8 December 2015 | Chris Webster

On the 14th July 1952, just four years after the Queensland Lawn Tennis Umpires Association (QLTUA) was formed a young man named Tom Johnston joined. He umpired a centre court match during the Queensland Open at Milton in November 1952, two months after his 18^th birthday.  That was the start of an officiating career that spanned more than 50 years. During that time Tom was an integral part of officiating not only in Queensland, but throughout Australia. No words can adequately describe the affect Tom had on officiating nationally and on his fellow officials. Tom was always willing to pass on whatever knowledge and experience he could about Umpiring, Refereeing or being a Chief of Umpires. There are many officials around Australia both past and present who learned a lot from Tom.

Let us go back to the beginning and follow some of the highlights of what was an outstanding officiating journey. According to the minutes of the QLTUA, Tom was not present at a meeting held on the 11^th October 1954 to receive his certificate for the successful completion of his Umpires Examination due to the fact that he was doing military training. Tom was a National Serviceman. In his youth Tom was a very good tennis player and was involved in many other sports, but tennis officiating became his passion.

Like most officials Tom started his journey as a Line and Chair Umpire. He became proficient in both and umpired at many Davis Cups and Major Tournaments during the 1950s and 1960s. During that time Tom became involved in the Administration of the Umpires Association. He was a Board Member in 1958, Vice President in 1962 and President from 1963 to 1969. Tom also conducted many lectures on the rules of tennis to umpires and other tennis groups. Tom was the Umpires Representative to the Queensland Lawn Tennis Association (later to become Tennis Queensland) from 1967 to 1978. He was the Honorary Auditor for the QLTUA from 1958 to 1962. He again took on this position in 1970 and remained the Honorary Auditor until 1988. Not limiting himself to Queensland, in 1964 Tom served as the Vice President and in 1966 as the President of the Australian Lawn Tennis Umpires Association (ALTUA). In 1963 Tom received an Honour Badge from the ALTUA.

As Tom moved into the 1970s and beyond he was the Queensland State Referee. Tom officiated as the Referee at virtually every Major Tournament in Queensland for over 30 years from 1969. As tennis administration moved to become more professional so did the officiating. Tom was at the forefront, becoming the first internationally qualified official in Queensland and one of the first in Australia. Tom attended and passed a Men’s International Professional Tennis Council (MIPTC) school in 1983. Tom was instrumental in making sure that Queensland was able to secure many more positions on subsequent schools. Throughout the 1980s Tom conducted many Level 1 International Tennis Federation (ITF) courses. He also attended many training sessions for umpires in Queensland as well as mentoring many of the next generation of tennis officials. He was a very well-respected Evaluator at the Australian Open for many years.

Tom received a 20 year Star from the ALTUA for his Honour Badge in 1988 and was made a Life Member of the QLTUA in 1989. Tom served as a Delegate to the ALTUA from 1985 to 1990 as the Vice President from 1988 to 1990 and as President in 1991 and 1995. The ALTUA would go on to become Tennis Umpires Australia (TUA) with Tom as President in 2003 when the name was again changed to Tennis Officials Australia (TOA).

A few of Tom’s Davis Cups were, 1956 in Adelaide, 1960 in Sydney, 1961 in Melbourne and in 1987 he went to India. Tom also acted as a Supervisor in 1988 at Satellite Circuits in Japan, Taipei, Bangkok and Singapore. He was the Referee in 1991 in Hong Kong. Tom was appointed the Referee for the South Pacific Games which were held in New Guinea in 1991. Tom was happy to travel through South East Asia and pass on his expertise as a Referee and Supervisor.

After Tom finally pulled up stumps (Tom liked cricket as well) on his officiating career, he still attended General Meetings of the Tennis Officials Australia – Queensland Division and was always available to pass on his knowledge and experience on meeting procedures, auditing, officiating and anything else that may be needed from time to time. Tom was present at the meeting in 2015 that resulted in the disbanding of the Tennis Officials Australia Division in Queensland. Tennis officiating was now being looked after by Tennis Australia. Tom had been a member of the Umpires Association in Queensland for 63 years.

It has not been possible to list all of Tom’s achievements over his 50 plus year officiating career and it would need a book to adequately do so. Not only was Tom an outstanding Tennis Official in every facet of officiating and a great mentor to many Tennis Officials, he was a mate. He will be missed by many, but never forgotten by those who knew and loved him.