Bowls Australia's CEO and president, a star national player and coach were some of the faces offering their support to Eurobodalla Shire bowlers on Wednesday, July 8.
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Recently retired bowler Karen Murphy, Australia's highest capped Jackaroo, was part of the tour group to visit the Tomakin Sports and Social Club and Club Malua.
Bowls Australia president Daryl Clout, CEO Neil Dalrymple and BciB Australian Jackaroos national coach Steve Glasson met with the bowlers.
Club Malua members, including those whose homes were burnt, and others dealing with fire damage, welcomed the support.
Malua Bowls ladies president Robyn Butcher said having Bowls Australia representatives at the club "tells us people care for what we've been through".
Ms Butcher said the ladies teams had come closer together since the fires.
"One lady lost her home. Quite a few of us had damage. We've all come together and supported each other," Ms Butcher said.
The Club Malua facility burnt down in the New Year's Eve bushfire.
Chairman of the Advisory Committee representing CEO Jay Porter Denis Beavan said plans for the new club would be built on the same footprint as the previous design. He anticipated the building would be complete by November 2021.
In the meantime, the temporary structure was somewhere for bowlers to congregate, socialise and debrief, "which is very important in terms of the recovery phase".
"New Year's Eve was a horrific day when the day turned black and the fires struck the South Coast," Mr Beavan said. "Our management committee made a commitment as soon as we could ... and we started bowls. The greenkeepers got in and repaired the greens. Since then, through the efforts of Christine Howarth, the venue manager, we've been able to play bowls even though we didn't have a facility."
Mr Beavan said plans for the new building would be submitted to the council in July and reconstruction would hopefully start soon after. The new club would have a lift down to the greens, to aid an aging population.
Mr Beavan said friends made through lawn bowls were friends for life.
"Bowls, to a lot of people, is their life," Mr Beavan said. "This is their community. Their friends are their family. Club Malua is very important to the community of Malua Bay."
He said the sport could be played by people of all ages: "The beauty of bowls is it keeps the aging population mobile."
