Contributed by David Kerr
MALENY’S Donna and Sarah have just had a weekend of competition in Brisbane. The Croquet Association of Queensland held the 2026 AC Women’s Championship at Toombul. This is the premier Association Croquet tournament held in Queensland and is frequently held at the Toombul Croquet Club, drawing competitive players from across Australia and New Zealand. Donna and Sarah joined another eleven women in a highly contested round-robin setup, testing players through multiple rounds of play. The outright winner was Yuni Rowell from Coolangatta with second place going to Bonnie Johnstone from Hawera, New Zealand. Well done to all competitors!
The clubhouse at the Toombul Croquet Club has an interesting history, being originally the Misses Franz Schoolhouse, located in nearby Hendra. It was one of many private schools in Brisbane at the time and offered education in English, German, French and history. Two of the school’s most notable pupils were Sir Samuel Griffith, who helped write the Australian Constitution, and Sir Charles Lilley, a former Premier of Queensland. The schoolhouse building was moved to Oxenham Park in 1928 to become the Toombul Croquet clubhouse.
But readers don’t need to be experts in constitutional law or aspiring (or retired) politicians to get into croquet. Should you be interested in trying any of the forms of croquet, then please give our club a call on 0417640704.