There have been many books written about the history of tennis with a focus on the UK and the USA. In Australia, unlike other local sports like Football, Rugby and Cricket, Tennis has suffered from a void where much of the history has simply vanished or focused only on the leading players of the time. Australia, does have a significant place in the annals of tennis and it a pleasure to present, in the one location, some interesting historical aspects of the game as it developed here and spawned a sporting industry which catered to the demand.  

Various racquet sports have been tried over the centuries and although the modern game has its direct roots back in 1874 thanks to Major Walter Wingfield and his game "Sphairistike",  here is a very rare picture that shows a depiction and caption of an outdoor game which not only shows a similar doubles playing format but even uses the name "tennis".  It comes from a book titled Games and Sports, by Donald Walker, Published by Thomas Hurst, St Pauls Church Yard 1837.  The title of the picture "Long or Open Tennis" certainly gives rise to this being a very early example of a format which sparked interest in this direction.  Thanks to Sebastiaan Van Hoorn for the photo.

From 1874, Lawn tennis became a social revolution thanks to the development of a rubber ball that could bounce on grass and the lawn mower which could prepare it. From humble beginnings in 1874, the fashionable game of lawn tennis with boxed sets of equipment spread throughout the world, including Australia, at a truly rapid pace.

Tennis here became the social game of the day for both men and women. Courts were constructed within cricket clubs, croquet clubs, within the grounds of churches, in the stately gardens of private homes and in far off distant country towns.

A myriad of sporting goods manufacturers already producing cricket, royal tennis and in the USA baseball equipment, began designing and experimenting with new racquet designs, stringing techniques and tennis balls. Tennis fashion for the ladies and men was colourfully elegant and many clubs and local club competitions evolved. Tournaments like Wimbledon were created, The Davis Cup began in 1900, champions were held in high esteem and spectators were keen to see the best players in action. In Australia, after state competitions developed so did inter-colonial matches and eventually the Australian Championships.

The evolution of tennis, the playing techniques, the equipment, the stories and the memorabilia surrounding the game is remarkable. On this site you will see a host of interesting photos, read stories about how tennis came to Australia and learn about some of the memorabilia, such as vintage tennis racquets (or rackets) that collectors around the world simply adore.

The site will continue to evolve over time and we trust you will enjoy learning about new aspects of Australian tennis you didn't know about before and encourage family members of former players and those still with us today to make contact and submit some photos or information that will help  add some new pieces into this fascinating Australian story.

For inspiration, we thank existing collectors and publishers Jeanne Cherry (Tennis Antiques & Collectibles), Siegfried Kuebler (A Book of Tennis Racquets), our tennis researcher Clive Oliver, National and State libraries and individual contributors which have included clubs, players (relatives) and relatives of families involved in the local tennis industry. A special note of thanks also to USA collector Rolf Jaeger for supplying photos of some of his rare items in his second collection. His first collection was sold to Tennis Australia and is now in storage.......somewhere!!! Please see a few images of this collection under the EXTRA ARTICLES section.  It really will be a special occasion when the tennis  museum in or close by to Rod Laver arena becomes a reality.