A LIFETIME’S commitment to a sport she loves has earned an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for Helen Hogan, 90, of Mount Warren Park.
Mrs Hogan was awarded for services to lawn bowls.
The former Cairns City Council alderman (1976-1979) was born at the north Queensland city, where she served as president and publicity officer of the Far North Queensland Bowling Association, and president and match committee member for Cairns Ladies Bowling Club.
Locally, Mrs Hogan served as president of Kooralbyn Valley Ladies Bowls Club and publicity officer of Tamborine Ladies Bowls Club.
Although she doesn’t play these days, Mrs Hogan’s passion for the sport runs deep. She remains a member of Robina Bowling Club on the Gold Coast.
Kicking down doors
Mrs Hogan credits her late husband Martin with inspiring her to take to the green when she was in her thirties. The bowling circuit of the day was dominated by the mens’ game.
“The men didn’t let ladies play, only on Thursdays, and they still were only able to play on Thursdays until I came along, and I said that’s wrong,” she said.
“They called us the ‘White Leghorns’, we wore double petticoats.”
One of the first women to serve on Cairns City Council, Mrs Hogan decided to change the state of play in the Queensland bowling circuit by instigating ladies’ and mixed bowls wherever she could.
“They said she knows how to kick doors and what not,” she said.
A world of bowls
After moving south, the Hogans lived on the Gold Coast for more than two decades, where Mrs Hogan became president of the Surfer’s Paradise Bowls Club and senior vice-president of Surfers Paradise Chamber of Commerce.
After Kooralbyn Valley resort was started in the late 1970s, Mrs Hogan became the director of bowls.
“We hosted the first internationals outside Brisbane at Kooralbyn Valley Resort, and Queensland won,” she said.
“A little while later, when Sanctuary Cove resort was started, Mum became the director of bowls there,” Mrs Hogan’s daughter Denise Moreland, of Bethania, said.
“She went all over NSW and Queensland promoting Sanctuary Cove as a bowling venue in those early days.”
Mrs Hogan also travelled with an Australian lawn bowls team to South Africa for World Bowls, and was instrumental in bringing the Irish team to the Gold Coast.
A sport for everybody
Mrs Hogan encourages people to get active in lawn bowls at their local club.
“Join as quick as you can. You’ve got to have six lessons first, and then we sign your papers. To coach doesn’t cost you anything.
“It’s for everybody. It’s absolutely marvellous,” she said.
Mrs Hogan is looking forward to attending a ceremony at Government House in Brisbane later in the year to receive her OAM, and plans to donate some of her lawn bowls memorabilia to Cairns Museum.
