Which venue first hosted the Australasian Championships in 1905?

The Warehouseman’s Cricket Ground first hosted the Australasian Championships in 1905. The inaugural tournament was played on grass in Melbourne from 21 to 25 November and is recognised as the first edition of today’s Australian Open.

The ground was in Albert Park and was primarily associated with cricket, but it also contained grass tennis courts. The first championship had a small field of 17 men in singles, reflecting the tournament’s early regional character. Australian Rodney Heath defeated Albert Curtis in the final and became the first men’s singles champion.

The venue is now associated with the Albert Reserve Tennis Centre. It should not be confused with later Australian Open homes such as Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, which hosted the event from 1972 through 1987, or Melbourne Park, its home since 1988.

The tournament itself was then called the Australasian Championships because Australia and New Zealand were involved in the organising structure. It became the Australian Championships in 1927 and took the Australian Open name in 1969.