Chris Allen retires after 29 years as boss of the Shoalhaven Ex-Servicemen’s Club

Mr Allen has overseen some of the biggest changes in the club’s history, including the construction and the Shoalhaven Ex-Servicemen’s Sports Club at Worrigee.

“It has been a great ride and there has been a lot of changes and challenges along the way,” he said.

Arriving in Nowra in 1988 from the Port Kembla RSL, the Ex-Servicemen’s Club had one bowling green on the corner of O’Keefe Avenue and Junction Street and a membership of around 5000.

The bowling green may be gone, making way for a car park, but in its place is a 130 acre sporting mecca at Worrigee, including two bowling greens, an 18-hole golf course, dedicated cricket oval, club facilities and a 46-room motel.

The club now boasts between 12,000 and 15,000 members.

“In the early 1990s the Worrigee area was where the town was expanding,” he said.

“With the board, we identified the type of facility we would like.

“We needed to get rid of the bowling green in town for parking, so we sold off land the club owned on the opposite side of the highway to finance the project.”

The club initially purchased 65 acres and were eventually able to purchase other surrounding properties to grow the facility to its present size.

“It was a long process,” Mr Allen said.

“We had to get the area rezoned to allow for the club to be built, which was a huge effort.

“Then we had to get the development application approved which was also a complicated procedure, with all the wetlands and also being flood prone.

“We had to engage lots of consultants.

“It took us about 10 years all up just to get the approval.

“It was something outside the square. Something Nowra didn’t have. An investment of about $15 million.”

The club complex was officially opened on August 2, 2000. A special cricket match between a Shoalhaven representative side and the NSW Cricket team the following January celebrated the facility and attracted an estimated crowd of 3000 people.

“The golf course greens have a huge reputation. People say they are the best greens on the coast,” Mr Allen said.

“It is a fantastic facility and members appreciate it. They go away to different clubs and spruik about their facilities.”

A 46-room motel worth $5 million was added to the complex, and then in 2015 the final part of the club masterplan, an extension to include a function room and new golf pro shop, were constructed.

“Over the two clubs now we have total assets of $35 million,”  Mr Allen said.

“It’s all very gratifying to have these facilities up and running but none of it could have been done without a very cooperative and loyal board over so many years.

“The great Jack Elliott presided over the club as president for 27 years and was a wonderful man. Definitely ahead of his time.

“Current president Kevin Duffy has been on the board for 35 years and chairman for the last 10.

“There has been a lot of work but it has been worthwhile for the town which now has a great facility.

“I’m very proud what we have achieved at Worrigee.”

The two club’s inject an annual payroll of $4.5 million into the town.

He has seen some big changes in the industry and believes there are challenges ahead.

“Perhaps the biggest thing that affected the industry was when the Carr Government allowed poker machines into pubs,” he said.

“That made things a lot harder for the registered clubs. The government also put a cap on the number of machines clubs were allowed.

“There are huge challenges ahead for the industry. It needs to look at diversification in both the short and long term.

“It’s main income stream is from gaming but that does not have too many friends in high places.

“Even though the club industry is a very powerful lobby group - no one likes gaming and yes there are issues over problem gambling.”

He said on the local front there are challenges, particularly for smaller clubs.

“The smaller clubs are doing it tough,” he said.

“We have seen two clubs [Bomaderry RSL and Nowra Golf Club] in the past few years taken up by the Bomaderry Bowling Club before they were forced to closen their doors.

“Of course they had previously taken over the Berry Bowling Club as well.

“The bigger clubs are getting bigger. But it’s not just here we are seeing a number of  amalgamations in Sydney as well.”

For more than 15 years Mr Allen served as a state councillor on the Clubs NSW Foundation and was a director of the RSL Ex-Servicemen’s Club Association, where he is also a life member.

As for retirement, he and his partner Julie will be staying in Nowra, but they intend to do a lot of travelling, hitting the road in their caravan.

Bernie Brown, previously from the Corrimal RSL, has been appointed new club CEO.