Inductees include players, administrators, coaches, and contributors whose dedication, success, and service have helped shape bowls in New Zealand.
Selection into the Hall of Fame reflects not only competitive achievement, but also leadership, innovation, and long-term contribution to the bowls community.
William Carswell won an amazing number of titles during a remarkable 66 years as a competitive bowler, all this time a member of the Taieri bowling club in Dunedin where he joined in 1888. William won 13 national titles over a forty- six year period between 1888 and 1934, 10 years of which he gave-up playing bowls to give his attention to greyhound coursing and playing draughts.
A keen student of the game, his stance on the mat and his method of delivery, referred to as the "pendulum" stance, prompted another New Zealand champion Jack Best (singles and twice lead in the fours), to write a book entitled "The Carswell System".
An article headed "A Legend in his Lifetime"described him "as one of the greatest personages ever to belong to a bowling club or grace a bowling green".
He is regarded as one of the founding fathers of bowls in Auckland and during his career he is recorded as having won seven centre titles and five national titles.
He had a compelling personality, was most entertaining and naturally liked by all.
National Open Titles:
Singles: 1915, 1919, 1923
Pairs: 1927
Fours: 1932
Her name was synonymous with bowls and her great warmth and character, as well as her achievements on the greens all around the world, made her known to many who otherwise knew little about the sport of bowls.
She was a fearsome competitor but always gracious in defeat or victory and the first to compliment an opponent on a good bowl played.
Many people knew her as the "Queen of the Green",but those closer to her, also called her "Top Cat" or "TC".
She was made an MBE in 1990 for services to bowls.
She won numerous club titles and 31 centre titles.
Despite her prowess on the green, a gold medal at the pinnacle of international competition eluded her instead having to settle for Commonwealth Games silver and bronze in singles and at World Bowls Championships a silver in the triples and bronze in singles and fours.
National Open Titles
National Singles: 1989, 1990, 1992, 2000
National Pairs: 1994, 2000
National Fours: 1989, 1990, 1997, 2001, 2002
National C of C Singles: 1990
National Mixed Pairs: 1991
He liked what he saw and emigrated here the following year with his family settling in Christchurch and joining the Linwood bowling club.With his enthusiasm, competitiveness and ambition he soon made an impression in New Zealand bowls.
After skipping his Linwood club team to win the national fours title in 1978, he became a regular member of the New Zealand team until he retired from international play in 1988.
He was a hard taskmaster with any team he played in and above all he wanted to win and he wanted to take his team-mates along with him.
Apart from his major gold medal winning performances playing for New Zealand, he collected two Commonwealth Games silver medals in the fours and in World Bowls competitions won silver twice and a bronze in the fours and bronze twice in the triples.
National Open and International Titles
National Fours: 1978
World Bowls 1988: Gold medals in Triples
Described as a "craftsman bowler" he was renowned as an extremely accurate bowler and it is reputed that he never delivered a wrong bias.
Mort Squire was actively involved in the development of competitive bowls in Taranaki during his career and served terms as President of both the Hawera club and the Taranaki centre.
Throughout his career he won 62 championships at club, centre and national level.
Unkovich won the singles in 1979, the pairs in 1991 and the fours eight times. Representing New Zealand, he also won a world championship with the triples team in 1980.
Unkovich was a forceful personality on the green and had no time for convention, which he demonstrated by being one of the first to wear a floppy hat.
National Open Titles
National Singles: 1979
National Pairs: 1991
National Fours: 1971, 1975, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986
She was President of the club four times between 1966 and1972.
She won 41 club titles, going on to win 16 Champion of Champion titles, and 16 other centre titles.
National Open and International Titles
National Singles: 1977
World Bowls 1973: Gold Medal in Fours and Triples
He also won three New Zealand titles over a 14 year period.
In 1966 at the first ever World Championships, Norm won a gold medal in the fours with Ron Buchan, Gordon Jolly and Bill O'Neill. This effort was not matched by a New Zealand men’s fours team until2016.
Norm also won a bronze medal in the World Triples Championship, the same year.
In those days, play for a world title was over a full round-robin and these titles represent not only the bowling prowess of the champions, but also a herculean physical effort to get through long and taxing days.
Norms bowls bore a distinctive ‘hei tiki’ and now reside at the Bowls Museum in Taranaki.
Throughout her career she has proven to be an extremely competent bowler.
She has won in excess of 40 club titles and 20 centre titles.
In addition to her World Bowls gold medal winning performances she won a bronze medal in the fours at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.
National Open and International titles
National Fours: 2004
World Bowls 2000: Gold medals in Fours and Triples
Peter's major contribution has been on the green.
In his career to date he has won well in excess of 30 club titles and 30 centre titles and has represented NZ in excess of 40 times.
He has coached at club, centre and national level.
He was awarded an MBE for services to bowls in 1988 and life membership of Bowls NZ in 2003- the only active bowler to be afforded such an honour.
In addition to his gold medal winning performances he also collected Commonwealth Games bronze medals in singles and fours, and World Bowls silver in triples and bronze in fours.
National Open and International Titles
National Singles: 1981, 1986, 1992
National Pairs: 1992, 1995
National Fours: 2009, 2015, 2017
World Bowls 1984: Gold medal in Singles
World Bowls 1988: Gold medal in Pairs
World Bowls 2000: Gold medal in Triples
He won his first national singles title at the age of 21years and is the only bowler to have won three singles titles in a row.
He was also respected for his willingness to speak his mind in support of the game.
He was the President of Northern Bowling Club twice where he was a life member; was also the President of Manawatu Centre twice; and an NZBA councillor and national selector.
He was awarded an OBE for services to bowls in 1988 and was inducted into the NZ Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.
He won in excess of 30 club titles and 20 centre titles.
In addition to his World Bowls gold medal he won silver(twice) and bronze in the fours, and a bronze in the pairs.
At Commonwealth Games he has won silver and bronze in fours and bronze in pairs.
National Open and International Titles
National Singles: 1958, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1972
National Pairs: 1972, 1976
National Fours: 1976
World Bowls 1988: Gold Medal in Triples
He commenced bowling in 1941 as an eight year-old, and joined Ellerslie officially in 1953.
He was a very accomplished bowler whom David Bryant of England regarded as "the best player he had played against".
In addition to his gold medal at the 1962 Empire Games healso collected a silver in the pairs at the 1970 Commonwealth Games and a bronze in the pairs at the 1974 Commonwealth Games.
He won 22 club titles and 13 centre titles.
In later years, as his sight deteriorated, Bob spent a lot of his time with Blind Bowlers and he was a strong advocate of them being recognised on the world stage.
He was awarded a Queens Service Medal for services to lawn bowls.
National Open and International Titles
National Pairs: 1962, 1973
Empire Games 1962: Gold Medal in Pairs
He was President of his club Balmacewen in 1955/56 and secretary of the Dunedin Centre for 21 years.
From 1941 Bob was Dominion Secretary of the NZBA (and every four years thereafter when the national tournament rotated round the four main centres).
In 1952 he became the permanent secretary of the NZBA for 15years until 1967 when he retired because of failing health.
At the time of his death in 1967 he was Vice President of the International Bowling Board.
He was made a life member of the Te Aroha bowling club in1945, Tui Park bowling club in 1950 and Hamilton Cosmopolitan bowling club in1972.
He served as Secretary for the Waikato Centre for 17 years and was also a President and Life Member.
On the national scene he served on the NZBA Judicial Committee for 10 years.
Ron also served on the NZ Umpires Association and as a member of the NZ Turf Culture Institute.
He was made a life member of the NZBA in 1982.
He was also a very competent bowler having won club championships in each of the 11 clubs he was a member of as well as 14 centre titles.
He was awarded an MBE for services to bowls
National Open and International Titles
National Singles: 1964, 1965
National Fours: 1957
World Bowls 1966: Gold Medal in the Fours
Nick-named the "Ice Man" for his unflappable attitude on the green, Rowan has won numerous national titles but surprisingly never the national singles title.
He has won in excess of 21 club titles and 13 centre titles and was awarded an MNZM for services to bowls in 2001.
In addition to his gold medal winning performances he also collected Commonwealth Games silver in the fours and bronze in pairs and fours,World Bowls silver in fours twice and in triples, and bronze triples and fours twice.
National Open and International Titles
National Pairs: 1982
National Fours: 1981, 1982, 1991, 1994, 1995, 2013
World Bowls 1988: Gold medal in Pairs
World Bowls 2000: Gold Medal in Triples
He also won four centre titles.
He was a consistent and popular player rated as world class by his peers.
Russell also qualified as a green keeper.
Russell played for New Zealand for 11 years and apart from his World Bowls gold medals also won bronze in the pairs in 2000.
National Open and International Titles
National Singles: 2008
National Pairs: 1998
World Bowls 2008: Gold medals in Pairs and Fours
Over an international career that spanned more than a decade, she accrued three World Championship titles, one Commonwealth Games title and many placings.
On a domestic level, Sharon has six national titles and countless club and Centre titles.
Sharon has also been heavily involved in the administrative side of the sport, having spend time working for Bowls New Zealand, as well as occupying positions on many a bowling committee.
Add to this her commitment to training up-and-coming coaches, as well as her contributions as a coach to the Bowls New Zealand high performance programme and you have an amazing woman who’s done everything that there is to do in the sport of lawn bowls, and who continues to give back.
Sharon was inducted into the Manawatu Legends of Sport and was awarded the MNZM for service to bowls in 2007.
She has won in excess of 40 club titles and 30 centre titles.
In addition to her World Bowls gold medals she also won a bronze in the triples in 2008.
National Open and International Titles
National Singles: 2002, 2005
National Pairs: 1993, 2006, 2007, 2009
Commonwealth Games 2002: Gold Medal in Pairs
World Bowls 2000: Gold medals in Fours and Triples
World Bowls 2004: Gold Medal in Pairs
He also won five Canterbury centre titles. He was appointed National Coach in 2001, and it is this area that he made his major contribution to bowls in New Zealand.
He was a leader of the change to a new coaching culture embracing sports science and athlete centred coaching.
Stu, in his quiet way, changed the mindset of those at the highest level who thought they did not need coaching.
His personal professionalism, integrity, sportsmanship and good character was widely acknowledged.
Stu had the ability to convince others under his coaching to display similar attitudes.
During his four years as National Coach his teams, both men and women, won four Gold, one Silver and seven Bronze medals at World Bowls Championships and Commonwealth Games.
On a personal level Stu won a bronze medal in the fours at the 1994 Commonwealth Games.
She was a "deadly" draw bowler and much-loved club member, amassing 30 singles and pairs titles at the two clubs.
Additionally she earned 11 centre titles.
National Open and International Titles
Singles: 1982
Pairs: 1971
World Bowls 1973: Gold medal in Fours
He was regarded not only as one of the real greats of the fifties and early sixties but also as one of the sports inimitable characters.
In a brief span of nine seasons Bill appeared in no less than eight National finals but he only won three of them - all of them Fours.
A report after winning his third title described him as"that superb but luckless Carlton man."
National Open and International Titles
National Fours: 1954, 1960, 1963
World Bowls 1966: Gold Medal in Fours
William won 13 national titles over a forty- six year period between 1888 and 1934, 10 years of which he gave-up playing bowls to give his attention to greyhound coursing and playing draughts.
A keen student of the game, his stance on the mat and his method of delivery, referred to as the "pendulum" stance, prompted another New Zealand champion Jack Best (singles and twice lead in the fours),to write a book entitled "The Carswell System".
National Open Titles:
Singles: 1892, 1899, 1924, 1934
Pairs: 1892, 1899, 1902
Fours: 1888, 1891, 1902, 1907, 1908, 1922
105A Jervois Road, Herne Bay
Auckland, New Zealand
