The first international Australian Women's Golf Championship was held August to September 1935 at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Black Rock, Victoria. Visiting players from England, Scotland and Ireland dominated the competition. British golfers included Pamela Barton, Phyllis Wade, Jessie Anderson, Mrs Walter Greenlees and Mrs J B Walker. Australian competitors included Katherine Rymill, Betty Nankivell, Betty Sale (MBE), Janet Gardiner, Leonora Wray (MBE), Mrs Sloan Morpeth (née Susie Tolhurst), Mrs Clive Robinson (née Christina “Nin” McMaster), Joan Hood Hammond (DBE CMG), Mrs T S McKay (née Odette Lefebvre) and Mona Macleod. Mrs J B Walker of Britain defeated Mrs Sloan Morpeth of Victoria in the final, before a gallery of 2,000, mostly women. golf, royal melbourne golf club, women golfers, 1930-1939golf, royal melbourne golf club, women golfers, 1930-1939

20 year old Scot, Jessie Anderson, practises her putting at Royal Melbourne Golf Course. The press speculated that her heavily bandaged wrist was “a sprained wrist, occasioned through an argument with her luggage”, “a poisoned hand” and, the most likely reason, “sprained at practise”. 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: "England Anderson Miss B98" Description: Female golfer putting. She is wearing two-tone brogue shoes, a hand-knitted cardigan, beret and skirt. Her left wrist is bandaged. Research by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer: 20 year old Jessie Anderson photographed at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club with a heavily bandaged left wrist. She was part of the British golf team who competed in the Australian Women’s Golf Championship at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in 1935. The press speculated that Jessie had a “sprained wrist, occasioned through an argument with her luggage”, “a poisoned hand” and the most likely reason – “sprained her wrist at practise”. She was defeated in the first round by Victorian, Miss Mona MacLeod. Janet "Jessie" Anderson (1915-2006) was a Scottish golf champion, nicknamed “Wee Jessie” for her small stature. She was also nicknamed “Fairway Maid of Perth”, a play on Sir Walter Scott’s “Fair Maid of Perth”. In 1937, Jessie was the world’s number one ranking woman golfer. Her main wins included the British Women's Amateur Championship (1937, 1955, 1958), the Scottish Women's Amateur Championship (1938, 1939, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1958), the New Zealand Women's Golf Championship (1935) and the French Women's Golf Tournament (1936). Jessie was part of the British golf team who competed in the Australian Women’s Golf Championship against an Australian team at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in 1935, which the British team won. The Australian press said, “Hats off to the British women, sparkle, sportsmanship and the fighting spirit that thrills, they had the last word.” Jessie’s father, Joe, a pro-golfer, owned a sports equipment store in St John’s Street, Perth and he designed and manufactured golf clubs under the OK brand. Jessie designed golf clubs especially for women. In 1939 Jessie became engaged to George Valentine. In 1940, George enlisted in the British army and Jessie in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), the women’s branch of the British Army, driving army ambulances. George was a POW at Eichstat, Germany, and they were unable to marry until he was freed in 1945. Jessie continued to play championship golf until 1960. They had one son, Francis Iain, born 1948. Jessie was awarded the MBE for services to golf in 1959. She was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2019, Perth Museum and Art Gallery held a retrospective exhibition of her life and career. A biography, “Wee Jessie: Jessie Valentine, whose golf swing lasted a lifetime” by Dr Eve Soulsby, was published in 2019. Photographer notations on slide: "England Anderson Miss B98".golf, women golfers, royal melbourne golf club

In 1937, Miss Jessie Anderson (1915-2006) was the world’s number one ranking women’s golfer. She had been playing golf since she was five years old and designed golf clubs especially for women. During WWII, Jessie enlisted in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) driving army ambulances, and her fiancée George Valentine, was a POW in Eichstat, Germany. They married once he was freed, in 1945. Jessie was awarded the MBE for services to golf in 1959. Featured in "Newsworthy: Melbourne in photographs 1933-1936" exhibition at East Melbourne Library, October to December 2023. Exhibition caption by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer. Research by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer: Janet "Jessie" Anderson (1915-2006) was a Scottish golf champion, nicknamed “Wee Jessie” for her small stature. She was also nicknamed “Fairway Maid of Perth”, a play on Sir Walter Scott’s “Fair Maid of Perth”. In 1937, Jessie was the world’s number one ranking woman golfer. Her main wins included the British Women's Amateur Championship (1937, 1955, 1958), the Scottish Women's Amateur Championship (1938, 1939, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1958), the New Zealand Women's Golf Championship (1935) and the French Women's Golf Tournament (1936). Jessie was part of the British golf team who competed in the Australian Women’s Golf Championship against an Australian team at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in 1935, which the British team won. The Australian press said, “Hats off to the British women, sparkle, sportsmanship and the fighting spirit that thrills, they had the last word.” Jessie’s father, Joe, a pro-golfer, owned a sports equipment store in St John’s Street, Perth and he designed and manufactured golf clubs under the OK brand. Jessie designed golf clubs especially for women. In 1939 Jessie became engaged to George Valentine. In 1940, George enlisted in the British army and Jessie in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), the women’s branch of the British Army, driving army ambulances. George was a POW at Eichstat, Germany, and they were unable to marry until he was freed in 1945. Jessie continued to play championship golf until 1960. They had one son, Francis Iain, born 1948. Jessie was awarded the MBE for services to golf in 1959. She was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2019, Perth Museum and Art Gallery held a retrospective exhibition of her life and career. A biography, “Wee Jessie: Jessie Valentine, whose golf swing lasted a lifetime” by Dr Eve Soulsby, was published in 2019.Photographer notations on slide: "Miss Anderson - English B98"golf, women golfers, royal melbourne golf club

Women’s Golf Championship In August 1935, the Australian Women’s Golf Championship was held at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Black Rock, featuring visiting British golfers Pamela Barton, Phyllis Wade, Jessie Anderson, Mrs Walter Greenlees and Mrs J B Walker. Australian competitors included Katherine Rymill, Betty Nankivell, Betty Sale (MBE), Janet Gardiner, Leonora Wray (MBE), Mrs Sloan Morpeth (née Susie Tolhurst), Mrs Clive Robinson (née Christina “Nin” McMaster), Joan Hood Hammond (DBE CMG), Mrs T S McKay (née Odette Lefebvre) and Mona Macleod. Mrs J B Walker of Britain defeated Mrs Sloan Morpeth of Victoria in the final, before a gallery of 2,000, mostly women. The women watch on… 18 year-old Miss Pamela Barton of England is teeing off at the ninth hole, watched by her competitor Miss Janet Gardiner of Queensland and a gallery of intensely focussed spectators. Both women went on to have diverse, non-sporting careers. During the Blitz and the Battle of Britain, Pam Barton (1917-1943) drove ambulances before joining the WAAF as a radio operator. Later she gained a commission as a Flight Officer in command of a staff of 600. In 1943, Pam was killed instantly when the RAF plane piloted by her unofficial fiancée crashed in heavy weather. The Pam Barton Memorial Salver is awarded to the winner of the British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship. The inscription reads “In Affectionate Memory of Pam Barton”. During WWII, Janet Gardiner (Mrs Jobson-Scott, 1907-1987) began manufacturing liquid hosiery at the Red Cross Link rooms as a fundraiser. Donated oyster bottles were used and they charged 2/6 for four ounces. However, in April 1942, in a broadcast to the women of Australia, the Minister for War Organisation of Industry, Mr Dedman, announced that leg make-up preparations were now a prohibited item. They contained titanium oxide, an essential ingredient in the manufacture of paints used for camouflaging military equipment. Other items of a woman’s “battle array” such as nail lacquer, some creams and suntan lotions were also banned as they contained ingredients used in munitions and medical supplies. Featured in "Newsworthy: Melbourne in photographs 1933-1936" exhibition at East Melbourne Library, October to December 2023. Exhibition caption by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer. Published: The Age 30 August 1935 WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF AT ROYAL MELBOURNE (1935, August 30). The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne, Vic. : 1922 - 1954; 1956), p. 35. Retrieved October 10, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article277093639Photographer notations on slide: "Vic Women's Ch'ship 1935 B98".golf, women golfers, royal melbourne golf club

Stylishly dressed in trilby, neck-tie and leather belt, champion Adelaidian golfer Katherine Rymill practises her drive at Royal Melbourne Golf Course. Katherine Rymill (1913-2008) won the Royal Adelaide championships in 1934, 1935 and 1937. Commenting on the NSW “no stockings” controversy of 1935, she said, “In England, players are allowed to appear without stockings in summer and to wear “slacks” in the winter… Playing without stockings makes no difference to one’s performance and it is certainly cooler...” Katherine worked for the Red Cross during WWII and continued to play golf throughout her life. MCK116 Published The Age 29 August 1935 Featured in "Newsworthy: Melbourne in photographs 1933-1936" exhibition at East Melbourne Library, October to December 2023. Exhibition caption by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer. Published: The Age 29 August 1935 p. 11 Published title: SIX STATE CHAMPIONS IN NATIONAL GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP. Published caption: Six State champions for the first time in the history of women’s golf are competing in the matches for the Australian title. — 1. Miss B. Sale (Tas.). 2. Miss J. Hood-Hammond (N.S.W.). 3. Miss J. Gardiner (Qld,) 4. Miss K. Rymill (S.A.). 5. Mrs. O. J. Negus (W.A.). 6. Mrs. S. Morpeth (Vic.) RESEARCHER'S NOTE: The Age listed Golfer 1 as Miss B. Sale and Golfer 4 as Miss K. Rymill. We verified that these should in fact be the other way around: 1 is Miss K. Rymill, 4 is Miss B. Sale. Description: Action shot of woman driving golf ball Research by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer: MISS KATHERINE LUCY RYMILL (1913–2008) Katherine was a champion South Australian golfer. She won the Royal Adelaide championships in 1934, 1935 and 1937. She competed in the Australian Women’s Golf Championships at Royal Melbourne in 1935 against British women golfers and was eliminated by Mrs T S McKay nee Odette Lebebvre. Katherine was from a prominent and wealthy Adelaide family and her social activities and golfing career was closely followed in the local papers. Her mother, Shylee Rymill, was the S.A. Girl Guides’ Commissioner from 1935-1950. Her father H.L. (Cargie) Rymill grew up in a Dutch Renaissance style mansion called “The Firs” in East Terrace, Adelaide (now called Rymill House and State heritage listed), and designed Kooyonga, Seaton, Grange, Glenelg and Mount Lofty golf courses. Both parents were champion golfers and have tournaments named after them. Katherine worked for the Red Cross during WWII. In 1935, for the first time in NSW, the Ladies Golf Union (L.G.V.) enforced their rule regarding the wearing of stockings in official associates’ golf matches. Though the Long Reef competitor’s long skirt and golf socks almost hid her sun-tanned legs from view, an eagle-eyed official had noticed the absence of regulation covering and she and her partner were disqualified. Commenting on the Long Reef “no stockings” controversy, Katherine said “In England, players are allowed to appear without stockings in summer and to wear “slacks” in the winter.” “Playing without stockings makes no difference to one’s performance and it is certainly cooler. However, rules which are formed must be obeyed and that seems all there is to say about it.” Katherine continued to play golf throughout her life and died in 2008.Photographer notations on slide: "Vic Womens Golf Ch'ship 1935 B98".golf, women golfers, royal melbourne golf club

Betty Sale (1905-1976) won the Tasmanian State Championship in 1934, 1935 and 1936. She also worked as a car saleswoman in Hobart. In 1939, London reported: “Betty Sale, pretty Tasmanian brunette, will soon leave England for Finland, where she will drive an ambulance behind the Mannerheim Line. With twenty-three English society girls, she volunteered for the job because she wanted to do something for the brave Finns.” Betty volunteered for First Aid Nursing Yeomanry Service (F.A.N.Y.), conveying refugees and casualties to hospitals by ambulance in Finland’s harsh weather. Back in England, as a corporal, she worked during bombings in Plymouth, writing to her brother: “Bombs were dropping all around us, fires are raging, debris everywhere and huge holes around us. When we had got all the live ones, we went and collected dead bodies.” Betty was awarded an MBE and the Winter War Medal for Civilians from Finland Government 1939-40. MCK142 Published The Age 29 August 1935 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: "Vic. Women's Golf Ch'ship 1935 B98" Published: The Age 29 August 1935 p. 11 Published title: SIX STATE CHAMPIONS IN NATIONAL GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP. Published caption: Six State champions for the first time in the history of women’s golf are competing in the matches for the Australian title. — 1. Miss B. Sale (Tas.). 2. Miss J. Hood-Hammond (N.S.W.). 3. Miss J. Gardiner (Qld,) 4. Miss K. Rymill (S.A.). 5. Mrs. O. J. Negus (W.A.). 6. Mrs. S. Morpeth (Vic.) RESEARCHER'S NOTE: The Age listed Golfer 1 as Miss B. Sale and Golfer 4 as Miss K. Rymill. We verified that these should in fact be the other way around: 1 is Miss K. Rymill, 4 is Miss B. Sale. Description: Action shot of woman driving golf ball Research by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer: MISS BETTY SALE Mrs Margaret Elizabeth Scott Rigg (1905-1976) MBE Betty Sale grew up in Hobart and attended St Michael’s Collegiate School. She was a champion Tasmania golfer and won the State Championship in 1934, 1935, 1936. Betty competed in the Australian Women’s Golf Championship at Royal Melbourne against the British Women’s Team in 1935. Betty worked as a car saleswoman at Robert Nettleford Pty Ltd at 113 Macquarie Street, Hobart. They were the agent for Austin, Buick, Chevrolet and Vauxhall. In April 1939, Betty sailed on the RMS Orford to London where she worked in sales for Henley’s, an exclusive motor sales firm. In November 1939 she volunteered for the Woman’s Transport Arm of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry Service (F.A.N.Y.) and was part of the team delivering 10 ambulances to Finland, which had been invaded by the Soviet Union. Betty worked conveying refugees and military casualties to military hospitals, often over tracks with only sleigh marks to guide them. Despite contracting measles she continued to work tirelessly, often for 22-hour shifts. She was awarded the Finland Winter War medal 1939-1940 for civilians by Field-Marshall Mannerheim (later President of Finland). Betty was quoted in the Australian Women’s Weekly 17/1/1940: “I joined the ambulance corp for Finland because I was filled with admiration for the courage and determination of the Finns. I don’t think that there has ever been anything so dramatic in history as the manner in which Finland, a land of 4,000,000 people has resisted the aggression of the teeming millions of Russians.” After six months working in Finland, the FANYs found themselves held up unable to get aid from Britain to escape and they felt a burden on the Finns. Eventually money was sent privately from a neutral country and the 17 FANYs determined to get away. They set off from Helsinki with only the civilian clothes they were wearing and travelled by train and bus to a northern port where they boarded a cargo vessel. For a fortnight they did not change their clothes and slept under tarpaulins in the hatchway. The only choice of food was porridge or pea soup. After two weeks aboard the cargo vessel, a palatial liner approached the ship and in mid-ocean the FANYs were transhipped by rope ladders. The women enjoyed three course meals and other luxuries for three days before arriving back in England. Betty, now a corporal, worked for two years transporting civilian and military casualties during bombings in Plymouth. In a letter to her brother, Mr J Sale of Gerogery NSW, Betty wrote, “We have had a very lively time here as we have been blitzed for two nights. There is literally nothing of Plymouth left. We were out all the first night with the ambulance collecting casualties and have never seen such injuries. Bombs were dropping all around us, fires were raging, debris everywhere, and huge holes in the roads. When we had got all the live ones, we went and collected dead bodies. The people are marvellous.” “Next night, we had a worse blitz. We were not out so long but it was not a pleasant party. I didn’t know I was so brave but could not stand it too long. Mr Menzies was here for the second night’s blitz. We have adopted a homeless and hurt dog – a raid victim – and the poor fellow is completely exhausted.” In 1942, Betty worked in Algeria in charge of 100 specialists and technicians - the first servicewomen to arrive in North Africa. In 1945, she was awarded an MBE in recognition and on behalf of the work this unit was involved in. In 1945, Betty was promoted to Captain and posted to Australia to establish a Signal Station. In 1946, she married Lt-Col H. Henry O. Rigg of the Royal Artillery in Tasmania. The couple had first met in Algeria in 1943. The Australian press closely followed Betty’s wartime activities praising her courage, capability, driving and mechanical knowledge and of course Australian women’s hardiness. After the war, Betty lived in Sheffield, England with her husband, working as an office manager. She continued to play golf until her death aged 71 in 1976.Photographer notations on slide: "Vic. Women's Golf Ch'ship 1935 B98".golf, women golfers, royal melbourne golf club

Miss Leonora “Leo” Wray MBE Leonora “Leo” Wray (1886-1979) was a champion NSW golfer, regarded as the “mother” of Australian golf. She won state and national titles multiple times across three decades. The Leonora Wray Trophy is awarded to the No. 1 player in Australia in national stroke average. Regarding her golf game Leo remarked, “Never a chance thrown away, or a single shot played without a definite object.” She was said to be commanding in “stature and mien” – a raconteur with a deep, booming voice who inspired in young players “a mixture of fear and awe, respect and affection”. In 1909 she contracted typhoid fever and was unable to play for 10 years. She was awarded an MBE in 1968 for her services to golf and inducted into the Sport Australian Hall of Fame in 1985. 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: "Miss Wray. Vic Women's Ch'ship B98" Description: Golfer Leonora Wray swings her driver. She is wearing a tiepin and cufflinks. Research by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer: Leonora Wray AKA “Leo” was a champion NSW golfer who is regarded as the “Mother” of Australian women’s golf. She won the NSW State Championships (1906, 1907, 1908) and the Australian title (1907, 1908). In 1909 she contracted typhoid fever and was unable to play for 10 years. Leonora regained the national title in 1929 and the NSW Championship in 1930. She was the champion women’s player of the Australian club ten times between 1907 and 1938 and five times champion at the Royal Sydney Golf Club between 1924 and 1933. She competed in the Australian Women’s Golf Championship at Royal Melbourne against the British team in 1935. During WWII, Leonora worked for the ANZAC Buffet Ladies Auxiliary in Hyde Park, Sydney. Regarding her golf game, she remarked, “Never a chance thrown away, or a single shot played without a definite object.” Leo was said to be commanding in “stature and mien” – a raconteur with a deep, booming voice who inspired in young players “a mixture of fear and awe, respect and affection.” Her portrait by Henry Hanke is held by the Australian Golf Club. Women’s Golf NSW holds its annual Leonora Wray Scratch Teams event and the Leonora Wray Trophy is awarded to the No. 1 player in Australia in national stroke average. In 1968 she was awarded an MBE for her services to women’s golf. In 1985 Leo was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.Photographer notations on slide: "Miss Wray. Vic Women's Ch'ship B98".golf, women golfers, royal melbourne golf club

Dr Elizabeth “Betty” Nankivell (1907-2003), later Mrs Forward, graduated in 1937 from Melbourne University with a degree in medicine. She worked at Queen Victoria and Royal Adelaide Hospitals. During WWII, she practised medicine in Morwell, and in 1945 joined the Royal Australian Army Medical Corp (R.A.A.M.C.). Betty lived and worked in many South East Asian countries, including 10 years of private practise in Kuala Lumpur, before retiring in 1970 to live in Melbourne. Photographer notations on slide: "Vic Women's Golf Ch'ship B98" Published: The Age 3 September 1935 p. 7 Published title: "EXCITING GOLF DUEL." Published caption: MISS B. NANKIVELL, whose victory over Miss Pam Barton was the outstanding feature of the play in the Australian Championship yesterday. Trove article identifier: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203852987 Description: Action shot of golfer Betty Nankivell putting on golf course. She wears a checked cardigan, straight skirt, stockings, heeled shoes and a tie, no hat. The clubhouse structure is blurred in the background. Research by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer: Dr Elizabeth “Betty” Nankivell, Mrs Forward Betty Nankivell (1907 – 2003) was a champion Victorian golfer and medical doctor. She competed in the Australian Women’s Golf Championship at Royal Melbourne in 1935 against the visiting British Team. She eliminated 18 year old British champion Pam Barton, but was defeated by the eventual winner of the tournament, Mrs J B Walker in the semi finals. In 1938, Betty won the SA Golf Championships at Kooyonga SA. Betty graduated from Melbourne University with a degree in medicine in 1937 and worked at Queen Victoria Hospital and at Royal Adelaide Hospital as R.M.O. (Resident Medical Officer). During the war years, Betty practised medicine in Morwell, Victoria, and in 1945 joined the R.A.A.M.C. (Royal Australian Army Medical Corp) for the Malaya Medical Service. In 1946, she married Alan Forward OBE, a Colonel in the British Army and later the Commissioner of Road Transport in Malaya, and lived and worked in many S E Asian countries including 10 years in private practice in Kuala Lumpur. Betty continued to play golf throughout her life, retiring in 1970, and died in Melbourne in 2003. Sources: Melbourne University: Journal of the University of Melbourne Medical Society: vol. 2, no. 1Photographer notations on slide: "Miss Nankivell B98".golf, women golfers, royal melbourne golf club

Mrs Clive Robinson, née Christina “Nin” McMaster Smartly attired in fedora and lace-up highland dancing style shoes, Australian Team Captain Mrs Clive Robinson’s tartan kick pleat skirt flies up as she practises her swing. Mrs Clive “Nin” Robinson (1985-1971) was a NSW golf champion. Raised on a 5,000 acre sheep station, during WWII she drove a charcoal burning truck and cooked for the forces at Air Force House. 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: "Mrs Robinson B98" Published: The Age 27 August 1935 p. 6 Published title: Golf Championships Begin. Published caption: A galaxy of champions will take part in the Australian Women's Golf Championship tomorrow. Three are shown here. Below — Mrs. C. Robinson, national champion. On the right — Miss J. Hood Hammond, champion of New South Wales and Miss Gardiner, Queensland champion. Trove article identifier: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203984927 Description: Female golfer teeing off. She is wearing a hat, cardigan, tartan skirt and "Highland dancing" style shoes. Blurred spectators can be seen in the background. Research by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer: Mrs Clive Robinson née Christina Jeanie McMaster, known as "Nin" Mrs Clive Robinson (1895-1971) was a NSW golf champion. She won the Australian Women's amateur golf championship in 1934. Nin was captain of the team who won the Tasman Cup against New Zealand in 1934. She was the captain of the Australian team who competed against the visiting British women’s team in the Australian Women's Golf Championship in 1935 at Royal Melbourne. In 1936 Nin won the NSW Ladies Championship. Nin was raised by parents Mr and Mrs John McMaster on an 8000 acre sheep station called "Weetalabah” near Coolah, 135 kilometres northeast of Dubbo NSW. In 1923 she married Dr. Clive Robinson, a Macquarie Street specialist, and they lived in Point Piper with their daughter Diana. During WWII Nin drove a charcoal burning truck and cooked for the forces at Air Force House. She died of leukemia in 1971. Note: Highland dancing style of shoesPhotographer notations on slide: "Mrs Robinson B98".golf, women golfers, royal melbourne golf club

Mrs Sloan Morpeth, née Claire “Susie” Tolhurst From her trilby with golf tee sensibly tucked in the brim, to her hand knitted socks and fringed brogues, Susie looks the golf champion she was. Susie (1905-1999) won the Victorian Ladies' Amateur Championship five times between 1919 and 1936. She was defeated in the 1935 Women’s Golf Championship final by Mrs J B Walker of Britain. In 2012, Golf Victoria introduced the Women’s Champions Trophy, renamed in 2016 to the Susie Tolhurst Trophy. Her husband, Mr Sloan Morpeth, designed the Commonwealth, Peninsula Kingswood Country Club and Portsea Golf Clubs. 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: "Vic Women's Golf Ch'ship B98" Description: Golfer Susie Tolhurst putting. She wears a hat, tie, skirt, cardigan, handknitted socks and brogues. She also has a golf tee tucked into her hatband. Research by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer: Mrs Sloan Morpeth née Claire Helene Susie Tolhurst (known as Susie) Susie Tolhurst (1905-1999) was a champion Victorian golfer. Susie was the winner of the Ladies Amateur Championships five times between 1915 and 1936. She held the Australian title in 1930, 1931. Susie competed in the Australian Women’s Golf Championship at Royal Melbourne in 1935 against the British Women’s Team. She made the final but was defeated by Mrs J B Walker of Britain. The Golf Victoria competition for women held the Susie Tolhurst Trophy. In 1934 Susie Tolhurst married NZ Open Championship golfer Mr Sloan Morpeth. He later designed Peninsula - Kingswood Country Golf Course, Portsea Golf Course and Commonwealth Golf Course. They had one daughter, Simone.Photographer notations on slide: "Vic Women's Golf Ch'ship 1935 B98".golf, women golfers, royal melbourne golf club

Mrs T S McKay, née Odette Lefebvre “Killara Amazon who drives like a man, smiles like a school girl and dresses like a picture” – Smiths Weekly 22 July 1933 In 1934, the Ladies Golf Union of NSW introduced a rule forbidding women not wearing stockings from competing in games under their control. Rather than wear stockings, Odette Lefebvre (1910-1991) withdrew from her team causing a media stir. She subsequently agreed to wear stockings for any NSW game she wished to play in. She said that a player had every right to dress as she wished, providing it did not offend modesty. She found it more comfortable to play without stockings. 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: "Golf Ch'ship Mrs McKay B98" Description: Female golfer teeing off with 3 wood, wearing beret, cardigan, straight skirt, ankle socks, sensible shoes. Blurred spectators are visible in the background. Research by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer: Mrs T S McKay, née Odette Lefebvre (1910-1991), was a NSW champion golfer. She won the NSW Women’s Championship 1931, 1933. Odette competed in the Australian Women’s Golf Championship at Royal Melbourne against the British Women’s Team in 1935. She was defeated by Mrs Sloan Morpeth nee Susie Tolhurst in the semifinals. A tall, willowy, beautiful brunette with a winning smile and sparkly blue eyes and exotically of French origin, the press reported the outdoor sports loving young woman’s social and golf activities closely. In 1933 (27/7/1933), the Smith’s Weekly headline ran “Drives like a man but is a real girl – always”. The article called her the “Killara Amazon who drives like a man, smiles like a school girl and dresses like a picture”. In 1934, the Ladies Golf Union of NSW introduced a rule forbidding women without stockings to compete in games within their control. Rather than wear stockings, Odette withdrew from her team, causing a media stir. She subsequently agreed to wear stockings for any game she was keen to play in. She said that a player had every right to dress as she wished, providing it did not offend modesty. She found it more comfortable to play without stockings. Fellow women golfers were sympathetic to the non-stocking brigade. Mrs J J Hollywood, president of the Maitland Golf Club Associates said, “What a storm in a teacup over nothing! As if a pair of stockings could possibly make all the difference to a person’s game. However, I think the mosquitoes settle that question for the L.G.V. in the North”, she added with a laugh. (Newcastle Sun 5/5/1934) Acting president of the Victorian Women’s Golf Union, Mrs J B Bellair, said, “It is much warmer in Sydney than here and must be more comfortable without stockings. Miss Lefebvre too, has such beautiful legs and they are so brown, that she can afford to dispense with stockings. Women in Victoria are not likely to play without stockings, however, it is much too cold here. I have never seen any of them on the links in bare legs.” (Newcastle Sun 5/5/1934) Mrs L Griffiths, president of the Steelworks Associate Club in Newcastle said, “It appears to be an unnecessary rule that the L.G.V. has enforced. Why, if they started laying down laws like that, where would we end? What about ties etc being compulsory for men?” (Newcastle Sun 5/5/1934) The L.G.V. insisted that the dignity of the game should not be impaired by players who dared to show any originality in clothes, even if they did add comfort. (The Sun, Sydney 5/5/1934) Even in 1941, despite wartime shortages, the L.G.V. NSW was insisting that – “no player may play in open L.G.V. competitions without stockings.” (Yass Tribune-Courier 6/11/1941) In 1934, Odette married champion golfer and barrister Thomas McKay who later became a NSW Liberal Party politician. They had two children before divorcing in 1946. Sources: Drives Like A Man, But Is A Real Girl--Always (1933, July 22). Smith's Weekly (Sydney, NSW : 1919 - 1950), p. 6. Retrieved September 18, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article235071983 Woman Golfer Will Not Play In Stockings (1934, May 5). The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1931 - 1954), p. 1. Retrieved September 18, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article246443596 GOLF WITHOUT STOCKINGS (1934, May 5). The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 23. Retrieved September 18, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article243259621Photographer notations on slide: "G Ch'ship Mrs McKay B98".golf, women golfers, royal melbourne golf club

Crowd of spectators gathered around a green at Royal Melbourne Golf Course, Cheltenham for the Australian Women’s Golf Championship in 1935. The winner was Irish player Pat Walker. Runner-up was Australian Susie Morpeth. Photographer notations on slide: "Vic Women's Ch'ship 1935 B98" Published: The Age 5 September 1935 p11 Published title: THE HUGE GALLERY WHICH WATCHED THE FINAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP. Published caption: Advancing to the 12th Green at Royal Melbourne yesterday, the huge gallery, part of which, can be seen in this picture, was estimated to number about two thousand people. The players in the left corner of the picture are about to play on to the green, and the stewards are hard at work keeping back the enthusiastic crowd. Trove article identifier: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page19254515 18 year-old Miss Pamela Barton of England is teeing off at the ninth hole, watched by her competitor Miss Janet Gardiner of Queensland and a gallery of intensely focussed spectators. Both women went on to have diverse, non-sporting careers. During the Blitz and the Battle of Britain, Pam Barton (1917-1943) drove ambulances before joining the WAAF as a radio operator. Later she gained a commission as a Flight Officer in command of a staff of 600. In 1943, Pam was killed instantly when the RAF plane piloted by her unofficial fiancée crashed in heavy weather. The Pam Barton Memorial Salver is awarded to the winner of the British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship. The inscription reads “In Affectionate Memory of Pam Barton”. During WWII, Janet Gardiner (Mrs Jobson-Scott, 1907-1987) began manufacturing liquid hosiery at the Red Cross Link rooms as a fundraiser. Donated oyster bottles were used and they charged 2/6 for four ounces. However, in April 1942, in a broadcast to the women of Australia, the Minister for War Organisation of Industry, Mr Dedman, announced that leg make-up preparations were now a prohibited item. They contained titanium oxide, an essential ingredient in the manufacture of paints used for camouflaging military equipment. Other items of a woman’s “battle array” such as nail lacquer, some creams and suntan lotions were also banned as they contained ingredients used in munitions and medical supplies. Featured in "Newsworthy: Melbourne in photographs 1933-1936" exhibition at East Melbourne Library, October to December 2023. Exhibition caption by project volunteer, Fiona Collyer.Glass plate negativePhotographer notations on slide: "Vic Women's Ch'ship 1935 B98".golf, royal melbourne golf club, women golfers

Official guide to 100th Australian Amateur Championship, Melbourne 17-23 April 2005. Played at Woodlands Golf Club (Mordialloc) and Royal Melbourne Golf Club (Black Rock). Bruce Harding was a member of the Committee of the Victorian Golf Association during this competition.Bruce Harding is a past HGC President and was involved with Victoria's junior teams, and as a rules official and referee.28p., illus. (some col.). Handwritten draw for each round written in booklet.bruce harding, australian amateur championships

The 3AW portable transmitter “Wirelessing from the Golf Links. An interesting test was made by 3AW yesterday when this portable transmitting set was successfully tried out at Royal Melbourne. Mr JB Ferrier, the father of the NSW champion, who is taking part in the Men’s Australian Open Championship meeting, is seen (on the left) speaking into the microphone and announcing the scores. The transmitter will be in action today to describe the play in the final rounds for the benefit of listeners.” – The Age Melbourne-based talkback radio station 3AW began transmission in February 1932 as Melbourne’s fifth commercial station. The 1930s were a time of rapid change and significant improvement in the development of microphones, supporting the shift from the visual world of newspapers to the auditory world of radio. MCK021 Inkjet print by John Gollings on Canson Platine Fibre Rag Published: The Age 9 September 1933 Featured in "Newsworthy: Melbourne in photographs 1933-1936" exhibition at East Melbourne Library, October to December 2023. Exhibition caption by project volunteer, Louise McKenzie. Photographer notations on slide: "3AW portable transmitter at R Melb Golf Links 1933 B5" Published: 9 September 1933 The Age p15 Published title: WIRELESSING FROM THE GOLF LINKS. Published caption: An interesting test was by 3AW yesterday when this portable transmitting set was successfully tried out at Royal Melbourne. Mr. J. B. Ferrier, the father of the New South Wales champion, who is, taking part in the Australian open championship meeting, is seen (on the left) speaking into the microphone and announcing the scores. The transmitter will be in action today to describe the play in the final rounds of the open championship for the benefit of listeners. Trove article identifier: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205106453 Note: Interestingly, the published image is a composite of the two images in our collection. See related material, MCK077. Description: Group of men conducting outdoor radio broadcast at golf course. The 3AW sign is visible on a pole above the group. Research by project volunteer, Louise McKenzie: In this photo a group of men cluster around a tall bamboo pole with a 3AW sign. The male radio interviewer holds a pole topped with a square shaped microphone held in front of the face of another man. It is a bleak day and the men are wearing suits, coats and hats, or plus fours and caps. There is one schoolboy in the group. This was 3AW's first outside broadcast, undertaken at Royal Melbourne golf course on the occasion of the Australian Open. The 1933 Australian Open was held at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club (West Course), 8-9 September, and won by M L Kelly, from Goulburn, aged 20; J Ferrier (aged 19 from Sydney) came third equal with A W Jackson. The man being interviewed was Mr J B Ferrier, father of James (Jim) Ferrier, a professional golfer from Sydney. Encouraged by his father (who had a golfing background in Scotland) Jim Ferrier commenced playing at age four and a half, and was playing off scratch by his mid-teens. He was the NSW Amateur Champion in 1931, and was runner up in the Australian Open in 1931 and 1933. He won many Australian and overseas amateur and professional titles, moved to the US where he served in the army in WWII, and continued to prolifically compete and have significant golf victories into the 1950s. Sport Australia Hall of Fame says his “... may well be the best all round amateur professional record of any Australian golfer”. There is a statue of Jim Ferrier in the National Portrait Gallery. 3AW is a talkback radio station based in Melbourne, which began transmission on 22 February 1932 as Melbourne’s fifth commercial radio station. It was established when a company formed by Allans Music (established in Melbourne in 1850 and by 1877 was the largest musical warehouse in the southern hemisphere), JC Williamson’s (a theatrical management company and theatre owner) and David Syme (then publishers of The Age newspaper) was granted a radio broadcasting licence. 3AW originally broadcast from a makeshift studio in the front part of His Majesty’s Theatre, Exhibition Street, Melbourne, and is still in operation today. The 1930s were a time of rapid change and significant improvement in the development of microphones, accelerated by the move from the visual world of newspapers, to the auditory world of radio. The BBC had only been formed in May 1923, and their first outside broadcast was in May 1924. It is interesting to note that 3AW was owned by those intimately involved in the music, arts and newspaper world who had a good eye for future developments in these areas. The microphone in use in this photo may have been a USA-developed condenser microphone – still a fairly experimental concept, and whose design may have been influenced by the American film industry. References: WIRELESSING FROM THE GOLF LINKS. (1933, September 9). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 15. Retrieved September 14, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205106453 J.C. Williamsons’s, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._C._Williamson%27s Allans Music, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allans_Music Jim Ferrier, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Ferrier Jim Ferrier sculpture by John Frith, National Portrait Gallery, https://www.portrait.gov.au/portraits/2013.79/jim-ferrier '3AW is 90 today (22/2/22)', 3AW, https://www.3aw.com.au/3aw-is-turning-90-take-a-look-back-through-the-decades-with-us1/ Her Majesty’s Theatre Melbourne, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_Majesty%27s_Theatre,_Melbourne Jim Ferrier, Sport Australia Hall of Fame, https://sahof.org.au/hall-of-fame-member/jim-ferrier/ 'From Nightingale to Narcissus: capturing the first ever live otudoor radio broadcast', Iain Baird, 2013, Science and Media Museum UK, https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/from-nightingale-to-narcissus/ 'The BBC-STC ‘Bomb' Condenser Microphone: a curatorial perspective', Ian Logie Baird, 2021, Baird Television, https://www.bairdtelevision.com/the-bbc-stc-bomb-condenser-microphone.htmlPhotographer notations on slide: "3AW portable transmitter at R Melb Golf Links 1933 B5".golf, radio

23 pages including information on inside covers. Text with black and white illustrations and photographs and map. Contents: Crossing Place Need for a school Residence for the teacher Closure A View of Lower Plenty 1918 Moving day at the Village The Golf Club Depression 1931 Vandals Electricity Grass Fires Cows at School Mothers' Club Women's liberation 1950's Lower Plenty after 1945 Swimming Pool - drowned dreams Long Grass - snakes - meadow hay - Fire Brigade The Royal Visit 1954 School Band Community Centre Our School Hall Trees and Gardens The Library Education 1874-1974 A Teacher's View The Second generation - children of ex-pupils (photo with names) The Third generation - Grandchildren of ex-pupils (photo with names) Head Teachers (list with dates) The Staff 1974 (photo with names) The sketch on the cover shows the Lower Plenty Bridge, toll house and the Plenty Bridge hotel, both no longer there. The bridge is listed in the Banyule Heritage Study and has recently been restored by Banyule Council as a pedestrian bridge - NL 137 March 2001 Paperback; [24] p. : ill. ; 25 cm.lower plenty, state school no. 1295, lower plenty primary school

A brown wooden award with a inscribed banner at the top which reads "R.V.I.B. Perpetual Golf Trophy" and at the base of the shield "Sponsored by the Post Office Club Hotel St Kilda". In the centre of the shield is a large image of the RVIB lighthouse on a teal background, with gold writing 'Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind' against a black background around the outside. 10 small shields have the name of the winners inscribed: 23.10.88 A. Lindores, 41 points; 5.3.89 E. Van Cuylenberg 41 points Rosebud C.C.; 12.11.99 D. Diaz 38 points Rosebud C.C.; 4.3.90 J. Imlach, 44 points, Chirnside Park; 11-11-90 K. Jacques, 40 pts, Chirnside Park, 3.3.91 D. Ingley, 35 points, Emerald G.C.; 10.11.91 R. Lee, 46 points, Lakeside G.C.; 12-4-92 E. Petersen, 42 points, Lakeside G.C.; 15-11-92 B. Hayden, 36 points, Drouin G.C.; 14.3.93 Claire Tellefson, 36 points, Lakeside G.C.Wooden shield with 10 mini shields, RVIB logo and bannerroyal victorian institute for the blind, awards

Reproduced by permission of Mr John Arnold from his book: "The Riversdale Golf Club - a history, 1892-1977." Copyright to book: Riversdale Golf Club. Surrey Hills Golf Club operated from 1892-1908 then moved and became Riversdale Golf Club. The game was played across paddocks from Trafalgar Street, Mont Albert to Whitehorse Road and down Victoria Crescent to where Box Hill TAFE is now located in Elgar Road. There were problems with cows eating the tee flags! The clubhouse still exists as 30 Trafalgar Street. The men are standing on what is now Whitehorse Road in the cutting which can still be seen near the Box Hill Motel. Walter John Carre Riddell: Born c1859; died 12 March 1930; unmarried. Father came from Riddell in Scotland and took up land at Riddell's Creek, near Gisborne. W J Carre Riddell was educated at Melbourne Grammar, graduated in law from Melbourne University in 1882 and practised law until 1907. MLA for West Bourke for 17 years. Chairman of MMBW from 1907 until retirement in 1927. Versatile sportsman. REF: Obituary in Trove - The Argus, 13 March, 1930, p8.The image is significant for its association with Walter John Carre Riddell who was a significant identity in early 20th century Melbourne. His was well-known for his sporting prowess. In early life he was a keen footballer, cricketer and tennis player. In his later years he took up golf. Was President of Royal Melbourne Golf Club and Chairman of the Victorian Golf Association. The 'coffin hole' was a notoriously difficult position to play out from.Black and white photo of 2 men, one swinging his golf club; the other carrying a golf bag and watching. They are dressed in suits and hats and are standing in a cutting, the face of which shows rock strata."W. J. Carre Riddell playing out of the coffin, 1905."sports grounds, surrey hills golf club, riversdale golf club, jon arnold, w j carre-riddell, walter john carre riddell

When not on the water many RBYC members enjoy billiards or golf, with regular annual events being held for both.ja douglas, harvey, golf, billiards

On the 19th of October, 1992, the Arthritis Foundation of Victoria (AFV) took part in an active living expo, which included lawn bowls. This photo depicts AFV's Jenny Davidson (second from the left) with Levarie Mack (from APT) and Norm Knoff, President of the Rich River Golf Club and member of the Royal Victorian Bowls Association.Black and white photo of four people standing next to one another on a bowling green.arthritis foundation of victoria, afv, expo, lawn bowls, jenny davidson, levarie mack, apt, norm knoff, president, rich river golf club, royal victorian bowls association, 1992

On the 19th of October, 1992, the Arthritis Foundation of Victoria (AFV) took part in an active living expo, which included lawn bowls. This photo depicts AFV's Jenny Davidson and Valerie Sayce (third and fourth from the left, respectively) with Levarie Mack from APT (second from the left), Neville Fuller from the Melbourne Cricket Club Lawn (second from the right), and Norm Knoff, President of the Rich River Golf Club (far right). The badges on both Neville's and Norm's jackets indicate that their clubs are also members of the Royal Victorian Bowls Association.Black and white photo of six people standing next to one another on a bowling green.arthritis foundation of victoria, afv, expo, lawn bowls, levarie mack, apt, jenny davidson, valerie sayce, physiotherapist, neville fuller, melbourne cricket club, mcc, norm knoff, president, rich river golf club, royal victorian bowls association, 1992