The version of road bowls played in the Australian folk community was brought from Ireland by the late Randall Percy, who in collaboration with the late Roddy Read, reworked the game and rewrote the rules for matches played initially around central Victoria.

During the period of the late 1970s/ early 80s, teams were named after the local towns where the captains and/ or players lived, and as well there was an "Irish" team. Teams included Chewton, Faraday and The Hills.

From central Victoria, the game spread to Numeralla Folk Festival, where several rule variations were introduced, and to the Nariel Creek Folk Festival and the Fiddlers' Convention at Yarra Junction. It has also been played in other festivals throughout New South Wales.

More recently, the game has also been played in ad-hoc matches at the National Folk Festival, Newstead Folk Festival, Burke and Wills Folk Festival and around Heathcote.

* Thanks to Barb Scott for information for this history, as well as supplying the copies of the early hand-written rules.