By Jeff Walker
Community Time Traveller
Aurora Lawn Bowling Club

The first lawn bowling was enjoyed in the early 1900s, when people found room to play on sections of their own lawns; one was on the Hillary House lawn just north of the existing building.

During this time, the Men's Group at Trinity Anglican Church decided to level the grounds adjacent to the church for a bowling green, and with uncharacteristic disregard for the history of the parish, moved any remaining stones from the cemetery from sixty years earlier and laid them by the east wall of the chancel.

Over the graves of some of the church's earliest members, lawn bowls rolled and tournaments were held.

In 1912, a lawn bowling and tennis club was organized in connection with Trinity Church, with Dr. Hillary as president and the Reverend Gerald S. Despard, honourary president.

In 1914, on May 15, there was an enthusiastic re-organization meeting when the Aurora Lawn Bowling Club was formed with Dr. Ford Butler (dentist) as president.

In 1933, after many years of lawn bowling on the church grounds, the Club was lucky to get a section of McMahon Park for the creation of a full-sized bowling green. A clubhouse was needed, so an old log cabin was acquired near Pefferlaw, and the men from the Club took it down log by log, and Mr. Charles Fry used his truck to bring the building to McMahon Park where it was assembled and used as the clubhouse for many years.

In 1973, the Town of Aurora, with a financial contribution from the Lions Club of Aurora, decided to construct a new clubhouse for the Lawn Bowling and Tennis Clubs, which resulted in the log cabin being moved from McMahon Park to the Sheppard's Bush Conservation Area – where it is today.

In June of that year, Mayor Evelyn Buck officially opened the new McMahon Sports Pavilion where both Clubs now enjoy their sport.

On July 23, 2014, the Aurora Lawn Bowling Club celebrated its 100th Anniversary with members and guests enjoying an afternoon of celebration and games with Reverend Ian Martin from Trinity Anglican Church, Mayor Geoffrey Dawe and MPP Chris Ballard.

On May 15, 2019 the Aurora Lawn Bowling Club will be 105 years old.

Lawn bowling is a sport for all ages and the Aurora Lawn Bowling Club is the best place to learn how to play the game, meet people and enjoy friendly competition.