Maitland Park Bowling Club set for demolition after July fire

The building, which had been used as a bowling club for more than 120 years, was severely damaged in several sections in the fire. The shell of the building remained intact following the blaze on Sunday, July 16, but a large section of the top floor roof collapsed.

A spokesperson for Maitland City Council, who owns the property, said there is no firm date set for the demolition.

Before the fire, the council sought community input in June to help guide the future use of the site.

The council received 333 responses through an EOI process with proposals outlining the future use as a potential cafe and function centre, a community hub, a theatre or a sport centre.

While the site remains under the assessment of insurers, the council said the EOI process has been cancelled with future plans to fall under the broader planning underway for Maitland Park.

Speaking at the council's meeting on Tuesday, September 26, councillor Peter Garnham thanked interested groups for their proposals.

"I'd like to thank all of the people that took the time to put in an expression of interest, one thing for me is that it has shown what could be done in the park," he said.

NSW Police are treating the fire as suspicious and said investigations are ongoing.

The Maitland Park Bowling Club was one of the oldest bowling clubs in NSW but closed in 2022 due to ongoing financial struggles.

Terry Mills was the chairman of the five person Maitland Park Bowling Club Board, who fought hard to bring the venue back from the brink.

"We've seen across the country how much small bowling clubs have struggled, especially under the weight of the pandemic, and we're deeply saddened that we've had to close," Mr Mills said after the club closed in July 2022.

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