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Sir Norman Brookes (1877 to 1967)

Tennis is a sport played between either two players, for Singles or two teams of two players, for doubles. In England, from where it is attributed that the modern game began in the late 19^th century, refers to it as lawn tennis as it is used to be played predominantly on grass. The game spread throughout the English-speaking world amongst the upper classes. Now played on three different surfaces of clay, grass and hard courts, the movement of speed and bounce for the ball differs, affecting the level of play of individual players. In 1881 the desire to play tennis competitively led to the establishment of tennis clubs. The first championships at Wimbledon, in London were played in 1877.

Sir Norman Everard Brookes, an Australian tennis-player, was born on 14 November 1877 at St Kilda, Victoria, youngest son of William Brookes, contractor, mining entrepreneur and manufacturer. In 1896 Brookes was selected to represent Victoria against New South Wales. At this stage he was a fierce hitter and a baseliner. He was the first player from overseas and the first left-hander to win the world title. That year Brooks and Wilding captured the Davis Cup from Great Britain; their remarkable partnership enabled Australasia to retain it in 1908, 1909 and 1911, there was no challenge in 1910, and gave tremendous stimulus to tennis in Australia.

Brookes represented Australasia in Davis Cup matches, and in 1924 played for the last time at Wimbledon. Brookes died at his home, Elm Tree House, South Yarra, on 28 September 1968 and was buried in St Kilda cemetery. His wife and two daughters survived him.

Norman Brookes excelled at all sports in his youth and like most young men had a go at almost anything. The earliest record of him playing sport at the elite level was in 1898, aged 21, when he played 2 games for the Saints in what was to be a fairly uneventful year in St Kilda’s history. Wooden spooners for the second year in a row, the Saints had failed to record a win in 28 games over the first two years of Victorian Football League history. Young Brookes who was to prove an elite athlete at the highest level was probably persuaded by these events, to pursue other avenues to express his talent.

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