7 March 2023 | Tennis West

1923 – 1941 – The Birth of Country Week

The historic CBH Group Country Championships will celebrate 100 years when hundreds of country tennis players descend at Alexander Park on April 14. Longstanding supporters of country tennis for more than ten years, CBH Group will once again sponsor the Country Tennis Championships.

Over the coming weeks, Tennis West will be looking at the history of Country Week, shinning a light on past winners and influential people who shaped the event.

The inaugural Country Week Tennis Carnival commenced on March 24, 1923 from humble beginnings. Interest and enthusiasm for the carnival was low with five country clubs competing in the event. It would be Katanning who proved most dominant, winning the first four titles in the men’s division. In the singles championships E.O Strange defeated E.M Ladyman in a surprising result, however Ladyman did not miss his chance to write his name in the Country Week records, winning the men’s singles titles in 1925 and 1926. The men’s team’s trophy was named in honour of honorary secretary F.W. Goldsmith.

One bright note in 1927 was the entry of ten women’s teams into the competition with victory in the inaugural women’s competition going to Katanning. Enid Morse, from Avon, won the women’s inaugural singles title, defeating Mrs Edwards from Northam. Katanning in both the men’s and women’s competitions were most dominant in the early years followed by Bunbury and Wyalkatchem in the men’s competition. Phyllis Richardson, from Albany would prove most dominant between 1928 and 1936, winning six Country Week women’s singles titles.

The standard of tennis improved significantly in the 1930’s after the Depression which coincided with the surge of interest and quality of teams participating. Statistics indicated that individual and team entries for both the men and women peaked in 1938.

Country Week was conducted up until 1941 before being suspended until 1947 due to the Second World War. Vern Hall emerged in the men’s section to take over the mantle from Wyalkatchem’s Eric Conway in 1939. Hall was unfortunate that the war coincided with his best tennis years, winning a further three singles titles after the war.

List of team winners from 1923 to 1941:

List of singles championship winners from 1923 to 1941: