Curling is an ice sport with ancient Scottish origins — teams slide stones on ice toward a target, sweeping the ice to guide the stone's path. It is an Olympic and Paralympic sport (wheelchair curling). Australia has a small but growing curling community, concentrated in cities with ice rinks. This guide covers the key funding sources.
Curling Australia is the national governing body:
- National championship events
- Club affiliation and standards
- International connection through the World Curling Federation
- Paralympic curling programme (wheelchair curling)
Contact Curling Australia for access to national programme guidance and Sport Australia investment.
Sport Australia funds curling through Curling Australia:
- National programme investment
- Winter sport development
State sport agencies may fund curling:
- NSW Office of Sport: Community sport including curling
- Sport and Recreation Victoria: Winter sport development
- Queensland, SA: State grants for growing sports
Curling requires dedicated ice time:
- Different ice conditions from hockey (slower, more precise ice surface)
- Many Australian curling clubs operate within shared ice facilities
- Ice rink relationships: Essential for sustainable club operation
Most Australian ice rinks are privately operated — clubs negotiate for dedicated curling ice sheets or adapt shared ice time.
Gaming grants fund curling clubs:
- NSW ClubGRANTS: Equipment and programme grants
- State gaming trusts: Equipment and development
Typical gaming grant applications:
- Curling stones (significant cost — sets of 16 stones, $5,000–$15,000)
- Brooms and sliders
- Ice time subsidies
- Club equipment storage
Curling equipment:
- Curling stones: Granite stones — expensive, long-lasting; most clubs share sets with the rink
- Brooms: Push brooms for sweeping — personal equipment
- Sliders: Non-slip soles for delivery foot
- Gripper shoes: For the sliding foot opposite
- Helmets: Optional but increasingly used
The main capital cost is curling stones — many clubs access rink-owned stones.
Wheelchair curling is a Paralympic sport:
- Played by teams of wheelchair users
- No sweeping — stones delivered with a curling stick attachment
- Paralympics Australia: Paralympic programme investment
- State disability sport organisations: Wheelchair curling development
Junior curling:
- School programmes: Introduction to curling through ice sports education
- Junior clubs: Age-grade curling competitions
- Junior national events: Pathway to national programme
Curling has strong heritage connections to Scottish communities:
- Scottish community organisations: Cultural support for traditional sports
- Multicultural sport grants: State multicultural affairs investment
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Participant numbers: Curlers by age, gender, and programme
- Ice access: Confirmed rink relationship and dedicated ice time
- Equipment: Stone access (owned or rink partnership), brooms, sliders
- Junior development: Young people learning the sport
- Wheelchair curling: Paralympic discipline if applicable
- Cultural connection: Scottish heritage community if relevant
- Club governance: Financial health, affiliation to Curling Australia
- Community events: Open days, bonspiels (tournaments), social curling
Tahua's grants management platform helps winter sport clubs manage grant applications across multiple funders, tracking participation and equipment outcomes that funders value.