Historical information

This croquet mallet was presented to Mrs Huffer when she was the champion player at St. John’s Presbyterian Church Croquet Club in Warrnambool in 1957-8. Croquet has been a sport played particularly by women since the second half of the 19th century. It was popular in Warrnambool and was a competition sport with several clubs from the beginning of the 20th century. St. John’s Club was operative in the 20th century but no longer exists. Mrs W. Huffer was the wife of William Huffer who was an employee and then the manager of the Grasmere Butter and Cheese Factory from 1940 to 1963 when it closed. His father before him had been the manager of the factory from 1918 to 1944. The Huffer family had come to Warrnambool from Gippsland. This croquet mallet has been well used.

Significance

This mallet is of significance as a memento of St. John’s Croquet Club in Warrnambool and of the Huffer family associated with the local dairying industry for the first half of the 20th century.

Physical description

This croquet mallet was presented to Mrs Huffer when she was the champion player at St. John’s Presbyterian Church Croquet Club in Warrnambool in 1957-8. Croquet has been a sport played particularly by women since the second half of the 19th century. It was popular in Warrnambool and was a competition sport with several clubs from the beginning of the 20th century. St. John’s Club was operative in the 20th century but no longer exists. Mrs W. Huffer was the wife of William Huffer who was an employee and then the manager of the Grasmere Butter and Cheese Factory from 1940 to 1963 when it closed. His father before him had been the manager of the factory from 1918 to 1944. The Huffer family had come to Warrnambool from Gippsland. This croquet mallet has been well used.

Inscriptions & markings

‘Champion of St, John’s A Grade Mrs W. Huffer 1957-8’
‘STC Sil’23