A.H.MOORE Sydney

With the spread of tennis throughout the colony from 1876 onwards, we have discussed how much of the tennis equipment was imported from existing UK, French and USA sporting manufacturers.

The Australian industry is recognised to have begun in the 1920′s as the popularity of the game moved more from a wealth based past time to a general community game. This saw the start of Alexanders and other Australian developed brands and the commencement of Australian operations for Spalding and Slazenger.

Pre 1920′s we assume that craftsmen here would have readily made racquets for customers, but finding information about these firms is difficult since many never promoted or advertised themselves.

One of the pioneer racquet makers that seemed to have created a niche was Arthur Henry Moore from the firm A.H.Moore in Sydney who commenced business in the early 1890′s.

In 1896, operating from Elizabeth St Sydney the firm was offering both imported and locally prodcued equipment.

The racquets carrying the firms brand name seemed to have been well accepted and the company was involved with the then top grass court event, ” The Strathfield” Lawn Tennis Tournament.

You can read from the articles how linked with the leading players in the colony and from a different 1897 ad, below, names Horrie Rice and Edward Dewhurst amongst other prominent players who used and won with his racquets.

In 1901, the factory and workshop were listed as being in Woolwich.

Also in this year, unfortunately, Moore ran into financial difficulties and as the company was heading into legal proceedings an argument over legal fees he couldn’t pre-pay led to him shooting a managing clerk for a solicitor in their Elizabeth St offices on December 6th and then shooting himself dead immediately after. The clerk, shot twice, survived.