Fraternity Sports — formerly Fairy Meadow Bowling Club — now falls under the Fraternity Club umbrella, and sports a new look, restaurant and plans for the future. Photos: Fraternity Sports.
Fairy Meadow’s bowling club has a new lease on life.
The former Fairy Meadow Bowling Club has officially joined forces with one of Wollongong’s most iconic venues, The Fraternity Fairy Meadow, and the result is Fraternity Sports — a revitalised community hub with a new look, menu and future.
For locals, it’s more than just a name change. The partnership ensures the bowlo, which has weathered some tough times, remains part of the fabric of the community.
“We transferred the licence back in April 2024, but it’s taken a long time to get to this point,” Fraternity Club CEO Glenn Ward says. “The bowlo was at risk of going insolvent, and the board wanted to make sure it survived as a community asset — that it wasn’t lost to its members and locals.”
Since then, the Fraternity has been busy ticking off council approvals, finalising leases and investing in a raft of upgrades. The most notable is a complete revamp of the kitchen and dining area, with all new furniture, equipment and look.
The dining space now boasts Priors, a restaurant named in honour of Prior’s Paddock, the original name of the land before the bowling club was built. Its menu serves up pub favourites done well, from bangers and mash to a proper Sunday roast that Glenn says will become a firm local favourite.
“Hopefully it’s both familiar and fresh,” he says. “It’s a place for members, families and the wider community to feel at home.”
The amalgamation also means memberships have been streamlined. Former Fairy Meadow Bowling Club members were all invited to transfer their membership over to enjoy full access to The Frat’s benefits, while the Frat’s 20,000-strong member base instantly gained a second venue.
That expanded audience, Glenn says, is already giving Fraternity Sports a head start as it evolves into a new kind of destination — one built with families in mind.
Plans are already underway to turn the club’s third bowling green into a family-friendly deck and al fresco zone. In the meantime picnic tables are in place, and in time, it will become a space for kids to kick a ball while parents enjoy a meal, drinks and live acoustic music on weekends.
And, of course, the views haven’t changed.
“It’s quite picturesque, sitting out there looking across the greens and up at the escarpment of Mount Ousley,” Glenn says. “It’s the ideal place to gather with family and friends.”
With daylight saving around the corner and summer on its way, Glenn hopes locals old and new will wander back through the bowlo’s doors.
“We hope existing members, new members and the community at large will come out in force and check out what we have to offer,” he says.
Fraternity Sports is located at 2 Cambridge Avenue, Fairy Meadow.
