The Aurora Historical Society, with support from
a Federal Government grant around the Pan Am and Para Pan Am Games, has
developed an exhibit around the history of tennis in Canada, which is now open
at the Hillary House. The Hillary House (see photo), built in 1862, is a National
Historic Site situated on 2.5 acres on Yonge Street, in downtown Aurora and is
run as a year round museum. The Hillary family members were avid sports
people and tennis was their favorite sport. The Aurora Tennis Club
operated on the grass court on the site (see photo below). Two clay courts were added in the early 1930s that were the beginnings of the Aurora Community Tennis Club, which relocated
to a nearby public park in 1934.
When the AHS acquired the Hillary House, they
found many family belongings in the home including several tennis racquets (one
dated 1907), a lawn roller, and line marking equipment. They also found
an abundance of sports photos, sleds and snowshoes, 3 croquet sets as old as
1880 and a complete set of Slazenger Lawn Bowls dated 1903.
The AHS has brought the sporting days back to
Hillary House and they are restoring the grass court, on which they will hold a
series of exhibition matches and festive events in July and August. Canadian
Tennis Hall of Fame members with connections to the Aurora community such as
Bob Bedard, Keith Carpenter, Harry Fauquier, Lorne Main and Lawrie Strong will
be participating in these exhibition matches, which will be part of festive
events with appropriate offerings of food and drink.
The curated exhibition on Tennis in Canada: From
early beginnings to Global Success opened early in June. It focuses on the
early years of the sport and includes artifacts, photography, pictorials,
graphics and some interactive material. There will also be material about
the history of the Pan Am Games. Other popular domestic sports such as lawn
bowling and Croquet, which were pastimes of the Hillarys, are also be included
in the exhibit.
For details of the special events, opening hours of
the exhibits and more information please go to the Aurora Historical Society at
www.aurorahs.com.
Opening ceremonies for the grass court will be held
on July 18 and Closing ceremonies on Aug 8. Other special days are scheduled
for July 19 and Jul 25 and more may be added. A full article on the exhibit and
the history of tennis in Canada will be included in the summer issue of Ontario
Tennis.
The Hillary House National Historic Site and the Tennis in Canada exhibit is open between 10 am and 4 pm Wednesday through Saturday each week. Admission is $3.00 for adults, $2.00 for seniors and children, free for AHS members.
The Hillary House National Historic Site and the Tennis in Canada exhibit is open between 10 am and 4 pm Wednesday through Saturday each week. Admission is $3.00 for adults, $2.00 for seniors and children, free for AHS members.
