tennis

A popular beginning People often pinpoint the establishment of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australasia (LTAA) in 1904 and the inaugural Australasian Championships as the origins of the sport in this nation. But lawn tennis was in fact already well-entrenched in the Australian sporting landscape by then. The popularity of lawn tennis, invented by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield in 1873, rapidly outstripped that of royal tennis in England, and that in turn influenced the rise of the game in the colonies. Having commenced as a popular backyard pastime at homes around Australia in the mid-1870s, the sport began the move away from private courts in 1878 when the first Victorian club tennis court was built by the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC). Devotees flocked to the asphalt surface, delighted at the opportunity to socialise around their favorite sport. The MCC laid a grass court in 1879 and a second asphalt court in 1883 to help cater to the multitude of passionate local tennis fans. In 1890, the MCC’s asphalt court played host to the first championship of the colony of Victoria. The steady growth of the game led to clubs springing up around Victoria and throughout Australia, tennis players engaging keenly in the premiership (pennant) and interstate competitions from 1884. The sport quickly outgrew the MCC as the home of championship tennis in Victoria, the MCG unable to cater to the demand for courts or spectator facilities. The headquarters of tennis shifted to the Warehouseman’s Cricket Ground (today known as Albert Reserve) from 1890 onwards; the 2000 spectators who attended the inter-colonial singles tournament there in 1891 justified the move. Management of tennis in the colony was formalised in 1892 with the establishment of the Lawn Tennis Association of Victoria (LTAV). While representing Victoria’s interests, organising inter-colonial matches, and maintaining tennis’ headquarters at the Warehouseman’s Ground, the bulk of the LTAV’s time was devoted to managing inter-club competitions and the huge fan following they garnered. The following was in no small part due to the rivalry between South Yarra club’s Norman Brookes and Alf Dunlop, a New Zealander representing the MCC. Source: artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/a-history-of-australian...

Mal Anderson The bust commemorates tennis player, Mal Anderson, who in 1957 and 1958 as an amateur, achieved a ranking of World No. 2 male tennis player. In 1957, Anderson won the US Championships as an unseeded player. Earlier that year, had reached the semifinals of the Australian Championships and won the French Championship doubles, partnering with Ashley Cooper, the man he went on to defeat in the final of the 1957 US Championships. In 1958, Anderson was a finalist at both the Australian Championships and US Championships, losing both times to Cooper. He turned professional in late 1958 and went on to win the Wembley Championship in 1959, with a five-set victory over Pancho Sequra. He did not appear in another major final until 1972, when at age 36, he was a finalist at the Australian Open, losing to Ken Rosewall. In 1973, he captured the Australian Open doubles title along with John Newcombe. Anderson played on four Australian Davis Cup teams, in 1957, 1958, 1972, and 1973, the team winning twice (1957 and 1973). Source: www.monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/people/sport/display/...

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Tennis was becoming popular in the summer of 1903 and the Headmaster, Horace Dixon, decided to erect a roughly put-together net and call it a tennis court. It was outside the Dixon residence, so Horace could keep an eye on the boys whilst he sipped tea on his veranda. Source: www.tss.qld.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/18-Jun-tenn...