West Toowoomba Croquet Club holds its 26th birthday party

Green lawns and a bright summer day provided ideal conditions for the twenty-sixth birthday party of the West Toowoomba Croquet Club on Monday. The beautiful frocks of the visitors and the regulation white of the hostess club added to the brightness of the scene. The president of the club, Mrs. C. J. Searle, had a busy time welcoming the guests, many of whom were from kindred clubs.

Competitions, in which all took part, were played on the lawns. The ladder competition was won by Mrs. L. Herron after a tie with Mrs. G. Hopkins. The golf putting event went to Mrs. M. Dean, and the ringing and entering competition was won by Mrs. A. R. Graham. The prizes for the competitions were donated by Mesdames W. Miller and I. I. Alroe.

Later, those present went to the bowling pavilion. The room was massed with flowers. Dahlias, roses and other seasonal flowers in polished brass and pottery containers were set on tables and pedestals in the room. The tables were also brightly decorated. The beautiful square cake, frosted in white and lightly touched with maroon, the club's colours, was the gift of Mrs. C. J. Searle, and was made and iced by her daughter, Miss Nancy Searle.

The floral beauty on the tables was the work of Mrs. N. Miller. The flowers were from her own garden.

Mrs. C. J. Searle welcomed the visitors and voiced her pleasure at seeing so many present. Responses were made by Mrs. J. D. Annand, Mrs. Carlisle (president, Toowoomba Club), Mrs. P. S. Priest (president, Laurel Bank Club) and Mesdames McBride, J. McGrath and France.

The president cut the cake, and Mrs. J. D. Annand, an old friend of the club, presented the trophies won during 1950. Mrs. Annand wore a frock of navy and white, the same colours being repeated in her hat of fine straw. A spray of flowers in rose and blue tonings was pinned to her corsage by Mrs. Searle. She also received a bouquet of carnations—the gift of Mrs. N. Miller.

Trophy winners were.—Club Championship: Mrs. J. Flegler, runner-up, Mrs. M. Dean. Singles Handicap: Mrs. P. Quin; runner-up, Mrs. L. Webber. B and C Handicap (Singles): Mrs. B. Hanscomb, runner-up, Mrs. R. H. Appelt. Doubles Handicap: Mesdames J. Flegler and B. Hanscomb; runners-up, Mesdames C. J. Searle and J. Doyle. Consistency (trophy presented by Mrs. J. Williamson, president of the Queensland Croquet Association) Mrs. M. King, runner-up, Mrs. I. I. Alroe.

Apologies were received from the Mayoress (Mrs. A. R. McGregor) and Mesdames M. Boyce, L. Webber, K. Sandberg, F. Bullock, E. Platz, B. Binnie, W. McCulloch, J. Henschell, E. Paget and H. Shaw.

Those present were Mesdames C. J. Searle, J. D. Annand, Carlisle, P. S. Priest, A. C. Carter, G. Cossart, E. Brodie, A. R. Graham, R. McAuliffe, N. Fox, E. A. McConachie, F. Bongers, M. A. France, E. Riley, E. S. Loft, A. C. Conway, L. Herron, S. Dennis, E. Kiley, G. Hopkins, A. Francis, A. McBride, J. McGrath, L. Cooke, W. Cooke, J. Fogarty, Miss I. Weymouth, Mesdames M. Dean, J. Flegler, N. Miller, W. Cooke, W. King, P. Quin, B. Hanscomb, A. H. Abbott, Clive Conroy, I. Alroe, A. R. Henderson, J. Doyle.

The article as it was printed in The Toowoomba Chronicle, 2 March 1951. Scan from Trove, National Library of Australia. (Trove, National Library of Australia)