Moorooka Bowls Club was opened in 1968 and has been one of Queensland's leading clubs over the years. Its heyday came in 1982 when Queen Elizabeth II paid a visit when the venue hosted the lawn bowls for the 1982 Commonwealth Games.

 

In 2019, due to a decline in competition bowls, the club went into receivership. 

 

Like many in the community we were saddened by the news and curious about what would happen next. Often we would walk past the club, staring at it wistfully, dreaming of its potential and fearful of what it could become. Would it be the next Brisbane bowls club to fall into developers hands?

 

Realising we had the skills and network to do something about it, we decided to stop dreaming and start acting!

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In order to be eligible to take on the venue’s lease we had to create a not-for-profit organisation. We called it The Third Place Group. A ‘third place’ is a space where people spend time between home (first place) and work (second place). We recognised a demand for a third place in Moorooka, where the community can gather and connect. Our purpose is to build a healthy neighbourhood social life and sense of community.

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Since 2021 when Brisbane City Council awarded us the tender, we have been reviving the facility to continue it's legacy as a thriving community space for Moorooka to enjoy.

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We are a group of volunteers and have been working in a volunteer capacity to get the venue up and running again. In the future we would like to be paid for our time, but for now we are motivated to see the club be that can strengthen our community and make Moorooka a great place to live.