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The Island Bay Hotel in Trent Street has seen many different activities associated with it. The hotel was built about the same time as the racecourse was established, thus providing racegoers with welcome food and drink in close proximity to their entertainment. Not long after the hotel was completed, ground was cultivated at the west side of the building and a small bowling green was formed. Local gardener Arthur Turner was instrumental in creating 'this new concept' for the Bay. By 1885 the bowling green was in excellent order, thanks to careful maintenance by Turner. By November that year a number of matches had been played there and it was claimed to be "one of the great attractions at this favourite seaside resort.."
On November 19, 1885 at the Central Hotel (in the city) a group discussed forming a more structured bowling club and the gentlemen who attended expected a good number of people joining. The hotel green was to become only used for social games because although the group were keen to play bowls, none of them wished to form a structured club. The green flourished as such for a further five years before interest waned. Problems were also beginning with patrons of the hotel wandering on the green causing damage, and it fell into disrepair.
For the growing population the popular outdoor team pursuits, cricket and rugby, were quite easily accommodated on the expansive fields that could be developed by the Council at low cost. Other sports took longer to establish. Tennis was linked to school and church clubs. Golf found a home fairly easily. However the nearest bowling club in those early days was Newtown, which had been established in 1893, the third in the city after Wellington and Thorndon.
In 1890 Charles Hill, who with his brother E J (Ted), owned Hills Hats in Lambton Quay, purchased 3.5 acres of land in Melbourne Road. Shortly after, they built their house at the corner of Melbourne and Liffey Streets (it is still there, on the NE corner). They established a belt of pohutukawas across the centre of the section, which were used as a shelterbelt. They then cleared the land and planted grass on the property.
16 October 1909 Freelance Opening the Te Hiwi Bowling Green at Islnd Bay – Miss Minnie Hill throws the jack
The grassed area was intended to become a tennis court, but Charles changed his mind and developed it as a bowling green. He had been a member of the group that had played on the unofficial green at the hotel and he decided this green was going to have an air of permanence. He engaged Arthur Turner and the pair of them carefully prepared it and a roller was purchased. He then formally named the property and green, "Te Hiwi'. This is likely to be a Māori version of the name ‘Hill’. Hill had no difficulty finding people: all the bowlers who had supported the earlier green quickly joined this new Club. Despite only being two rinks wide, the Te Hiwi Bowling Club became affiliated to the Wellington Bowling Centre, the membership grew to the extent it played singles, pairs and Rinks (Fours) competitions against other Wellington clubs both home and away.
No records exist of whether Te Hiwi had club colours, a logo, or any Committee, but it seems very likely. Chas Hill was its first and only President. Te Hiwi Club continued to flourish in the ensuing years and in 1910 two prominent gentlemen joined the club. Alf and Charles Odlin had become well known timber and hardware merchants in the City and both were Island Bay residents. They owned a large house on the south side of the children's playground (now Shorland Park). The family had established branches of its business in some outlying suburbs, including Island Bay.
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