1. Themes
  2. A to Z

Croquet

A leisurely pastime especially popular among the colonial upper classes, croquet was traditionally played on carefully manicured lawns by both men and women, the emphasis on the social aspects of the game making the sport an ideal courting activity. A club was first formed in Kyneton in 1866 and a State association was established in 1914. Imperial rivalries encouraged a competitive dimension to the game and in 1925 the Victorian Croquet Association, one of the stronger State bodies, was in the forefront of establishing a regular teams event between Australia and England. There are approximately 18 croquet clubs in metropolitan Melbourne.

Rob Hess