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Squash

Squash rackets was regarded as a game in its own right in England by 1886, and soon after established itself in Australia, although it was more commonly referred to simply as 'squash'. The Melbourne Club in Collins Street is credited with having built the first squash courts in the country, with two constructed by 1913. The boom period for the sport occurred during the 1960s and early 1970s, when commercial operators built squash courts and centres. The success of Melburnian Geoff Hunt - at 18, the youngest national men's champion and the winner of the inaugural world amateur championship in 1967 and the inaugural world open championship in 1976 (as well as 1977, 1979 and 1980) - helped to popularise the game across Australia.

Matthew Nicholson