17 March 2023 | Tennis West

The historic CBH Group Country Championships will celebrate 100 years when hundreds of country tennis players descend at Alexander Park on April 14. Longstanding supporters of country tennis for more than ten years, CBH Group will once again sponsor the Country Tennis Championships.

Over the coming weeks, Tennis West will be looking at the history of Country Week, shinning a light on past winners and influential people who shaped the event.

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For many years after the war, Country Week Carnivals were played at Kings Park and by 1951, a record entry of 263 players from 25 clubs participated. While participation was strong in the adult’s competition, the provision for junior events took time to grow. In 1951, the death of F.S. Goldsmith occurred. Goldsmith had been one of the driving forces in establishing Country Week and the name had been perpetuated by the donation of a cup for the men’s team competition.

Eastern Goldfields would prove the strongest team in the men’s competition after the disruption of the Second World War, winning seven of the first nine years after the War, led by Laurie Quan who won the singles trophy between 1950 and 1956.

In the women’s section, the competition was not so clearly dominated by one team or player although Moora’s Betty Fairclough won the singles from 1948-1950 and helped steer Moora to team wins in 1949 and 1950.

1962 saw controversial administrative initiates undertaken by the Association with the zoning of the country regions. Zones were required to conduct annual general meetings at which Management Committee was to be elected. Each zone was responsible for a range of zone activities such as tournaments, pennants, and junior development.

For a short period in the mid-sixties, Country Week turned into a country fortnight as the annual carnival was held in late January or early February and spread over two weeks. In 1958 and 1959, Safety Bay/Rockingham won the women’s team section as it was still listed as part of country. However shortly after, the metropolitan boundary was extended.

Most of the winners of the Country Week men’s singles made their names in the big smoke. Cliff Fitzpatrick, who won in 1957 was later a ranked player and valuable shield member for the Royal Kings Park Tennis Club. Left-hander Alan Hicks, with victories in 1957 and 1958, had already made his mark on the State scene. John Evans, who won the title in 1961, from the Goldfields went on to later win the prestigious 1968 Champion of Champions event. Henry Ladyman was twice successful, while Ken Harris won three singles medals. Both had represented Western Australia in the Linton Cup, and both achieved senior rankings.

The winners of the Women’s Country Week singles were more inclined to achieve success in Perth than had been the case in the past. Jan Blackburne from Kalgoorlie, while still a junior dominating the schoolgirl championships, won three consecutive titles in 1958, 1959 and 1960. Margaret Enderby (1957), Pam Brand (1961), Mrs Joy Jones (1964) and Mrs Helen Walker (1968) each won the singles title.

List of team winners from 1947 to 1968:

List of singles championship winners from 1947 to 1968: