Fire didn't stop Wasleys Bowls Club, it strengthened it
When the Pinery fire wiped out the Wasleys Bowling Club in November 2015, it didn’t stop the club, it strengthened it.
Reflecting on the bowls club’s experiences for the South Australian Country Fire Service’s (CFS) Bushfire Resilience Day club member Brad McDougall said the Pinery event sharpened the local community’s attention towards preparedness.
Bushfire Resilience Day is an annual event, commemorated on or close to February 16, to remember and honour people who have died in a South Australian bushfire, reflect on the impact bushfires have had and encourage positive actions for communities to prepare for the next bushfire.
Bushfire potential
“Part of the resilience we gained was the need to be informed should a fire like this ever happen again, focusing on areas of concern that need to be addressed, not only as a club but as a community. You never ever take it for granted that it can’t happen again,” Mr McDougall said. “It’s always in the back of your mind to take advantage of the lessons learnt from the Pinery fire, and work on what still might need to be implemented.”
Mr McDougall said people living in at-risk areas need to be alert to the potential for bushfire to impact their community.
“The biggest lessons that we learnt was that we weren’t fully prepared for an event like Pinery and it reinforced that you need to have a plan in place which is known by everybody,” he said.
Community support
Brad said the fire also reinforced that the club is part of something much bigger. During the recovery from the Pinery fire, the club became a focal point for the community, even though it didn’t have power and was operating out of a groundskeeper’s shed.
“In one aspect we were able to help unite the community because there was a common cause and even though we didn’t have a club house following the fire - we worked out of a shed - we had great support from the community and the bowls community across South Australia. It didn’t stop us, it strengthened us. In March 2016, after 83 years, we won the Division One title and we're still here now."
Meanwhile, the club has also supported other lawn bowlers experiencing similar events and helping them on their own resilience journey.
“In January 2026 Natimuk Bowls Club in Victoria experienced a fire and we decided to offer some financial assistance, with the support of Bowls SA, and have also offered some material items such as scoreboards that can help them out should they need it. Given the support and generosity provided we received after the Pinery fire, it’s the least we could do,” Mr McDougall said.