women's basketball, bowls, rowing, swimming, athletics, rifle shooting, baseball, golf, tennis and badminton. There were over 1,000 bowlers involved over the course a week. Cricket featured a match versus a visiting English side. Women's basketball featured a Victorian side playing against a representative all Australian side. There was a day for watersports such as swimming and rowing. A tennis tournament was held. A field hockey tournament featuring Australian, Kiwi and Fijian teams was played.