By Lorna Gordon

There were plenty of smiles, cheers and happy memories shared when the Halinda Bowling League celebrated its 40th anniversary in May, marking four decades of friendship, inclusion and sporting achievement for people with disability.

The league’s story began in 1984 when students from Halinda School started visiting the local bowling centre as part of their school sports program. Supported by dedicated teachers, including current Halinda School Principal Jan Eccleson, Laureen G and PE teacher Alisa, the program quickly became a favourite activity. With the assistance of AMF Bowling staff, the official Halinda Bowling League was formed on 26 May 1986.

Over the years, many passionate volunteers and staff have helped nurture the league into the welcoming community it is today.

Margaret Williams, Disability Coordinator at Zone Bowling, has played a significant role in its more recent history. After joining AMF Bowling at Mount Druitt on 2 October 2001, she took over the Halinda Bowling League the following year and has remained committed to ensuring every bowler feels valued and included.

As a welcome gift, every new league member receives a league shirt, while participants are presented with a jacket at the end of the season. Even when the bowling centre relocated near Rooty Hill RSL and later rebranded as Zone Bowling, the Halinda bowlers stayed together, with every member making the move and maintaining the close-knit spirit that has defined the league for decades.

Under Margaret’s guidance, the competition flourished. What began as just eight teams of four bowlers steadily expanded to an impressive 26 teams of five players. While the COVID-19 pandemic forced the league to pause and some participants were unable to return afterwards, the competition continues today with 14 enthusiastic teams.

One of the highlights of the anniversary celebrations was recognising Simone Kelly, the league’s only remaining founding member who is still bowling 40 years later. Her continued involvement is a remarkable testament to the friendships and lifelong connections the league has fostered.

The league has also benefited from extraordinary generosity over the years. When the former Special Person Disability (SPD) League, run by Mike Baxter, concluded, its remaining funds were donated to the Halinda Bowling League to help support its future.

Another memorable act of kindness came from bowler Geoff, who achieved the ultimate milestone in ten-pin bowling by rolling a perfect 300 game. Although he kept the commemorative ring awarded for the achievement, he generously donated the accompanying $500 prize money back to the league to help care for its members.

Fundraising has also played an important role, with dedicated volunteers organising shopping trips, raffles and special events throughout the year to support the bowlers and keep the league thriving.

The 40th anniversary celebration welcomed Blacktown City Mayor Brad Bunting, who officially helped launch the festivities, alongside Halinda School Principal Jan Eccleson and Cecilia Bird from Silly Sollys. Bowlers received prizes and participation certificates, while a special anniversary cake was cut by the league’s volunteers.

As the celebrations came to a close, one thing was clear: the Halinda Bowling League is about much more than ten-pin bowling. It is a community built on friendship, inclusion and opportunity, a community that has enriched countless lives over the past 40 years and is already looking ahead to celebrating its golden 50th anniversary.