Best from across Australia and New Zealand have taken over the South West with 47th biannual bowls carnival

Eaton Bowling and Social Club has been taken over by the 47th Biannual Australian & New Zealand Railways Carnival over the past 10 days with competitors from across the ditch joining Australia’s best. The tournament is a lawn bowls event for current and former railway employees that brings together teams from across Australia and New Zealand, fostering competition and fellowship among Railway Institute members. Due to decreasing numbers the tournament now accepts guest players to join in on the action. The event involves more than 100 bowlers in singles, pairs, triples and fours matches with the events host rotating between New Zealand, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and WA. Railways Institute chief secretary Barbara Fleay loves seeing bowlers come together that have known each other for years because of the tournament. “A lot of people have been seeing each other for 20 to 26 years, I’ve known some of the New Zealanders and the Queenslanders for many years, it’s great to see them again.” “It’s excellent to see it come together, and I’m quite excited to see all those West Australian shirts out there on the green as well.” Eaton Bowling Club president Terry Bright was thankful Fleay picked up the phone and asked the club to host the event. “I think we’ve probably had about 30 to 40 of our members just turn up and help out with the catering or the running of the event, and they’ve all done it off their own bat, and we’re so proud of them all,” he said. “The people that have come are really lovely people, and we’d be more than happy to have this event on a regular basis. “It’s a credit to the Railway Institute that put on such a tremendous event.”