LET'S PLAY croquet By Joe Novella Photos Gary Sissons & Supplied
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ornington's Civic Reserve has all the hallmarks of a modern recreation area with a world class multi-sport complex and state-of-the-art tennis courts, bowling greens, athletics and football fields. The precinct is a bustling hive of activity for people of all ages and yet in one corner of the reserve there exists a quiet oasis surrounded by beautiful trees that overlook immaculate playing grass surfaces that very few locals know about: the home of the Mornington Croquet Club.
Mornington Croquet Club was formed back in 1982 by Maisie Meek who became the club's first president. The club took up residency in Pine Avenue but had to find an alternative location in 1999 due to land redevelopment for housing purposes. The club then moved to a vacant plot at Civic Reserve in 2000 with a lot of work to do to get the area ready for play. With support from the local council and the hard work and fundraising of club
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members, the new facility quickly became one of the best places to play croquet in the whole of the state, with beautiful trees planted around the perimeter, a clubhouse installed with BBQ facilities, as well as the development of two of the best playing surfaces (courts) around. The reason the club goes unnoticed by many passers-by is probably because most of them have no idea what croquet is, even though it has been played for centuries. For many, the only exposure they have to the game is through Lewis Carroll's timeless classic 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' where Alice plays croquet against the Queen of Hearts using Flamingos as mallets and Hedgehogs as balls. In reality, the mallets are typically wooden and the balls are either wooden or plastic. Originally, croquet was a garden game, more of a pastime than a sport, which was mainly played in Europe. Pall Mall, continued page 16...
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