- Rollerworld Lismore -
This classic rollerskating rink has been the best place to skate in Lismore for over 44 years. With owners still passionate about skating, there’s no sign of that stopping any time soon.
Rollerworld is located in Lismore, a city in north-eastern NSW that is no stranger to brutal floods.
Read on to learn more about the rink’s past, the flooding hardships it endured, and plans for the future.
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Rink history
I found newspaper articles suggesting there were rollerskating rinks in Lismore as far back as 1910.
The current rink opened in February 1979 according to the owner, Craig Newby.
I spoke to Lena Saunders, a skater who visited the rink back in the late 1980s.
Laughing at the memory, she told me about small jumps that were brought out onto the rink for skaters to launch themselves off occasionally.
‘I remember skating here when I was young, now I get to bring my boy here and we’re so excited,’ Lena said.
I spoke to Lena Saunders, a skater who visited the rink back in the late 1980s.
Laughing at the memory, she told me about small jumps that were brought out onto the rink for skaters to launch themselves off occasionally.
‘I remember skating here when I was young, now I get to bring my boy here and we’re so excited,’ Lena said.
Craig Newby’s family bought the business in the early 1990s and he took over in 2008.
Craig met his wife Belinda through skating and the couple have supported each other and the skating community in the area ever since.
‘It’s always been a rink and we’ve tried to keep that nostalgic feel.’
Belinda is a National artistic skating champion and has represented Australia at the Oceania Championships with great success.
Craig started skating as a kid and has also competed both nationally and internationally in rink hockey.
‘I started out doing artistic, speed, quad hockey, all that. Then went into inline hockey,’ he said.
Belinda is a National artistic skating champion and has represented Australia at the Oceania Championships with great success.
Craig started skating as a kid and has also competed both nationally and internationally in rink hockey.
‘I started out doing artistic, speed, quad hockey, all that. Then went into inline hockey,’ he said.
As with a lot of older rinks Lismore’s skating venue has seen many name changes and upgrades in its time.
From 2008 it was known as Lismore Skating and Putt Putt and had a mini golf course attached.
In 2017 a brutal flood forced the Newbys to close the venue for renovations.
It reopened after 5 months under the current business name, Rollerworld.
Craig is quoted in an article by The Daily Telegraph saying:
‘When I first came to skate in the 80s it was called Roskell’s Rollerworld and I wanted to pay tribute to this heyday of skating.’
Flooding hardships
Lismore is an area known to flood badly. In 2017 a levee built to withstand even a 1-in-10-year flood was overtopped causing extreme destruction and loss for the community.
Rollerworld sits next to a riverbank in the lowest point of North Lismore, so this flood caused considerable damage to it.
The Newbys were just getting to the end of paying off the costs of rebuilding when they were hit again.
In early 2022 one of the worst flood disasters in Australian history swallowed the city of Lismore.
Just 4 weeks later another massive flood reset any recovery efforts made by the community.
The Newbys were just getting to the end of paying off the costs of rebuilding when they were hit again.
In early 2022 one of the worst flood disasters in Australian history swallowed the city of Lismore.
Just 4 weeks later another massive flood reset any recovery efforts made by the community.
At Rollerworld the flood waters rose 6 metres high inside the building, swamping even the disco ball.
The rink had just started to see the boom in rollerskating popularity that arose from the Covid pandemic.
‘That’s what was so heartbreaking about this flood. We had our best January for 20 years and then it flooded,’ Craig said.
As I drove through Lismore 11 months after these floods, I could still see marks of the destruction it left behind.
From abandoned houses, to boarded up shops, to ruined structures where they clearly shouldn’t be.
White banners and signs with a single red heart on them were scattered around the town.
I later learnt these Love For Lismore (and surrounds) Heart Banners were a symbol of hope, compassion, and recognition that while Lismore residents were still struggling, they had survived.
So, it was no surprise to see one hanging inside Rollerworld at their reopening session.
Despite the enormous effort it would take to rebuild yet again, Craig said they were determined to bring Rollerworld back.
‘We love bringing this to the community. That’s why we do it.’
The future of Rollerworld
Rollerworld’s reopening after such a devastating blow shows incredible resilience and a true love for skating.
As one of the only forms of entertainment for youth in the area, having the rink close permanently would be a great loss for the region.
The Newbys are rebuilding Rollerworld to be even better than before with help from local roller sports clubs, the Albany Creek skating rink in QLD, and members of the community.
When I visited in early January 2023 parts of the rebuild were still in progress.
The sound of power tools battled with the music playing during the session, but this hardly affected the crowd of excited skaters lined up out the door for the reopening skate.
In the wake of the floods Rollerworld’s owners looked at relocating but there was nowhere in the area suitable enough to make it worth the move.
Instead, the venue’s setup will be modified to lessen the damage from future floods.
The new benchtops are made of stone, the floor in the seating area isn’t carpeted, there will be minimal permanent walls that could be damaged, and the kickboards at either end of the rink (where the barrier walls meet the floor) are to be made removable.
This will allow floodwater to flow through the building better and make clean-up afterwards easier.
Other changes include more tables for eating, updated bathrooms and a brand-new kitchen.
Rollerworld Now
I visited Rollerworld on the 14th of January 2023 during their first general session since the 2022 floods.
On first appearances it’s an old rink that shows its age, but this only adds to the venue’s casual, friendly atmosphere.
There were disco lights that I’m sure look fantastic during a night session, plus a good sound system playing a mix of modern pop and classic skating songs.
The snack bar and basic skate shop weren’t yet complete, but once they are the rink will again offer hot food, slushies, drinks and lollies, as well as skate related products for sale.
For now, it’s fantastic to see that a rink with such a long history of supporting skating in the area can keep that going despite the flooding hardship it endured.
Sports and Classes
Rollerworld hosts several roller sports clubs including artistic, roller derby, and inline hockey.
The rink offers a few general sessions on weekdays, as well as a Friday night session and typical weekend skate times.
The rink also runs all ages learn-to-skate classes, and an adult learn-to-skate type class on Tuesday evenings.
The learn-to-skate program is run by an accredited artistic skating coach and they’re happy to help skaters learn whatever they want to work on.
Floor
The skating floor is a decent size at 35 by 19.5 metres.
The line markings were redone after the 2022 floods, but the last proper resurface was done in 2017 so I was surprised to see it still in great condition.
The concrete floor is smooth, patched in a few places, but you couldn’t tell it had swamped by floodwaters as bad as it was.
Despite being a little slippery with dust from the works still going on inside the building, it was a good skating surface for quad skates with hard wheels.
Where to find Rollerworld?
Rollerworld is your classic family-friendly rollerskating rink perfect for a couple hours of light-hearted fun.
They have disco lights, music, games during the sessions, a solid range of roller sports to try, and a friendly atmosphere that has supported youth culture in Lismore for many years.
If you live nearby or are passing through Lismore, I highly recommend you check out this family run, well-loved rink and support them as they recover from the devastating 2022 floods.
Rollerworld can be visited at 21 Bridge St, Lismore NSW or check out their website here.
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