Blue Mountains Croquet Club is on the move for the third time in its history.
An application to rezone the site for a child-care centre was recently lodged (though rejected by council because it failed to meet various requirements) so the club has been looking for a new permanent home.
Club member Penny Park said the club thought it had found the ideal solution at Medlow Bath on the unused and degraded site of the Elsie Langford Centre space. However, hopes were dashed when redevelopment was quoted at $300,000. Even a revised estimate by a council engineer of $120,000 was beyond the club's means.
The club now plans to move to the Peter Carroll Oval, Leura.
Ms Park said the club started in 1980 as the Leura Croquet Club, playing on the site of the Leura Bowling Club greens.
It played there for 18 years until the greens were sold to a developer and tenure couldn't be guaranteed.
In 1998, the club became the Katoomba RSL ASC Croquet Club, playing at Katoomba Bowling Club in Dora St, Katoomba.
In 2004, Katoomba RSL amalgamated with Blackheath Bowling and Recreation Club and the croquet club moved to Blackheath, becoming the Blue Mountains Croquet Club in the process.
But Katoomba RSL eventually sold the Blackheath greens. The croquet club has continued to use one of them but is paying rent of $110 a week, which has proved unsustainable for a small club.
The search for a new home has become the stuff of legend in the Blackheath community. In the meantime, members have been sharing their expertise in the local area, offering mallet sports as part of the Active After Schools Communities Program, running regular Gateball sessions for a local disability group and coaching local high school students.
They have been enthusiastic participants in local events such as Blackheath Day, the Rhodo Parade and the Roaring 20s Festival and provided croquet equipment and tips at weddings and parties. The annual Blue Mountains Gateball Tournament has brought over 200 visitors to the Mountains in the last five years.
The club has been renowned for the friendly welcome it gives to anyone interested in swinging a mallet. It thanks the many friends and supporters gained during the search for a new home.