Once Hollybank was once a Nusery and of course trees were introduced.
The link with tennis is that the 1st Alexander Tennis Rackets were made from imported English Ash grown at Hollybank from about 1933, 109,200 Ash trees were planted, the trees took a long time to grow and it's believed no rackets were made from the wood from Hollybank.
The plantation didn't take quite as well as planned, and was abandoned in 1946.
Some of the wood used in their products was still sourced locally, however, Willow harvested from the North Esk River was used for the company to make Cricket Bats.
Other trees planted were 800 Corsican pine planted in 1935, experimental plots of Larch, Douglas Fir, Californian Redwood and Western Hemlock.
The Alexander factory was wound down in the late 1950's and sold to Spalding in Victoria, Australia, Spalding being another brand of tennis rackets.
Photo of the factory is borrowed...
The Factory is now the Police Boys Club.
Ya que ha cesado la acividad, el edificio,ahora, se ha dedicado a una noble empresa.
ReplyDeleteBesos
You are correct about the building, always good to see a once thriving business building being used for such a good cause.
DeleteAnd I had no idea. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI can remember seeing cottage industries in India making 'English Cricket bats'. And I suspect selling them back to the English.
I expect they were sold back to the English.
DeleteI have never played tennis but it always seems such an elegant sport. Australians, of course, have always done well in world competition.
ReplyDeleteAustralia seems to do well in their Tennis at times..
DeleteI did play it for a short time but found it not challenging enough - probably a funny thing to say though.
While I don't know what Spalding's market share now is, it was the dominant brand when I was growing up and I was given a new Spalding racket. Alas, it saw little use.
ReplyDeleteWell at least you knew what it was for :)
DeleteAs a young and not so young tennis "fanatic", my tennis racquets were Spalding or Dunlop brands.
ReplyDeleteThe only way I could successfully use to advantage a tennis racquet these days would be to try and bash some sense and good manners into Kyrgios and Tomic, but I think I'd be wasting my time, eh????
Thanks for the history lesson in the tennis racquet making industry near your Launceston.
Colin
Oh I forgot - on the news this morning - ABC of course, it was reported that tourism is booming in Tasmania and bringing into the economy much needed capital.
DeleteThat should bring a smile to the faces of the storekeepers, hoteliers, restaurant trade etc etc.
Colin
Oh yes, tourists coming here in droves, and some moving/living here now. It's amazing.
DeleteWell those two tennis players could do with manners but then I remember McEnroe, he was dreadful.
interesting!
ReplyDeleteYes, Sussi, it is interesting, well at least I found it was seeing as it was not that far from where I live.
DeleteI've never been a sports player of any kind, so haven't given any thought to how or where tennis racquets were made.
ReplyDeleteI played a bit of sport in primary school but it never occurred to me to wonder where things were made back then, or how they were made.
Deletea very interesting post M. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteHope you are all ok over your way.
That is interesting that Ash Trees were imported from England. I don't think that they would do that today in case they had an adverse effect on the indigenous trees.
ReplyDeleteTimes have changed and I expect we can buy Ash Trees in our nursery today so no need to import, but of course there are people that would.
DeleteRemember sending a 'Camellia' to the USA once from Launceston here in Tasmania - it survived the journey.
Now this was an interesting read, in my youth I used to play tennis (badly)
ReplyDeleteOh did you used to play :)
DeleteWell its good that the building is still being used.
ReplyDeleteNice building.
ReplyDeleteI found this interesting and good timing too!
ReplyDeleteTwo of our grandchildren were playing tennis yesterday, a first for this years tennis season ...
All the best Jan
Very interesting post. Seeing Jan's comment above about her grandchildren playing tennis.....I tried but could never master the game!
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed week.
It is an interesting post. I've never played tennis.. :)
ReplyDeleteA very interesting piece of history, about which, until now,I knew nothing. :)
ReplyDeleteenjoyed reading about the tennis rackets manufacturing .
ReplyDeleteour northern areas have thick plantation and forest but the wooden sports stuff is made in factories situated in southern part of land