Gordon Jolly

Jolly began playing bowls in Oamaru at the Meadowbank bowling club. Joining the Leith bowling club in Dunedin in 1946, he went on to win 18 Dunedin centre bowls titles, as well as the New Zealand men's fours title in 1970.[1]

At the 1966 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Sydney, Jolly represented New Zealand in the men's triples and men's fours, winning the latter title along with Norm Lash, Ron Buchan and Bill O'Neill.

At the 1974 British Commonwealth Games, he won the men's fours gold medal partnering David Baldwin, Kerry Clark and John Somerville. Previously at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games he was part of the men's fours team that placed 11th.[2]

He won the 1970 fours title at the New Zealand National Bowls Championships when bowling for the Leith Bowls Club.[3]

A life member of Bowls New Zealand, Jolly served as a national selector and secretary–treasurer, and was president in 1968.[1]

Jolly died at Dunedin on 26 October 1986, and he was buried at Andersons Bay Cemetery.[4]

In the 1977 New Year Honours, Jolly was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to bowls.[5]

He was an inaugural inductee into the Bowls New Zealand Hall of Fame in 2013.[1]