Tennis has been a fixture in Canberra since the early 1920s

By Archivesact
November 30 2019 - 12:00am
VIP tennis players at the official opening of the Manuka tennis courts in 1928. From left, John Latham, Sir Littleton Groom, Dr Earle Page and Sir John Butters. Picture: From the Mildenhall collection at the National Archives of Australia
VIP tennis players at the official opening of the Manuka tennis courts in 1928. From left, John Latham, Sir Littleton Groom, Dr Earle Page and Sir John Butters. Picture: From the Mildenhall collection at the National Archives of Australia

Historians believe that the origins of tennis date back to 12th-century France. However, the modern game of "lawn tennis" that we are familiar with was invented in England in the late 1860s. During the 1870s, Major Walter Clopton Wingfield popularised a version of the game by producing boxed lawn tennis sets that included a rulebook. Such was the success of Wingfield's version of the game that within 10 years, lawn tennis had spread around the world.

Subscribe now for unlimited access.

$0/

(min cost $0)

or signup to continue reading

See subscription options

Get the latest Canberra news in your inbox

Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.

We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.