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Formation | 1875 |
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Location |
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Coordinates | 42°53′7.5″S147°19′40.2″E / 42.885417°S 147.327833°E |
President | Andrew Brough (as of 2018 [update] ) |
Website | hobarttennis |
The Hobart Real Tennis Club is a real tennis court in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Opening in 1875, [1] it is one of the oldest sporting clubs in the southern hemisphere, the oldest of only four real tennis clubs operating nationally, [2] [3] and one of 45 worldwide. [4] Originally known simply as the Hobart Tennis Club, the court predates the advent of lawn tennis, remaining an exclusive haven for the elite to engage in what was then called "real tennis" or "royal tennis". Following a club referendum, the sporting facility was renamed the 'Hobart Real Tennis Club' in 2001. [5]
Hobart hosted the international biennial Bathurst Cup in 1985, 1999 and 2015, [6] and has also held the Australian Open tournament for real tennis on several occasions since the mid 1990s. [7] It was the first home court of twelve-time world champion player, Robert Fahey [8] and Judith Clarke, Australia's first female real tennis World Champion. [9]
The first court on the site was constructed in 1875 by Samuel Smith Travers, inspired by his experiences at Oxford University while living in England and playing frequently at Hampton Court. The Hobart court was modelled after Hampton Court. [1] [10] The court is believed to have opened in June or July 1875. Records indicate the court was completed in May of that year, but the opening was delayed due to the late arrival of racquets from England. [11]
The first professional player brought to Hobart by Travers was Tom Stone in 1875, an assistant at the Hampton Court Tennis Club in England. Notably, Stone was the same player who initially taught King Edward VII the basics of the game. In 1882, inspired by their experiences in Tasmania, a group of enthusiasts built a court in Melbourne. [12]
Over the decades, the Hobart Real Tennis Club evolved alongside the sport itself. In 1968, the club admitted female members, marking a significant moment in its history. This decision paved the way for women to compete and succeed in what was traditionally a male-dominated domain. Judith Clarke's victory in the women's World Championship in 1984 underscored the club's commitment to inclusivity and excellence in real tennis.
Spearheaded by the successes of world champion player Robert Fahey, who first held the world title between 1994–2016, the club underwent significant restoration and modernisation in 2002. The revitalisation of the premises involved integrating two historic buildings with a new entrance and amenities pavilion and redeveloped roof terrace. The pavilion, designed by H20 architects, showcases a lightweight addition with a transparent skin behind a timber screen inspired by espalier trellis. This design element not only provides sun shading but also supports a grapevine planted in 1974 by world champion Pierre Etchebaster. [13]
Real tennis is a racket sport with medieval origins. [14] The origins of real tennis are unclear, but it likely evolved from the ancient ball games pa paume and palotta, played in Italy and jeu de paume in France. [15] The game seems to have developed in a French monastery 700 to 800 years ago, later adopted by the French aristocracy. The court's design resembles an old abbey courtyard with cloisters on two sides. [12]
The Hobart court conforms to the traditional dimensions of real tennis courts worldwide and is modelled after the Hampton Court in England. The game is played indoors on a court approximately 100 feet (30 m) long by nearly 40 feet (12 m) wide, with walls and floors made of stone. [12]
The court features a unique layout with a net dividing it into two halves—the hazard court and the server's court. The game's scoring system is complex, involving "chases" marked by lines on the floor, and the use of features like the penthouse, dedans, galleries, grille, and tambour, each contributing to the strategic play. [12]
Hobart is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly half of Tasmania's population, Hobart is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-smallest by area after Darwin if territories are taken into account. Its skyline is dominated by the 1,271-metre (4,170 ft) kunanyi / Mount Wellington, and its harbour forms the second-deepest natural port in the world, with much of the city's waterfront consisting of reclaimed land. The metropolitan area is often referred to as Greater Hobart, to differentiate it from the City of Hobart, one of the seven local government areas that cover the city. It has a mild maritime climate.
Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original racquet sport from which the modern game of tennis is derived. It is also known as court tennis in the United States, royal tennis in England and Australia, and courte-paume in France. Many French real tennis courts are at jeu de paume clubs.
The Wrest Point Hotel Casino is a casino in Tasmania. It was Australia's first legal casino, opening in the suburb of Sandy Bay in Hobart, on 10 February 1973.
Davey Street is a major one way street passing through the outskirts of the Hobart City Centre in Tasmania, Australia. Davey street is named after Thomas Davey, the first Governor of Van Diemen's Land. The street forms a one-way couplet with nearby Macquarie Street connecting traffic from the Southern Outlet in the south with traffic from the Tasman Highway to the east and the Brooker Highway to the north of the city. With annual average daily traffic of 37,200, the road is one of the busier streets in Hobart.
Robert Leo Fahey, nicknamed "Bag", is an Australian real tennis player and the former World Champion of the sport, holding the title from 16 March 1994 to 21 May 2016 and again from 28 April 2018 to September 2022. Fahey retired from competitive Real Tennis following his loss to Camden Riviere in the 2022 World Championship.
Hobart College is a government comprehensive senior secondary school located in Mount Nelson, a suburb of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Established in 1913 as Hobart High School, it was later renamed as Hobart Matriculation College in 1965, and subsequently renamed as Hobart College. The college caters for approximately 1,300 students in Years 11 and 12 and is administered by the Department for Education, Children and Young People.
The Derwent Entertainment Centre (DEC), known commercially as MyState Bank Arena since 2021, is Tasmania's largest indoor arena, serving as Hobart's primary location for large indoor sporting events, functions and live entertainment. Commissioned by the Tasmanian Government and the Glenorchy City Council, the DEC served as the home arena for the Hobart Devils in the NBL from 1989 until 1996, when the team's licence was revoked. Subsequently, between 1997 and 1998, ownership was transferred entirely to the City of Glenorchy, where it became a financial burden and incurred significant maintenance expenses for Glenorchy taxpayers, while seeing limited use. As the largest enclosed multipurpose venue in Tasmania, the DEC has hosted many Australian and international musical acts, including Kylie Minogue, Bob Dylan, Carole King, The Corrs, James Brown, Leonard Cohen, Tina Turner, Blondie and The Beach Boys.
TheMercury is a daily newspaper, published in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, by Davies Brothers Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of News Corp Australia, itself a subsidiary of News Corp. The weekend issues of the paper are called Mercury on Saturday and Sunday Tasmanian. The current editor of TheMercury is Craig Herbert.
Australian rules football has been played in Tasmania since the late 1860s. It draws the largest audience for any football code in the state. A 2018 study of internet traffic showed that 79% of Tasmanians are interested in Australian rules football, the highest rate in the country.
Sport is a significant aspect of the culture on the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Outside general recreational activities such as walking, gym or bushwalking, the most popular sports in Tasmania are swimming, athletics/track and field, cycling/mountain biking, golf and Australian rules football. Netball ranks as the most popular team sport for female participation, while cricket leads among male participants. The most widely played team sport is soccer, with an estimated 36,773 Tasmanians, comprising 6.8% of the state’s population, participating annually.
Terence Robert Cashion was an award-winning Australian rules footballer from Tasmania who played numerous representative matches for the state and also played for South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Horace Charles Gorringe was an Australian rules football player in Tasmania, who is considered to have been one of the greatest rovers in the game's history.
Franklin Square is a 1.6-acre (0.63-hectare) oak-lined public square located in the Hobart City Centre in Tasmania, Australia. It is named for Sir John Franklin, an Arctic explorer and former Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land. The centrepiece of the park is a statue of Franklin, with an epitaph written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. As the city's most central urban parkland and transportation hub, Franklin Square is frequently utilised for festive markets, public gatherings and as a place for public protest.
William Holden Walker was an English-born Australian cricketer. As captain of the Tasmanian cricket team, Walker was one of Tasmania's leading cricketers of his time. Known for his all-round capabilities, he was a right-handed batsman and an underarm bowler, as well as keeping wicket. Walker was named in the Cricket Tasmania Premier League's "Team of the Decade" for the decade spanning 1866–67 to 1875–76.
The 2018 Real Tennis World Championship was a real tennis tournament held at the Queen's Club in London, England. 12-time world champion Rob Fahey regained the world title defeating the defending champion Camden Riviere by a score of 7–5.
Barbara Avalon Baker is an Australian barrister and former judge, who is the 29th and current governor of Tasmania since 16 June 2021. She served on the Federal Circuit Court of Australia from 2008 to 2021.
The Avalon Theatre is a historic former Temperance Hall, theatre and cinema in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Léa van der Zwalmen is a French rackets and real tennis player and the current rackets World Champion. She is undefeated in rackets since the inaugural Ladies World Championship in 2015. In real tennis, she represents the Jeu de Paume de Bordeaux in Mérignac, Bordeaux and is women's world number 2. She has contested two World Championship singles finals and has won one Open doubles title. She has previously represented France in junior squash and also plays padel tennis.
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