With newly painted white walls, September marks a fresh start for the Lismore City Bowling Club.

Located right on the river in the Lismore CBD, it was ground zero for the local club, which was devastated when the big floods hit town earlier this year.

But thanks to months of help from Resilient Lismore volunteers and donations from other clubs, the City Bowlo has been reborn – and is now gearing up to become Lismore’s newest and coolest place to be.

While so far the club is only open for Saturday morning bowls on the lawn - Bowlo volunteer Sharon Pepper said in the next couple of weeks, the interior of the club will be transformed into a cool and much more flood-proof venue.

“The bar is being constructed out of steel and will be lined with rustic looking wrought iron, as will as some of the interior walls,” Sharon said.

“My husband Mark is the manager - and we want to make the whole place more flood-proof.

“We’ve put down carpet tiles on the floor, so we can pull them up if it floods again. “

The new bar under construction.

Donations

Sharon said Campsie RSL has also helped out and has donated over $100,000 worth of goods – including a TV and projector, freezer, chairs and furniture.

“They have also donated $50,000 to get us back on our feet again,” she said.

“Craig Love and President Brandon Bates from Campsie RSL have been so supportive.

"Brandon also brought up his own caravans and donated them to flood-affected people.

“When he first he came up to visit, he asked me what we needed to get going again – and I said we need electricity.

“So he went and applied for a $50,000 grant for us - aand organised for the furniture to be brought up here.

Sharon, inside in the club, with painted walls.

Best news in the world

“It was the best news in the world for this little club. We are financial enough to keep going, but not to get the carpet and painting and walls.

“The whole community has been so supportive of us though - from club members, to volunteers from Marist Brothers Cricket Club - they all helped clean up the place after the flood.

"They helped with electrical work and timber work – it was extraordinary.”

The kitchen.

Kitchen needs help

While the front of the club is looking fresh, out the back however, it’s a different story.

The kitchen still looks like it’s been through a flood and so much more work needs to be done to get it working again.

The walls are in need of replacing and the oven and stove not working.

It’s a work in progress, but there are plans to get flood-proof villaboard onto the kitchen walls.

“We still need a lot more money and help,” Sharon said. “Brandon Bates is also going to see if he can get another grant for us to do some advertising to get bands and events.

“They want to give us a business plan to go forward and we would like to do a membership drive to help us get back on track.

“We are a volunteer based club - even the groundkeeper is a volunteer.

"Myself and Rhonda Smith are the only paid bar staff, but we haven’t taken a wage since the flood."

Opening date

By the end of this month, the new look club will be back to operating much as it was before – with an open bar, indoor outdoor areas and pokie machines.

“We are not even open yet and we already have about six bookings for private functions," Sharon said.

“But we will be open in time for Beats on Tap on September 25.

"I love it here, it's the best place I've ever worked.

"It's a tiny club, not a millionaires club, but it's private and people have their own little piece of paradise when they come here."

At the moment, access to the normal front carpark (via car) is restricted, as building works continue of the Lismore Museum building. Pedestrian access at the front is still ok – but cars are advised to arrive via the back entrance, or park on Molesworth Street.