Wealthy bring croquet to South Australia to continue an English lifestyle; Angaston and Kapunda first clubs

Members of Kapunda croquet club, formed in 1868. Inset: A group of croquet players in a paddock at Angaston on New Year’s Day 1867.
Images courtesy South Australian Croquet Association

Croquet was brought to early South Australia by wealthy settlers wanting to keep the lifestyle of England. Many of these people who built substantial homes in Fitzroy, St  Peters, Medindie and Walkerville, north of the Adelaide, had their own croquet courts, so the game was a social event.

Others bought pastoral leases in the fertile Angaston and Kapunda areas where crops, wine and mining were profitable. Angaston had croquet being played as early as 1850. Its club was officially formed in 1867 and was played at various venues until land for a sports park was given to the town by George Fife Angas in 1867. The club membership was by ballot. (The club celebrated its centenary in 1967 but, due membership decline, closed in 1970.)

 Kapunda was the second club formed in 1868, closely followed by The North Adelaide club with an exclusive  membership list but it apparently folded after a year when its president returned to England. In 1890, two croquet courts were set up behind the main grandstand at the Adelaide Oval. Games between clubs were played there until 1925.

T.N. Stephens instigated the South Australian Croquet Association in 1917. He obtained a City of Adelaide part lease of Park 17 in the south parklands lands edging onto Hutt Road. South Terrace club’s land since 1911 on the east side of the park also was obtained by Stephens. The four south park courts were opened, with the Croquet House clubhouse, in 1926 and 17 clubs registered with the association.

With enthusiastic promoters such as Sesca Somerville, who became state manager, South Australia had 1,300 registered players by 1934. Six of those players were men – the first to join the association. Both women and men have excelled in the game since then, with  South Australian players representing Australia in overseas tournaments.

In 2012, the South Australian association hosted the 13th world croquet championships at South Park. The sport developed school and disabled programmes with the deaf, sight impaired and brain injured able to enjoy golf croquet.