tennisracquets

Plus, can't believe that I missed our 2nd Anniversary on Flickr Commons! We launched on 1 June 2011. Would just like to wish us all a very happy anniversary (what's a second anniversary - is it paper?). Thank you all for making this "marriage" lively, interesting and fun. And we almost never shout at each other about map reading! :)

National Library of Ireland on The Commons Congratulations on your COTTON Anniversary - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_anniversary#Traditional_and... Good to see the tennis club in fine cotton too!

beachcomber australia I thank you! And in the bottom row (1st and third left) are sisters(?) in matching crocheted outfits - probably cotton also...

I think I can see 6 Ladies with wrist watches and 1 Gentleman with a wrist watch and 1 with a pocket watch on a fob.

Those ladies using croquet hammers would obviously struggle to play tennis with these "bats"! Or was this "Irish Rules" tennis - if your opponent doesn't play fair bop them with a croquet hammer?

Some interesting facts: Tennis arrived in Australia in the 1870’s and soon became a popular social game. Courts began springing up across the country from the big cities to the countryside. Originally partaken by women in Europe it was immediately popular with both sexes in Australia. And since 1900 Australian players have been ranked as some of the best on the world scene. From the early days tennis was instantly popular with women although there was no financial support to help with overseas travel to attend tournaments. However, with the aid of fundraising, Daphne Akhurst made the finals of Wimbledon in 1928. Ten years later, Nancy Bolton was the first Australian woman to play in a USA Championship final. In 1963 and 1964, Lesley Bowery won the French Open Singles titles being the first Australian woman to do so. And in 1961 and 1967 she also won the mixed doubles at Wimbledon. Source: www.chatswoodtennis.com.au/the-history-of-australian-tennis/

good pic