946 games and Victoria’s George Pyke is still rolling

Victoria Bowling Club’s George Pyke was introduced to lawn bowls 74 years ago by the father of the young lady he was courting.

“He was impressed with the way I handled the bowls,” the 94-year-old said.

“And he said to his daughter – my fiance – ‘He will be a very good bowler’.”

George played his first pennant game in 1966 when he was 36.

“I was asked to play pennant on a Saturday,” he said.

“No bowl clothes – I had cricket trousers, cricket creams, cricket shoes and a white shirt.”

“That was my uniform for the day that I played my very first pennant game, and I led.”

“I did an apprenticeship for six years as a lead, working my way up to the top division.”

He then held the position of skipper in the top division for 15 years.

“Through the years, I have had a very good innings and I am very proud of my track record,” George said.

“I won three club championships and various other club games.”

George has been a member of Victoria Bowling Club for 58 years and loves bowling and winning.

“I missed one (game) when I had open-heart surgery,” he said.

He is also a life member of the club, which he became after receiving a call from a fellow member.

They told George he’d been nominated for a life membership, and it was approved with 100-per-cent vote.

“If it had been FaceTime, he would have seen that I was shedding a few tears,” George said.

There is also a carpet named in honour of George and Lorna Pyke at the club.

“This was the best kept secret because it was only the board knew it was going to happen,” he said.

Victoria Bowling Club president Janet Norman said Pyke had played 946 games.

“It’s a huge achievement,” Janet said.

“George is quite a way ahead of everybody else, and playing two games a week.”

“He will be hitting the 1000 mark quite soon.”

Janet said the Victoria Bowling Club has 240 members, and George is the only one to reach the 900 milestone.

“George has never been in any other club, he’s only been at Victoria Bowling Club,” Janet said.

Featured photo: 94-year-old George Pyke (Victoria BC) still rolling.

Article courtesy of Gwen Liu and photo by Lachlan Bence (Ballarat Courier).