The Syme Cup for Tennis, 1937

Historical information

Cecil F. Syme was a 1930s Melbourne-based explorer and prospector. He was a son of David Syme, founder of The Age Newspaper, Melbourne. When Cecil’s brother Norman died in 1927, he left a wife and a six-year-old son, Leslie. Records suggest Cecil paid for his nephew, Leslie, to attend Mentone Grammar from 1936 – and that he donated the Syme Cup the following year. It was first awarded to Keith Goode. After leaving school, Leslie Syme enlisted with the Australian Navy. In I942, during World War II, he was killed when his warship, the HMAS Yarra, came under intense enemy fire. He was 21. Leslie Syme is remembered in our Avenue of Honour.

Physical description

Silver Cup on wood base

Back to top