One day in 1951, whilst waiting for medical attention on his knees at the South Yarra club, renowned tennis player 
Brian Boys was trying his hand at hitting a squash ball, and fortunately for our sport, he was spotted by the then 
Australian Men’s Amateur Squash Champion,  Eric Metcalfe. 
Just two years later, Brian in his first tournament won the 1953 Australian Men’s Amateur Championship, and 
followed it up with the 1953 Australian Men’s Open Championship. In 1939 the Broadhurst Cup was established, 
played for by the winners of the Australian Amateur and Australian Professional Championships, and titled the 
Australian Men’s Open Championship.  
Brian then went on to win the 1954 & 1955 Australian Men’s Amateur & Australian Men’s Open Championships, 
and the 1956 Australian Men’s Open Championship. In 1956 Brian was unable to compete in the Australian Men’s 
Amateur Championship as he could not obtain leave from his then employer, Woolworths. 
During this period Brian also won the 1954, 1956 & 1957 Victorian Amateur Championships. He did not compete in 
this event in 1953, and surprisingly lost in the early rounds of the 1955 Championship. 
In 1955 Brian became the first Australian amateur male player to tour overseas and participate in the British Open 
(recognised as the world championship at that time), where he was defeated by the legendary Egyptian, Mahmoud 
Karim. In 1958 Boys became a professional coach which meant he could no longer play in amateur events, so his 
distinguished whirlwind championship career came to an abrupt end. 
By 1959, Brian was both owner and coach of the Balwyn Squash Centre, where he remained for 22 years; positions 
he also held at the Croydon Squash Centre from 1970‐74. He also ran the Southern Squash Centre in Prahran during 
the 1960’s for four years before a fire destroyed the building.  
Brian’s coaching methods were unique   and he proved to be well ahead of his time. Brian focused on footwork, 
balance, weight transference & racquet skills, and plus developed a special skill’s routine program that became the 
catalyst for the Eagle Awards launched in 1976 by the Australian Squash Court Owners Association and the award 
winning Heart Health Skills Program produced in 1990 by the Victorian Squash Federation. 
Brian became a legend within the coaching ranks & his pupils included Geoff Hunt, Tyson Burgess, Doug 
Stephenson, Margaret Zachariah, Jenny Irving, Robyn Kennedy, Bev Meagher, and a myriad of other players, who 
won state, national & world titles. Many of his players also became highly sought after coaches, plus he was the 
mentor of junior squash guru Eddie French. Not only was Brian arguably the best junior coach in this country, he 
also implemented the Tarax Victorian Junior Championships at his Balwyn centre in 1962; transferring ownership 
of them to the Victorian Squash  Rackets Association four years later. Brian was also President and a Committee 
member of the Victorian Squash Court Owners Association during the 1970’s. 
In 1980 Brian was appointed Squash Australia’s National Coaching Director and produced numerous coaching 
manuals, as well as coaching and training national teams and squads. In 1982 Brian retired from the sport moving 
into a sports store. 
There is no doubt that Brian Boys has been one of the major influences on squash in this country.

Judith Fitz-Gerald ( nee Tissot), who was a very talented tennis player, coming under the eye of Australian Davis Cup Coach/Captain Harry Hopman, first ventured on to a squash court in 1948.

Fitz-Gerald won the 1952 Australian Women’s Championship, then flittered off to England and Europe, returning in 1955 to capture the 1956, 57 & 58 Victorian and Australian Amateur titles.

Marriage and her first of six children, Kylie, then quickly followed, which certainly curtailed her on court playing exploits, but paved the way for very successful coaching and squash venue operations.

Judith’s coaching career commenced in 1965, she produced two world champions, daughter Sarah and Carol Owens, who won 7 world titles between them, plus numerous state and national junior and senior championships.

Judith also managed the successful Mordialloc Squash Centre from 1972 to 1992.

Sarah started playing squash at 6 years of age , then went on to win every junior state and national title possible, culminating in 1987 winning the World Junior Championship and the ‘Australian Junior Athlete of the Year’. Fitz-Gerald is recognised as one of the top four female squash players of all time; winner of 65 WSA and world tour titles from 94 finals appearances.

Sarah won five World Opens (1996 – 1998 and 2001/02), plus runner-up in 1995, and two British Opens (2001/02), as well as being runner-up 1996-1998.

Sarah has won six World Team Championships, a Commonwealth Games Singles Gold Medal in 2002, represented her country on 75 occasions, was World No.1 from 1996 to 1998 and 2001 to 2003, and captured four Australian Open Championships.

In 1990 a unique piece of history was made when 21 year old Fitz-Gerald won the first of five Victorian Open titles, making it the first time ever a parent (Judith Tissot), and an offspring had won the Victorian Championship, this was replicated at the national level in 1997 when Sarah won the Australian Open Women’s Championship.

Sarah worked just as tirelessly off the court, being on the Board of the world Women’s Squash Association for 11 years, as its President for eight years, devoting much of her spare time to the administration, promotion and marketing of women’s squash at both the international and grassroots levels.

Fitz-Gerald has also won numerous state and national awards, possibly the most significant being the 2001 Sport Australia Dawn Fraser Award, plus the Australian Female Athlete of the Year Award in 2001 and 2002.

Her services to squash and sport have been acknowledged by the Australian Government, being awarded the prestigious Member of the Order of Australia, plus is one of only two Victorians inducted into the World Squash Federation Hall of Fame.

Geoff Hunt is arguably the world’s greatest male squash player, having won every major international tournament during a glittering career.

Geoff commenced his playing career at the age of twelve, won the 1962 Victorian Junior title at fifteen, the 1963 Australian Junior at sixteen, and then in 1965 became the youngest player ever at eighteen, to win the Australian Amateur Championship.

Geoff won the first three World Amateur Championships held, in 1967, 69 and 71 (during this period held biennially), then turned professional.

He won the inaugural World Open in 1976 before collecting the next three World Open titles, in 1977, 79 and 80 (not conducted in 1978). In 1981 he lost the final of the World Open to Jahangir Khan.

Geoff complemented these victories with eight British Open Championships in 1969, 74, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80 and 81.

Geoff was world No 1 from 1975 to 1980, overall winning 178 of the 215 tournaments he contested, including four Australian Amateur Championships, Eight Australian Opens, plus ten Victorian Amateur/Opens.

Following his retirement from competition in 1982, Hunt became the Head Coach of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) squash unit when it opened in 1985, until 2003, where he helped to develop a new generation of Australian squash stars. Up to his recent return to Australia in 2014, Hunt was the Head Squash Coach at the Aspire Sports Institute in Qatar for the past 6 years.

His services to squash and sport have been acknowledged by the Australian Government on two occasions when he received the decorations of the MBE and AM.

In 1981 Hunt was inducted into the World Squash Federation Hall of Fame, only four Australians out of twelve worldwide have been, and one of only two Victorians.

As well, Hunt has been inducted in to the Squash Australia Hall of Fame as a “Legend”, plus inducted into the Australian Sport Hall of Fame.

Gordon was a champion player but does not appear on our Australian or Victorian Championship Honour Boards, 
although he was Australia’s top male squash player from 1939‐1949, losing one game in the process.  He was a 
pioneer of our sport, an outstanding squash coach, managed two of the most successful squash centres/clubs in 
this country, plus was considered by many as a doyen of squash in Australia for 48 years, from 1931 to 1979. 
There is no doubt that the excellent  abilities  displayed by Watson in the formative years of squash in  Australia, to 
not only play the sport but to also organise it, laid the base for the solid foundation on which many generations 
thrived. 
Gordon started his squash career at the age of sixteen when working as a gymnasium instructor at the Pearce, 
Bjelke Peterson Physical Culture Institute, this building housed the first commercial squash court in Melbourne, 
being built in 1926, then became the club’s squash professional in 1931.  
In those days, anyone teaching physical fitness was classed as a professional and unable to play any sport as an 
amateur except golf, which meant that Gordon could only play in the Australian Professional Squash 
Championships, which commenced in 1931, the same year as the Australian Men’s Amateur Championship was 
first held, although Watson did not become serious about the game until after his first trip overseas in 1936 to 
England and Germany. 
From 1931‐38 the Australian Professional Championship was won by Jim Watson (no relation), with Gordon being 
runner up on three occasions (1935/36 and 1938), but in the 1939 final Gordon defeated Jim and went on to remain 
champion until 1949. 
In 1939 the Broadhurst Cup was established and played for by the Australian Amateur and Professional Champions 
of that year, where Gordon Watson defeated the Australian Amateur Champion Merv Weston, 9/7, 9/5, 9/0, to 
become the first Australian Open Champion, and remaining the Open Champion until 1949. 
In 1949, Egyptian Mahmoud Abdel Karim, the British Open Champion and undefeated for fifteen years, came to 
Australia for the Australian Professional Championship where he met Watson in the final. Gordon led 8‐3 in the 
fifth game before Karim staged a remarkable comeback to take the game 10‐8.  
There was no doubt Watson suffered from the lack of all year round competition, and his close loss to Karim inspired 
him to sail to England for the 1950 British Open, becoming  the first Australian male  player to tour overseas. Watson 
lost in the semi‐finals to the then world number two, Indian Abdul Bari 9‐7 in the fifth.  
The world rankings around this time were, Karim No. 1, Bari No. 2, and Watson No. 3. 
An article in the Squash Player International in 1974 by Jack Giles, an English squash professional/writer, 
commented that, “The first player to really make an impact on the international scene was G.J. (Gordon) Watson. 
A very popular and respected figure, Gordon was a player of undoubted world class. He was afflicted by that bane 
of so many potentially great players – lack of real all‐year round competition. He could get that competition in those 
days only by coming to the U.K., then only for a month at a time. An expensive and not very satisfactory 
arrangement.”  
Watson owned the Watson’s Squash Academy in Flinders Lane for six years, prior to establishing the Gordon 
Watson Squash Centre in Hawthorn Road, Caulfield, where he remained until his retirement from the sport in 1979. 
The Gordon Watson Squash Club was the envy of all and during this period won 132 interclub pennant premierships.  
Watson was also an excellent coach, with no fewer than 21 Australian title holders, and winners of zillions of state 
titles, including the early champions of the Women’s game, Betty Meagher, Val Watts and Joan Watson, who 
annexed 7 Australian Amateur and 9 Victorian Amateur championships between them from 1946 to 1955, plus 
National male champions, Frank Harris, Merv Weston and Ian Carson, who claimed 7 Australian Amateur titles.  
Gordon Watson was our very first Victorian  Squash  Hall of Fame inductee; there is no doubt that the excellent  
abilities  displayed by Watson in the formative years of squash in  Australia, to not only play the sport but to also 
organise it, laid the base for the solid foundation on which many generations thrived.

Peter is highly regarded throughout the world of squash following 58 years of service as a player, venue operator and administrator, which includes playing a key role in the establishment of both the Victorian and Australian Masters Squash Associations.

His outstanding roles as an administrator includes:

· President of the Australian Masters Squash Association for the past 34 years and national tournament director for 4 years prior.

· Committee member of the Victorian Masters Squash Association for 4 years, then its President for 3 Years.

· Tournament Director for the 1995 and 2001 World Masters Squash Championships held in Melbourne.

· VSRA Pennant Committee member for 12 years.

· Tournament Director of the Victorian Open Squash Championships for 7 years (1979-1985).

· Tournament Director of the Australian Masters Squash Association and the Victorian Masters Squash Association for 9 years (1983-1992).

· Member of the World Squash Federation Master’s Committee for 10 years.

· Technical Director for the 2009 World Masters Games Squash Competition.

· An Executive Committee Member and Volunteer for squash for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

· President of Club Circuit Squash Association for the past 10 years.

· Chairman of the MCC Squash Club for the past 14 years.

· Tournament Director for the MCC Squash Club for 15 years.

· Committee Member of the Sunshine Squash Club from 1962-1967 and its President from 1967-1985.

· President of the Westside and Eastland Squash Clubs, plus a committee member of the Footscray Squash Club.

· Owner/Manager of the Westside Squash Centre for 5 years.

Peter has also enjoyed an illustrious playing career as evidenced by the following:

· World Masters Squash Champion - 1985,1993 and 99 and r/ up in 1989/94/95/ 2001.

· Australian Masters Squash Champion - 5 times.

· Australian Masters Games Squash Champion - 4 times.

· New Zealand Masters Squash Champion - 5 times.

· Victorian Masters Squash Champion - 6 times

· Represented Australia twelve times in Master’s Team events.

· MCC Squash Club member for 25 years, playing 668 matches and a member of 30 premiership teams.

In honour of his fantastic service and dedication to the sport of Squash Peter has been awarded:

· Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 2015 for services to the sport of squash through a range of executive roles.

· Life Membership of Squash and Racquetball Victoria in 2017

· Life Membership of the Australian Masters Squash Association 2002, Melbourne Cricket Club Squash Section 2009 and the Sunshine Squash Club 1980

· Distinguished Lifetime Service Award to squash by Squash Australia in 2015.

· Awarded the Jim Lambert Award 2016 Club Circuit

· Admitted to the Squash and Racquetball Victoria Hall of Fame in 2014.

· Legend Status of the MCC Squash Club 2019.

· Furthermore, the MCC Squash Club has established and named the Most Outstanding Club Person of the Year Award after him.

Margaret gave forty five years as a player, coach, administrator, team manager and selector. 
Margaret started playing squash in 1966 at the age of twenty one at the Balwyn Squash Courts, and after half a season in C grade was encouraged by the centre owner and her coach, the legendary Brian Boys, to jump six grades to play at No. 4 in their State A team.   
After one season at the No. 4 position she moved up to play No. 2 , then was selected for the Victorian team after only playing for two years and hadn’t even played  No.1 for her club.  
Margaret then quickly moved up to the No. 1 position for her club team and No. 1 player for her state, and for the following three years she did not lose a match in pennant or tournament play. 
In fact in an eight year period from 1969 to 1977 Margaret won every country and metro tournament in Victoria that she participated in which included eight successive Sale and Nunawading Opens, plus seven Warrnambool Opens. 
Overall,  at the state, national and international levels;  Margaret won three Victorian Amateur Championships(1974‐76), won the 1977 Australian and  1979 Victorian Open titles, finalist in the 1981 British Open, losing to Vicki Cardwell, semi finalist in the same event in 1975 & 1980, finished in third place in the inaugural World Open Championship in 1976, losing her semi final to Heather McKay, and a quarter finalist in 1981, plus won the inaugural World Women’s over 35 Championship in 1983, and represented her country & state on numerous occasions.   
These were remarkable achievements after starting out at age 21, plus she also suffered a virtual career ending injury in 1978 which took over twelve months to be diagnosed and corrected. 
After her retirement in 1982 from Open tournament play, Margaret moved into coaching and was an instant success and was coach of several Victorian and Australian teams. 
Not only was Margaret very successful with her on court coaching, but off the court she took on the role of Secretary of the Professional Squash Coaches Association of Victoria (PSCAV) in 1983, a position she held for 28 years, plus in 1992 also took on the role of Secretary of the Professional Squash Coaches Associa on of Australia (PSCAA), in which she served for 19 years. 
Roger Flynn, who held the position of Vice President of the PSCAV for 17 years, and of the PSCAA for 14 years stated, “Margaret fully understood the role of coaching, and how to keep coaches involved, a selfless person who held the coaching component of the sport together, both in Victoria and nationally for decades.” 
As if all of the above was not enough, Margaret also found me to be a National and Victorian Selector for over fifteen years.