When you arrive at Lismore Croquet Club's green lawns, there’s no Wonderland Red Queen playing with hedgehogs as balls and flamingos as mallets. It’s just locals members, wearing white shirts, who are having a lot of fun.

Deborah Matten and Bernadette Ryan are long time members of the Lismore Croquet Club. 

They have always been ‘cool’ players - but now, they will be even cooler with the new air conditioning system which has been granted to the heritage-listed clubhouse.

After a day of playing the sun, it’s not just the AC that makes life better for the club’s members, it’s also the addition of new solar panels on the roof.

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin and Lismore Mayor Vanessa Ekins joined the club’s 36 players last week to unveil the new additions to the clubhouse.

Ms Saffin said the additions are thanks to a $5356 NSW Government Local Sport Program grant.

“This will vastly improve comfort levels for the club’s members during summer and winter seasons, and was installed by JDZ solar and electrical,” Ms Saffin said.

Club history

Faye Ross is the captain of the club and has been a member for over 20 years. 

“The club formed in 1928 and the historic pavilion clubhouse was opened in 1931,” she said.

While the commemorative plaque at the clubhouse says Lady Game opened the clubhouse, it was actually opened by her husband, the Governor of NSW, Sir Philip Game.

“She was sick on the day, but the plaque had already been made,” Faye said.

“The club has been in constant operation. There was only a short period in the second world war when they stopped playing.”

Croquet started initially as a ladies’ club, but eventually opened to women and men in 1983.

The clubhouse was extended in the 1980s and is now home base for one of the friendliest sporting clubs in the Northern Rivers and has about 70% female and 30% male members.

Club President Warwick Fisher said Lismore City Council’s outdoor staff “do a great job of keeping the lawns in tip-top condition”.

The game

In croquet, players take turns to move the ball through hoops. The winner is the first person to get to the end of the game. Each player has a handicap – which is how many strikes until you get a ball through a hoop.

“We play two different croquet codes here - golf and ricochet croquet,” Faye said. “To get a point in ricochet, you run every ball through a hoop. In golf you only run one ball per hoop.”

Croquet tournaments are played across the NSW region, in a round robin competition and the grand final is on June 20 - and will be held In Lismore.

“It’s a sporting club but there’s a big emphasis on the social side too,” Faye said.

“We are looking for more people who want to come and play. If you become a member, you can enter the competitions.

“We play here every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings and at twilight on Fridays.

If you come, wear soft shoes, a wide brim hat, sunscreen and a white top.”

To contact the club, phone 0266 226 030.