Bomaderry, NSW and Australian bowling legend, Robert "Bomaderry Bob" King has passed away at the age of 87, leaving behind a lasting legacy.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Bob King's dominance in the world of bowls has long been documented, with his skill and knack for the sport being noticed from the first time he picked up a lawn bowl at the age of 21.
READ MORE:
It all started thanks to Bob's then boss who tired his workers with long detailed stories of bowls to the point where Bob decided he needed to see what the fuss was about, playing his first match at Singleton Bowling Club.
However Bob was still playing first grade cricket, tennis and golf at the time, with it not being until his early 40's where he started to really concentrate on bowls.
Little did Bob know at the time, how far the sport would take him in life.
On a national level Bob saw tremendous success, with his highest honour coming in the form of representing Australia at the 1974 Christchuch Commonwealth Games, where he was able to come home with a silver medal in the fours event.
Bob continued to pile on the accolades winning the Australian Pairs in 1985 and the Australian Singles in 1998.
On the state level, Bob saw just as much success, winning a number of coveted titles, including being named the NSW State Singles champion in 1979, 1980, 1984, 1993 and 1998, winning also the NSW State Pairs in 1979 and 1980 as well as State Champion of Champion singles in both 1984 and 1994.
The gun bowls player saw his excellence in the sport flourish across a number of other high-level competitions, winning 30 Prestige Invitational singles titles, six Prestige Invitational pairs titles and seven City Master Singles titles.
Bob's hard-work and success culminated in being inducted to the Bowls NSW Hall of Fame in 2007 and then to the Bowls Australia Hall of Fame in 2015.
Speaking about his induction back in 2015, Bob said, "This is one of the greatest honours that an individual can get in sport, as it recognises their effort, achievements and commitment to their chosen sport."
"In terms of personal achievements the one that means the most to me is winning the city masters singles in 1971," he said.
"It doesn't exist anymore but they generally had more than 250 entrants and the games were televised which was special."
Bobs career at Bomaderry is nothing short of outstanding, winning the Club Major Singles 16 times (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016), the Club Major Pairs four times (1995, 1999, 2012 and 2013), Club Triples nine times (1980, 1982, 1986, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015) and the Club Fours 6 times (1980, 1982, 1983, 1987, 2010 and 2014) along with numerous SCDBA and Zone 7 titles and was part of the winning grade 1 SCDBA pennant side in 91, 92, 97, 99 and grade 2 in 2016.
Robert "Bomaderry Bob" King will leave a lasting legacy in the Shoalhaven on top of being one of the most respected bowls players to ever grace the green in Australia.