Foreword Intro: Life story of Australian croquet champion Elsie Isabel Baner (1900-1983) who, in her early thirties in late 1933, began to play crouet on a newly-formed lawn adjoining the Ringwood Bowling Club. Within three years, she won the hightly prestigious English Silver Medal (B Class Division) and was immediately upgraded to A Grade. Elsie remained a champion player for the next three decades and was acknowledged by her colleagues as "a legend in her own lifetime. Author, Dr Sue Summers, is the maternal granddaughter of Elsie Isabel Baner and Frederick Thomas Baner. Awarded to the Croquet Australia Hall of Fame on 1st December 2023, for demonstrated leadership and influence in croquet in Australia as a player, coach and mentor.

On the 23rd of October, 2000, the launch of 'Active for Life' Croquet Week was held at Parliament House Victoria. This photo depicts the Minister for Sport & Recreation, the Honourable Justin Madden, the Australian Croquet Champion, Trevor Bassett, and others at the launch.Colour photo of a group of people sitting at a table. In the foreground, there are other people, who have been Photographed from behind. There is a microphone on a stand to the left of the frame.[On the photo, handwritten in blue ink - illegible, due to being covered up by labels] [On a white label, handwritten in black ink] In picture: Minister for Sport & Recreation Honourable Justin Madden Australian Croquet Champion Trevor Bassett at the 'Active for LIfe' Croquet Week Launch Parliament House 23 October 2000 PHOTO 3 [On another white label, handwritten in black ink] Minister for Sport, the Hon Justin Madden, ^and the Australian Croquet Champion, Trevor Bassett, at the 'Active for Life' Croquet Week launch at Parliament House, Oct 2000. [On the same white label, handwritten in red ink] 3 [circled] [Handwritten in black ink, directly onto the photo] Pg 24-3arthritis foundation of victoria, afv, victorian health foundation promotion, vichealth, active for life, croquet week, launch, justin madden, minister for sport and recreation, trevor bassett, australian croquet champion, 2000

In 1999, 'Active for Health' partnerships (funded by VicHealth - the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation) included a partnership with the Victorian Croquet Association. This series of photos were taken at the Victorian Croquet Association's Open Day. This photo depicts George Latham (champion Australian croquet player, croquet coach, and President of the Victorian Croquet Association) on the day.Colour photo of a man wearing a whitle and navy blue track suit jacket and pants. He is standing on a grass croquet court.arthritis foundation of victoria, afv, victorian health foundation promotion, vichealth, active for health, active for life, victorian croquet association, george latham, president, open day, 1999

Ambassadors of the Arthritis Foundation of Victoria's "Give Yourself A Sporting Chance" campaign pose for a photo at the AFV's headquarters in Elsternwick. Pictured are: (back row, from left to right) Neale Fraser (Australian champion tennis player), Pam Ryan Kilborn (sprinter, long jumper, pentathlete, and world record hurdler), and Peter Thomson (Australian champion professional golfer); and (front row, from left to right) John Landy (Australian world record middle-distance runner and, later, Governor of Victoria 2001-2006), and George Latham (champion Australian croquet player, coach, and administrator).Colour photo of five people in a courtyard with two large ferns. Two people are sitting on a park bench and three people are standing behind them, holding up a sign.[On a white label, handwritten in blue ink] Back: Neale Fraser, Pam Ryan (Kilborn) Peter Thomson Front John Landy, George Lathamarthritis foundation of victoria, afv, give yourself a sporting chance, injury prevention, neale fraser, tennis, pam ryan kilborn, hurdler, sprinter, long jumper, pentathlete, peter thomson, golfer, john landy, middle -distance runner, governor of victoria, george latham, crocquet player, coach, administrator, victorian croquet association

Curling at the Glaciarium Mr A G Outhwaite, Mrs Lorna Moffatt-Pender and others, play a game of curling at Melbourne’s Glaciarium, c1933. “Game for Women who are “getting on”!” ran The Herald headline reporting that, “Mrs Moffatt-Pender finds curling a delightful game for the woman who is not quite as young as she was and wants something livelier than croquet. “There is no reason why women should not play up to 50 years of age. And there is always the domestic appeal of the broom which accompanies the curler on ice. Accuracy is the great thing in the game.” Arthur Grenby Outhwaite co-wrote popular “fairy” books, illustrated by his wife, Ida Rentoul Outhwaite. Featured in "Newsworthy: Melbourne in photographs 1933-1936" exhibition at East Melbourne Library, October to December 2023. Exhibition caption by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer.  Photographer notations on slide: "Curling - Glaciarium B42" Description: Mr A G Outhwaite, Mrs Lorna Moffatt-Pender, Mrs S J Allen and two unidentified people play a game of curling at Melbourne Glaciarium. Research by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer: Mr Arthur Grenby Outhwaite was married to Ida Rentoul Outhwaite, who was regarded as Australia’s greatest children’s book illustrator and they, along with Ida’s sister Annie, collaborated on many books about fairies, elves and koalas. Ida designed four beautiful stained glass windows at St Marks Fitzroy, which are still there. Mrs Lorna Moffatt-Pender née Smith was married to Captain Iain Moffatt-Pender, a former Scottish Rugby Union international player and Seaforth Highlander in WWI, before he emigrated to Australia and became a wealthy sheep farmer. They were both keen curlers and participated in the NZ v Australia bonspiels at Melbourne Glaciarium in 1935. According to The Herald 9/4/1934, Mrs Moffatt-Pender wore fur-lined suede moccasins on the ice and found curling to be "a delightful game for the woman who is not quite as young as she was and wants something livelier than croquet. “There is no reason why women should not play up to 50 years of age. And there is always the domestic appeal of the broom which accompanies the curler on ice. There is a good sprinkling of women among curlers overseas. Accuracy is the great thing in the game.”" The Curling Club of Australia was formed in Melbourne in 1933 with Wimbledon Singles Champion 1907 and 1914, Sir Norman Brookes, the inaugural president. It disbanded in 1939. Curling was invented in Scotland in 1541, where the tradition is that the laird and the crofter are the same on the ice and after bonspiels (curling tournaments) everybody adjourn for a meal of beef and greens. Rocks of granite are sourced from the Scottish island of Ailsa Craig and weigh 20 kg each. Curling is similar to lawn bowls, but on ice. Two teams of four people each take turns to slide granite stones towards a target known as a house. The team with the most rocks closest to the centre of the house, scores points. Curling stones are delivered with a pre-determent rotation so that they curl as they travel – hence “curling”. Opposition teams can throw guards to block the house or take out the opponent’s stone. The sweeping is to gently warm the surface of the ice where the stone will glide, to extend the path of the stone. In 1934, an Australian team which included the Moffatt-Penders, travelled to New Zealand to compete in a bonspiel on frozen Idaburn Dam near Oturehua, Central Otago. New Zealand won. In June 1935, for the Melbourne Centenary, the New Zealand team came to Melbourne to compete for the Silver Fern Trophy. They voyaged on the M.S. Wanganella and the crew nicknamed the curlers the “Ladies Hairdressers”. Australia won two tests and the third test was a draw. At the conclusion of the bonspiel, a secret, centuries old initiation was held at a “curlers’ court” at Anzac House with seven Australian curlers initiated. Afterwards, a dinner was held at the Occidental Hotel (corner of Exhibition and Collins streets, demolished 1950s), where the haggis was carried in under an archway of curling brooms. The “Ode to the Haggis” was recited by “My Lord of the Court”, Captain Moffatt-Pender before he presented each New Zealand team member with a miniature curling stone as a souvenir of their visit. The Melbourne Glaciarium (also known as "The Glaci" or "The Glassy") opened in 1906 at 16 City Road, South Melbourne and was the third largest ice rink in the world at the time. There was seating for 2000 people which was heated with hot water pipes, and they could hire out 1500 pairs of skates. Up to 5000 people could attend hockey matches and ice sports carnivals at any one time. Patrons could watch films in summer or dance to the Glaciarium’s own orchestra conducted by Frank Bladen, who had played with the Pavlova and the Gilbert and Sullivan orchestras. In 1911 John Sousa, creator of the Sousaphone, and his band played a season of concerts. In 1924, the Glaciarium was turned into a makeshift film studio for filming of the interior scenes of "Jewelled Nights", starring Australian actress Louise Lovely, who had achieved success in Hollywood. The basketball and gymnastic competitions for the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games were held there. Public skating sessions always finished with “Till we Meet Again”, a popular WWI song about the parting of a soldier and his sweetheart, written by Richard A Whiting and Raymond B Egan. The Glaciarium closed in 1959 and was demolished after a fire in 1963. References: WOMAN CURLER RETURNS (1934, April 9). The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 14. Retrieved September 14, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article243253779 CURLERS INITIATED (1935, June 24). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 4. Retrieved February 2, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12251790 Melbourne Glaciarium, Only Melbourne, https://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/melbourne-glaciarium Melbourne Glaciarium, Legends of Australian Ice, https://icelegendsaustralia.com/glaciariums.htmlPhotographer notations on slide: "Curling - Glaciarium B42".curling, 1930-1939, glaciarium, fires

Sports Clubs in Kew in the final decades of the 19th century and in the early 20th century were often umbrella organisations with facilities for a number of sports. Typically in Kew, this included teams in lawn bowls, tennis and croquet. The Kew Bowling Club was formed in 1880 while the privately owned Auburn Heights Recreation Club was opened in 1904. By 1998, the two Clubs decided to amalgamate at the Auburn Heights site in Barkers Road, forming the Kew Heights Sports Club. The combined club was itself taken over by the Melbourne Cricket Club in 2012 becoming MCC Kew Sports Club. In 2017 MCC Kew closed and its landholding was subsequently sold to Carey Baptist Grammar School. Both the Kew and Auburn Heights Clubs assembled important collections. These historically significant and large collections were donated to the Society in 2020. The collections include manuscripts, pictures, trophies, plans, honour boards etc. References Barnard FGA 1910, 'Sports and Pastimes' in Jubilee History of Kew Victoria: Its origin & progress 1803-1910. Chapman J & C 1999, The history of the Auburn Heights Recreation Club, 1904 to 1908. Reeve S 2012, City of Boroondara: Thematic Environmental History, p.216.The combined collections of the four sporting clubs making up the collection number hundreds of items that are historically significant locally. They are also significant to the sporting history of the greater Melbourne area and to the sports of lawn bowls and tennis in Australia in the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection illuminates two of the Victorian historic themes - 'Building community life' through forming community organisations and 'Shaping cultural and creative life' by participating in sport and recreation.Large wooden honour board listing the Presidents & Bowls Champions of the Auburn Heights Recreation Club from 1906 to 1966. [The item is part of the large historic Auburn Heights Recreation Club collection, including items relating to the sports of lawn bowls, tennis and croquet, gifted to the Kew Historical Society in 2020].clubs - lawn bowls - kew (vic), auburn heights recreation club - barkers road - kew (vic), honour boards

Sports Clubs in Kew in the final decades of the 19th century and in the early 20th century were often umbrella organisations with facilities for a number of sports. Typically in Kew, this included teams in lawn bowls, tennis and croquet. The Kew Bowling Club was formed in 1880 while the privately owned Auburn Heights Recreation Club was opened in 1904. By 1998, the two Clubs decided to amalgamate at the Auburn Heights site in Barkers Road, forming the Kew Heights Sports Club. The combined club was itself taken over by the Melbourne Cricket Club in 2012 becoming MCC Kew Sports Club. In 2017 MCC Kew closed and its landholding was subsequently sold to Carey Baptist Grammar School. Both the Kew and Auburn Heights Clubs assembled important collections. These historically significant and large collections were donated to the Society in 2020. The collections include manuscripts, pictures, trophies, plans, honour boards etc. References Barnard FGA 1910, 'Sports and Pastimes' in Jubilee History of Kew Victoria: Its origin & progress 1803-1910. Chapman J & C 1999, The history of the Auburn Heights Recreation Club, 1904 to 1908. Reeve S 2012, City of Boroondara: Thematic Environmental History, p.216.The combined collections of the four sporting clubs making up the collection number hundreds of items that are historically significant locally. They are also significant to the sporting history of the greater Melbourne area and to the sports of lawn bowls and tennis in Australia in the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection illuminates two of the Victorian historic themes - 'Building community life' through forming community organisations and 'Shaping cultural and creative life' by participating in sport and recreation.Large honour board listing the male and female 'champions' of the tennis club between 1926 and 1967. [The item forms part of the large historic Auburn Heights Recreation Club collection, with items relating to the sports of lawn bowls, tennis and croquet, gifted to the Kew Historical Society in 2020].auburn heights recreation club - barkers road - kew (vic), clubs - tennis - kew (vic)

Sports Clubs in Kew in the final decades of the 19th century and in the early 20th century were often umbrella organisations with facilities for a number of sports. Typically in Kew, this included teams in lawn bowls, tennis and croquet. The Kew Bowling Club was formed in 1880 while the privately owned Auburn Heights Recreation Club was opened in 1904. By 1998, the two Clubs decided to amalgamate at the Auburn Heights site in Barkers Road, forming the Kew Heights Sports Club. The combined club was itself taken over by the Melbourne Cricket Club in 2012 becoming MCC Kew Sports Club. In 2017 MCC Kew closed and its landholding was subsequently sold to Carey Baptist Grammar School. Both the Kew and Auburn Heights Clubs assembled important collections. These historically significant and large collections were donated to the Society in 2020. The collections include manuscripts, pictures, trophies, plans, honour boards etc. References Barnard FGA 1910, 'Sports and Pastimes' in Jubilee History of Kew Victoria: Its origin & progress 1803-1910. Chapman J & C 1999, The history of the Auburn Heights Recreation Club, 1904 to 1908. Reeve S 2012, City of Boroondara: Thematic Environmental History, p.216.The combined collections of the four sporting clubs making up the collection number hundreds of items that are historically significant locally. They are also significant to the sporting history of the greater Melbourne area and to the sports of lawn bowls and tennis in Australia in the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection illuminates two of the Victorian historic themes - 'Building community life' through forming community organisations and 'Shaping cultural and creative life' by participating in sport and recreation.Wooden honour board with gilt lettering, listing the Auburn Heights Ladies' Lawn Bowling Club Presidents, Secretaries and Champions from 1933 to 1967. [The item forms part of the large historic Auburn Heights Recreation Club collection, with items relating to the sports of lawn bowls, tennis and croquet, gifted to the Kew Historical Society in 2020].auburn heights recreation club - barkers road - kew (vic), auburn heights ladies' bowling club - barkers road - kew (vic), honour boards

Sports Clubs in Kew in the final decades of the 19th century and in the early 20th century were often umbrella organisations with facilities for a number of sports. Typically in Kew, this included teams in lawn bowls, tennis and croquet. The Kew Bowling Club was formed in 1880 while the privately owned Auburn Heights Recreation Club was opened in 1904. By 1998, the two Clubs decided to amalgamate at the Auburn Heights site in Barkers Road, forming the Kew Heights Sports Club. The combined club was itself taken over by the Melbourne Cricket Club in 2012 becoming MCC Kew Sports Club. In 2017 MCC Kew closed and its landholding was subsequently sold to Carey Baptist Grammar School. Both the Kew and Auburn Heights Clubs assembled important collections. These historically significant and large collections were donated to the Society in 2020. The collections include manuscripts, pictures, trophies, plans, honour boards etc. References Barnard FGA 1910, 'Sports and Pastimes' in Jubilee History of Kew Victoria: Its origin & progress 1803-1910. Chapman J & C 1999, The history of the Auburn Heights Recreation Club, 1904 to 1908. Reeve S 2012, City of Boroondara: Thematic Environmental History, p.216.The combined collections of the four sporting clubs making up the collection number hundreds of items that are historically significant locally. They are also significant to the sporting history of the greater Melbourne area and to the sports of lawn bowls and tennis in Australia in the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection illuminates two of the Victorian historic themes - 'Building community life' through forming community organisations and 'Shaping cultural and creative life' by participating in sport and recreation.Wooden panel listing the Mixed Doubles Champions of the Auburn Heights Tennis Club between 1983 and 1991. The perpetual trophy was named to honour Fred and Dorothea Wall. [The item forms part of the large historic Auburn Heights Recreation Club collection, with items relating to the sports of lawn bowls, tennis and croquet, gifted to the Kew Historical Society in 2020].auburn heights tennis club - barkers road - kew (vic), auburn heights tennis club - trophies