9 August 2011 | Tennis Queensland

Photo of Reginald ‘The Skipper’ Roe (seated middle with mortarboard) at Oxford University in 1873.

Tennis Queensland was honoured to receive an enchanting anecdote from Dr Charles Roe, regarding his grandfather Reggie Roe and the origins of tennis in Brisbane.

With the roaring success of our Queenslanders on the courts, Dr Charles Roe was eager to share his family connection with the man who brought tennis to the river city in the 1880’s.

 “My grandfather Reginald Heber Roe – (‘Reggie’) – was an Oxford University graduate, and as a young man 26 years old and single, came to Brisbane in 1876 as the appointed headmaster of the Brisbane Grammar School, a position he held for 33 years.

 The Skipper as he was affectionately known, was fully aware of the importance of exercise and sport in the lives of men and women – he had rowed for Oxford as an undergraduate – and immediately formed the B.G.S Rowing Club, started the boys playing Rugby football, and encouraged the Cachet and Athletics teams – all as part of the schools curriculum.

 Reggie kept in touch with his family in England – he was the youngest of 10 brothers and sisters, – and when he got news of the game ‘Lawn Tennis’ (as distinguished from the ancient Real Tennis), he recognised it’s great potential as a game for young and old, a game in which adults and children could compete against and with one another on more or less equal terms.

 So, in about 1885, Reggie sent an order home for a Lawn Tennis Set. A large green box duly arrived. It contained a tennis net, four racquets A, B, C and D, some non-descript balls, and a set of instructions.

 A court was marked out in the old Botanic Gardens at the front of Albert St, and Queensland tennis was on its way. At first relations and friends were invited, taking turns to make a four to put the balls back and forth to one another. (There was generally a rush to grab racquet C which was reckoned better than A, B and D.) But the news of the new game had spread quickly, and competitive nature of the human animal soon appeared in society generally.

 The Skipper had a big hand in starting all organised sport in Brisbane in the 1880’s. A Grammar School team was formed, and adult Brisbane players were invited to play matches against the school. Reggie was a foundation member, and the first President of the Queensland Lawn Tennis Association, probably in 1888 or 1889, – the date is uncertain, as the Q.L.T.A records were lost in the Brisbane flood of 1974.”

Dr Charles Roe was this year’s recipient of the highest commendation, an ORDER OF AUSTRALIA for his service to Medicine, particularly through contributions to the Australian Medical Association Queensland and to the community.

He is also a super-senior player for ages 60 to 85+ Men and was Captain of Queensland Men’s 75/2 team which played in Australian Seniors Teams Championships on Gold Coast in 2010 and in Newcastle in 2001.  He still plays tennis regularly on Gold Coast.