Lily Addison

The first Australian woman to play at Wimbledon in 1919 (where she made the mixed doubles semi-final).

Lily Addison became known as a tennis player of note in 1904 when she and Doctor Eric Pockley won the Victorian mixed doubles championship.

In 1906 she won the Victorian singles title, defeating the four-time champion Lorna Gyton. She won this title again from 1908 to 1911 and amazingly one more time in 1921 (aged 36). She also won state singles titles of NSW (1910) and SA (1906, 1908-1910) and represented Victoria in the traditional team matches against NSW and SA.

After her brother and occasional mixed doubles partner, J.J. Addison, was killed in action during World War I, she served as a nurse in Salonika.

In 1919, she became possibly the first Australian woman to compete at Wimbledon, reaching the second round of singles and the semi-finals of the mixed doubles.

In the 1920s she became Matron at Geelong Colleg and though her play became less frequent, she was still good enough to be ranked #5 in the Victorian state tennis rankings of January 1925

Victorian Championships 1906, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1921
New South Wales Championship 1910
South Australian Championships 1906, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911