Tennis in the spotlight

Mary and Ed Horgan September 1927

Tennis group at Alma, South Australia 1927

Back: Edward J Horgan, Francis J Smyth (known as Frank)

Front: Hanora Mary Horgan (known as Mary) Parker Hogan, Margaret Mary Smyth (known as Mary)

photo enhanced and colourised at MyHeritage

As the Australian Open Tennis tournament gets underway in Melbourne I find it interesting to look back at my family's days of playing tennis. From our own family albums come these two photos, both taken at Alma in September of 1927.

On perusing the editions of digitised newspapers there are many mentions of my father Edward John Horgan and his siblings Hanora Mary and Joseph Andrew playing in tennis matches and tournaments in the nineteen twenties and thirties.

Many of the small towns in the area had tennis clubs and the results of matches were regularly published. This Horgan family were mentioned in matches between 1925 and 1936 for Alma Tennis club, Hamley Bridge Catholic club and Tarlee Catholic club. As well as playing tennis they attended Tennis balls and dances held variously to raise money for the club.

1925

"On Wednesday evening the members of the Tennis Club arranged a euchre and dance, which proved enjoyable as well as augmenting the tennis funds that are being added to with the object of laying down another asphalt court."

1925 'DISTRICT NEWS.', The Wooroora Producer (Balaklava, SA : 1909 - 1940),

16 July, p. 3. , viewed 09 Feb 2021,

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article207139646

Ouch, asphalt courts - yet these were the most common tennis courts in the towns at the time. With limited rainfall in the lower north area of South Australia, lawn tennis was rarely a feasible option. Hard rolled dirt courts provided variable bounce and so skill, speed and sometimes good luck played chance with the games result.
Joseph Andrew Horgan, my father's brother was of short stature at about 4 ft 11 in. but he developed a very mean slice. Here he is playing tennis at his McInerney cousins' farm near Riverton.

Joe Horgan - tennis at Olive Farm Riverton
photo courtesy McInerney family

Other early photos shared from the McInerney family albums show the previous generation of Horgans also on the court at Olive Farm. In this one Eddie and Joe look as if they have been playing or are ready for tennis but their aunt, Kate Horgan and uncles John McInerney, Tom and Jack (John) Horgan appear dressed to be spectators rather than players.

Mid 1930s tennis group at McInerney Olive Farm, Riverton, South Australia

Standing: Tom O'Leary, Kate Horgan, John McInerney, Mr Bosch, Vin McInerney, Tom Horgan, Frank McInerney, Eddie Horgan, Jack Horgan.

Front: Bernie McInerney, Joe Horgan, Mary McInerney, Vi Doecke

1960s tennis at the farm
Some time after we moved from the old farmhouse to the new in 1959, my father built a hard packed tennis court next to the house. Here we learnt to play tennis with those heavy wooden racquets of the day. Sunday afternoons were often tennis afternoons and Uncle Joe managed to keep us running with his well placed sliced shots. Some of my siblings went on to play for the local Tarlee Tennis Club while we younger ones had the opportunity to try out for tennis teams at boarding school. My skill level however, never reached that of my father and uncle.

Other articles mentioning the tennis related activities of Mary, Eddie and Joe Horgan in the 1920s and 1930s

Alma versus the Woods club
1926 'DISTRICT NEWS.', The Wooroora Producer (Balaklava, SA : 1909 - 1940), 8 April, p. 4. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article207140470

Alma versus Hamley Bridge at Stockport
1927 'TENNIS.', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), 23 March, p. 20. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article73655863

E Horgan attends the Alma Tennis Ball
1927 'ALMA TENNIS BALL.', Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), 10 September, p. 73. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90076648

Riverton Catholic Tennis club v. Tarlee Catholic Club
1930 'S.A. CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 19 December, p. 19. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167051800

Match between Riverton (Good Shepherd) and the Tarlee (SS. John and Paul) Catholic Clubs
1931 'RIVERTON v. TARLEE.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 20 February, p. 18. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167052764

Eddie and Joe in the final of the Men's doubles
1931 'CATHOLIC TOURNAMENT AT RIVERTON.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 20 March, p. 22. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167053260

Eddie plays in singles and doubles
1931 'TARLEE AND RIVERTON v. MINTARO.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 2 April, p. 18. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167053495

Joe and his first cousin Mary Smyth win the mixed doubles
1932 'CATHOLIC TENNIS TOURNAMENT AT RIVERTON.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 11 March, p. 18. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167059421

An early defeat for the Horgan brothers in the men's doubles
1933 'RIVERTON TENNIS CLUB.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 24 February, p. 15. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167694429

Balaklava. — Balaklava Catholic lost to Hamley Bridge
1936 1936 'TENNIS', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), 5 February, p. 9. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74158435

In the Hamley Bridge Catholic team
1936 'SEVENHILL.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 27 March, p. 7. , viewed 09 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167077747


This post first appeared on earlieryears.blogspot.com by CRGalvin