Kings Park Croquet Club started life as the Mount Croquet Club in 1904.
Mount was one of the first clubs to play interclub matches, paving the way for a pennant competition.
It was also a founding member of the Western Australian Croquet Association.
In 1907 the club changed it’s name to Kings Park and was to become a powerhouse for croquet during the next 4 decades.
The yearly tournament was one of the events to be seen at and to excel in.
In pennants the club had success in A grade 1909, 1914, 1915, 1918, 1926 and 1942, B grade 1911, 1912 and 1931.
The club colours were Red and Blue.
The bowling club and the croquet club were situated slightly off to the east of the tennis venue.
In the pictures attached the current use of the site is sadly as a carpark.
The Easter aerial photo shows the bowls and croquet on the left ( east ) side, if you zoom in as much as it will let you, you can actually see people playing and can just make out the court setting. Aerials photos exist of 1920, 1922 and 1926 Easter Carnivals at least and some can be found by accessing the change room and clubhouse in the old tennis pavilion.
The club closed in 1946 probably never having recovered from the affect of the second world war, also the increasing popularity of tennis would have required expansion of those facilities particularly as Davis Cup matches were often played there.
One of croquets great contributors was R.O.Law he was a life member of Kings Park tennis and had been WA Croquet Association president from 1907 to 1923.
(A History of the first Fifty Years of the Royal King’s Park Tennis Club)
Reproduced with permission from State Library of WA 009832PD
