The bulldozer set apart for this project was found to be defective and another machine would not be available until the end of the month. Relax though, because a month later they report that work on levelling is proceeding.

But no, a month later under the heading "Additional Bowling Green" we read "Deferred" and four months after that "It has not yet been possible to get the required equipment to the site because of the weather". 1956 must have been a very wet year as other tournaments had to be delayed as well.

At this stage another member (and keen bowler) Al Losch offered assistance by providing heavier equipment to complete the job and levelling was completed in September 1957.

What on the face of things appeared to be a simple construction matter, the exercise developed into a saga of misadventure. In the 25 October minutes "work on levelling was proceeding". But after that a series of faulty equipment, incompetent operators, bad weather, talk without action from contractors just to mention a few holdups, meant that this green was not completed until 1961. Without trying to shift the blame from the club, very little if any incompetence was attributable to club committees.

Although the information given above was taken from club Minutes, it appears that it may not be entirely correct in all respects. Graeme Anderson, a then Tutt's employee in a managerial position and come 2002 (45 years later) a regular bowler, is able to give a different version. "Tutt Bryant were leading Australia in a new technology in tractor attached ripping of rocks, shales, hard clay etc and having ripped out all the rock they owned at Rydalmere, welcomed the Golf Club as a test site when Russell Dunstan became aware of the work to be done. The operators were NOT being trained; they were experienced, as the equipment they were using cost too much to leave with a trainee. These tractor-rippers, with teeth attached instead of being drawn separately behind, are now a standard universal design. Doubtless the experimental nature of the equipment was reflected in the stop/start progress." The whole exercise suited both Tutt Bryant & the Golf Club and puts the recorded minutes in a slightly different light - a placebo for committees perhaps? Saturday play on No. 2 green Kurume azalea in Spring Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia) between the greens At the January 1961 meeting it appears that the committee was starting to lose patience with the slow progress of the green and the performance of the contractor. W.A. Ball (Chairman at the time) wrote at length to Harold Heydon (Secretary) on 10 February 1961 re "widespread dissatisfaction at the treatment by J.J. Watton & Sons". A minute recorded later details action that the Secretary had taken - "The secretary reported having written two letters to the contractor complaining of lack of progress in getting the green ready for play, but "no replied (sic) were received". He finally contacted the contractor by telephone and was then informed that the responsibility for getting the green ready for play rested with the club, the contractor having built the green and planted grass as required by the contract. He admitted receiving the letters and agreed that he should have made the position clear". At February meeting they considered enlisting the aid of A. R. Baldwin (Hon Solicitor to the then NSW Bowling Association) to examine the contract and advise if any action could be taken. In the end they left the matter to General Committee to ask the club's solicitors to go into it. As an aside and as a matter of interest, Arthur Baldwin was also a KGC member and received a letter of congratulation from the club at being included in the bowls team to represent Australia in the Commonwealth Games held in Perth later in that year - the only international bowler Killara has ever had! Pictured left are club members on a "whites day" with the sun awnings acquired through the extreme generosity of Mr. T A (Alex) Tonkin providing much needed shade in summer months. Back to the plot -- they seemed to experience quite a bit of trouble with this chap. The Secretary reported subsequently that General Committee had written to him on various matters but no replies were forthcoming. But all their correspondence and telephone calls were not wasted as the contractor must have "given in". March minutes report that his staff had been working at the green. The banks where bare have been sprigged with couch roots and the green top dressed, fertilised and received its levelling with sand to reach finality by the end of April. The President eventually opened the green on Monday 29 January 1962 at 3.00pm. Invitations were sent to all clubs taking part in the Inter-Golf Club Bowls Competition and to Royal Sydney. All clubs accepted the invitation to send three players and a chapter of the club that began in 1955 was concluded in 1962 - seven years later. The Genesis -  Pavilion -  Bowlers' Road -  Committee PDF Pages -  Affiliation -  Women's Bowls -  Mixed Bowls -  The Centenary Game Results -  Bulletin -   Main Page -   Interclub Matches  -   Honour Boards (History - next page)