Prepared by Bert Armstrong who has
additional interesting information
on his website
In 1936 South Yarra Club, Royal Melbourne Tennis Club, Royal South Yarra Tennis, Naval & Military, and Bjelke Peterson, formed the one grade SRAV, the
first secretary being Tennis legend Harry Hopman.
B grade was introduced in 1937 and the competition gradually grew to 12 grades in 1963, still being predominantly private clubs or CBD business houses,
namely: Musicians, Hardware, ANZ, Reserve Bank, National Mutual.
As the public squash centres exploded in number during the sixties & seventies, the vast majority of players particularly juniors were members of these clubs, the SRAV now having clubs scattered all over greater Melbourne.
Competitions were regionalized, and the majority of private clubs organized into the Central Metropolitan League.
In the mid seventies pressure grew for this League to be comprised totally of private clubs as public courts insisted on a later starting time of 8 PM whereas traditionally it had been a 6.30 start. A further complication was the tradition of after match hospitality: the standard offered by public courts was not near the traditional supper that private clubs offered. These matters were pursued by Icon Jim Lambert and as no compromise could be reached Club Circuit was formed in 1978.