What name did the Australian Championships adopt in 1969?

The Australian Championships adopted the name Australian Open in 1969.

The tournament had previously been called the Australasian Championships from 1905 through 1926, then the Australian Championships from 1927 through 1968. The 1969 edition, staged in Brisbane, marked both the new name and the tournament’s entry into the Open Era, when professionals could compete alongside amateurs.

That timing can cause a common mix-up: the event became the Australian Open in 1969, but it did not move permanently to Melbourne Park until 1988. Earlier editions were held in several Australian cities and twice in New Zealand. The 1969 tournament was also the first Australian Open and the last Grand Slam event to allow both amateur and professional players under the new Open-era structure.

The name change therefore reflects more than a branding update. It coincided with a major change in tennis’s competitive system, while the tournament’s modern Melbourne identity developed later.