Laurie first played tennis as a child at Cecil Plains
State School. It was during his service in the Air Force
in World War 11 that he began playing competitive
tennis. He won at tournaments held at Woomera in
1957-8.
One of the highlights of his playing career came in
1962 in an Intra Services competition played at White
City courts in Sydney where as the No 1 player for the
Air Force he defeated the No 1 player for the Navy.
His career in the Air Force took him to Butterworth
in Malaysia. The Far East Air Force Cup was an annual
tennis tournament contested by players from the various
Air Force bases in East Asia. In 1964 Laurie was a
member of the Malaysian team which inflicted the first
defeat of the Chinese team. Laurie played in his first
veteran’s tournament in 1963 in Penang.
Throughout his tennis life Laurie
was not just a player. He was involved in organising
tennis. He was a member of the Malaysian Lawn Tennis
Association. In 1965 Neale Fraser stayed at Laurie’s
place for several days on his return from Wimbledon.
While living at Wavell Heights in
Brisbane, Laurie played in Greater Brisbane Saturday
fixtures and veterans. On moving to the Sunshine Coast
in 1985 Laurie attended his first Annual meeting of
Tennis Veterans Sunshine Coast where he was nominated
for Chairman.
For the past seventeen years Laurie
has been on the committee of the Sunshine Coast Veterans
Association and most of these as president. This year he
stood down as president, but is still on the management
committee. Throughout Sunshine Coast tennis circles
Laurie is known for his sterling service to Coolum
Tennis Club and the Tennis Veterans Sunshine Coast
Tennis Association.
Congratulations Laurie.
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