History of Bridge in the ACT

The purpose of this brief paper is to help establish an agreed chronology of the very early history of bridge in Canberra, and the main milestones in the development of the Canberra Bridge Club.

It does not intend to be a comprehensive history. Over time, there have been many issues that are not covered here. Nor does this paper do justice to the achievements of the many players and administrators who have contributed to Canberra bridge over this period. Hopefully others will fill in these gaps.

Wherever possible, the narrative is based on information from contemporary written sources, particularly The Canberra Times, and the records of the ACTBA and the ACT and Canberra Bridge Clubs. These records have been preserved by David Hoffman and are stored in the Canberra Bridge Club rooms at Deakin.

Early days

The first recorded bridge competition in the ACT was held in 1926 at the Ainslie Hostel¹, but until the 1930s, bridge in Canberra was very much a personal and largely social affair. People learned from friends and played either at home or in one-off contests, usually associated with charity fund-raising. The game tended to be auction bridge rather than contract bridge, or a popular variant known as 'flag bridge' or 'war bridge', that was very similar to the old game of whist². Bridge was often featured at balls as an alternative to dancing.

As elsewhere, women formed the majority of bridge players and the majority of those promoting and organising the game, and in Canberra it was the YWCA that took the lead in organised, competitive bridge. The YWCA began to offer weekly lessons from 1930³. In 1932⁴ it started a bridge club that operated for more than 40 years. At the beginning, the aim seems to have been to cater also for men and young, working women by scheduling meetings in the evenings – initially once a fortnight. This did not last long though, and by April 1934 it reverted to Wednesday afternoons⁵.

The YWCA club seems to have been focussed primarily on auction bridge, but it still clearly produced some competent contract players. A leading player was Mrs Calthorpe (of Calthorpe’s House), who was part of the ACT team that competed at the Albert Hall in October 1932, against the crack Sydney team of Dr J McAdam, JR Adams, Frank Cayley and LW Donaldson, to raise money for Legacy. The other members of the team were Mrs CW Davies (captain), Mrs J Starling and Mr A Blair. The ACT team lost narrowly by 11 boards to 9⁶.

The development of competitive bridge in Canberra in the post-war era owes much to the energy of two women. The first was Maud Marshall, a prominent Canberra business identity of the 1940s. Born in 1877, she came to Canberra to work in, and later manage, the various government hostels, and she was Assistant Manager of the Hotel Canberra. In the 1930s she bought the private Acton Guest House, which she ran successfully until her retirement in the late 1940s⁷.

The second prominent figure was Olive Lott, born in 1902, who came to Canberra in 1926⁸ with her husband, who worked on the building of Parliament House⁹. As was common at the time, Olive did not have outside employment but was active in a wide range of community and sporting activities.

In late 1949 Maud founded the Canberra Card Club, to cater for those with a serious interest in card play¹⁰. The Card Club met at the Hockey Pavilion in Kingston. Olive was the club’s first auditor, and in subsequent years either she or Maud normally occupied the positions of President or Secretary of the club¹¹. Maud was also President of the YWCA Bridge Club in the early 1950s and was active in seeking new members willing to learn the game¹². Olive seems likely to have been involved in regular bridge sessions under the aegis of the Canberra Croquet Club, of which she was a founding member¹³.

Both women played major roles in the development of the Canberra Bridge Club and its associated entities.

The first Canberra Bridge Club

Although a later published reminiscence gave a different date¹⁴, we now know from contemporary records that a Canberra Bridge Club was first formed on 3 March 1954¹⁵. Following advertising in the Canberra Times, 16 people attended the founding meeting at the YWCA. The President was Mr Tony Ceicys, a prominent local builder and President of the local Lithuanian community. The Vice-President of the new Bridge Club was Mr G van Wely. Maud Marshall was Secretary-Treasurer¹⁶. The Canberra Times reported that almost half the members were 'New Australians'¹⁷.

Initially, the club planned to meet at the YWCA¹⁸, but instead located itself at the Hotel Civic. This was still a time of early closing, and on the afternoon of the first meeting the hotel applied for a licence to serve alcohol during the session. In making the case, the hotel noted that the participants were mainly elderly ladies who would have coffee and biscuits at 10pm but would like to have a little liquor during the evening¹⁹.

The club at first progressed relatively quickly. It moved from one night to two – Tuesdays and Thursdays²⁰ – but numbers then began to dwindle. Many of the 40 or so who originally joined wanted to play auction rather than contract bridge, and numbers dropped to about 12 regulars²¹.

Accommodation was also a problem. In June the club changed venue to the Hockey Pavilion in Kingston²². The club was back at the Hotel Civic in October²³. In December 1954, in an indication that the club was struggling, Maud Marshall placed two advertisements in the Canberra Times, asking for past and present members to attend a meeting. She specifically invited auction as well as contract players²⁴.

Little is known about the activities of the club in the years 1955–59, or its office bearers, but the number of players was very small – around 15 regulars only²⁵. Olive Lott had become President by 1957²⁶, and possibly earlier. A Canberra Times advertisement in 1957 announced that the club was moving back to the Hockey Pavilion and was seeking experienced players²⁷. For a while it appeared to be using the name of ‘Canberra Contract Bridge Club,’ perhaps to distinguish itself from the YWCA club²⁸.

In January 1960 Canberra Bridge Club was located at the Good Neighbour Council rooms, in the former Riverside Hostel in Barton²⁹. Later, along with the Canberra Card Club, it moved to the Burns Club in Forrest³⁰. Olive Lott came to an agreement with the Burns Club under which the Burns Club agreed to provide the venue if the members of the bridge club all became members of the Burns Club³¹. The exact date of the move to the Burns Club cannot be verified at this stage – a 1965 account that gave a date of 1959 seems clearly wrong³² — but mid-1960 seems most likely. In 1962 bridge was being played once a week on Thursday night³³. During this period, the club was never established as a formal entity³⁴.

The YWCA club continued to meet weekly, but was advertising itself as an auction bridge club³⁵.

The Burns Group and the ACTBA

In hindsight, the move to the Burns Club was a turning point in the development of bridge in Canberra. Having a stable, pleasant and affordable place to play was a major boost, and bridge was further stimulated by the arrival of experienced players who came to Canberra as a result of their Government Departments, particularly Defence, moving to Canberra³⁶. The group, though, was still small. Even after Defence moved, there were only about 30 members³⁷.

The prospering of bridge at the Burns Club, however, revived interested in formal structures. Olive Lott recalled that she was asked, on 13 September 1962, to create a working group to form an ACT Bridge Association, with the intention of becoming a recognised state association within the Australian Bridge Council (as the Australian Bridge Federation was then known)³⁸. There does not appear to be any surviving documentary record of the sequence of events beyond this. However, the office bearers, announced in October 1962, were President: Olive Lott; Vice-President: Mr. Caplehorn; Secretary: Mr. Pearson; Treasurer: Mr. Makowski; Publicity Officer: Mr. E. Larsen; Committee: Mrs. Temple, Messrs. Vouten and Poplawski³⁹.

Olive Lott remained in the position of President until 1966. She was made an Honorary Vice-President of the ACTBA in 1967, when the constitution was changed to allow this⁴⁰.

Creation of the ACTBA did not mean automatic affiliation with the ABC. The ACTBA wrote seeking affiliation in January 1963, and States were asked to vote by 25 March 1963⁴¹. Frank Cayley, the President, visited Canberra at the beginning of 1963 for discussions, and reported to the ABC in February that the ACTBA would be an asset and it would able to run the Australian National Championships (ANC)⁴². Following the vote in favour, the ACT was represented at the ABC for the first time at the May 1963 meeting in Sydney (although as was common practice at the time, it nominated a Sydney resident, Denis Howard, to represent its interests)⁴³.

For a while after the formation of the ACTBA, bridge play continued on occasion to be under the name of the Canberra Bridge Club, and minutes of meetings were given as joint meetings of the ACTBA and Canberra Bridge Club⁴⁴. However this was not consistent, and there was no separate organisation.

By 1965 the annual program made no mention of the Canberra Bridge Club, with everything being attributed to the ‘Burns Bridge Group’ under the aegis of the ACTBA⁴⁵. Olive Lott continue to run sessions on Monday afternoons, known as the ACTBA Associates, which became a major fund-raiser for the ACTBA⁴⁶. By 1966, in the days before the Barry Turner Fund, fund-raising focussed most heavily on supporting players going to the ANC⁴⁷. The organisational structure was still reasonably informal, and the ACTBA was not incorporated until 29 March 1972⁴⁸.

The formation of the ACTBA began a serious push towards more competition-oriented bridge. Until then only rubber bridge had been played, due in part to the small numbers. However, the new committee announced an intention to start duplicate sessions and to be represented at the interstate championships⁴⁹. The first duplicate sessions began at the end of November 1962⁵⁰.

The New Canberra Bridge Club

By mid-1965 bridge was running three nights a week at the Burns Club⁵¹. Among other sources, the ANU was also providing a new influx of younger people interested in playing serious bridge, including several future international players⁵². However, increasing numbers and interests were accompanied by increasing tensions within the bridge community.

In September 1965, 30 people attended a meeting at the Canberra Theatre Centre, to discuss the formation of a new club that would be affiliated with the ACTBA but operate separately from the Burns Bridge Group⁵³. The new club was initially called the Capital City Bridge Club, but soon after formation decided to change its name to the Canberra Bridge Club⁵⁴. The President of the new club was Alan McArthur and the Secretary was Margaret Horgan⁵⁵.

This name was initially contested, as Olive Lott wished to use the name for her ladies’ group that met on Mondays⁵⁶. However, the issue appears to have been amicably resolved and in June 1965, in recognition of her role in the previous Canberra Bridge Club, Olive Lott became the first Honorary Member of the new club⁵⁷. Average attendance in the first two years was about 30 players⁵⁸, with around 80 financial members⁵⁹.

Where Bridge Was Played

The new Canberra Bridge Club initially met each Thursday in the Canberra Theatre’s Meeting Room⁶⁰. However, sometime in early 1966 it moved to the Burns Club, where the Burns Group was also continuing to meet.

The growing size of the bridge community meant that that it was outgrowing the Burns Club⁶¹, and a growing proportion of players were not Burns Club members⁶². In June 1966 both the Burns Club Group and the Capital City Bridge Club moved to the Griffin Centre in Civic, which had been built specifically to house Canberra’s voluntary organisationss⁶³. Because of the move, the ACTBA, through a meeting chaired by Olive Lott on 23 October 1966⁶⁴, replaced the Burns Club Group with an entity known as the ACT Bridge Association Bridge Club, (commonly known as the ACT Bridge Club). The role of the new club was to run events for the ACTBA and to provide it with a place to meet and hold functionss⁶⁵.

In 1969, bridge had grown sufficiently that the venue was changed to the large Rehearsal Room in the Griffin Centres⁶⁶. In February, regular bridge was being played there on Tuesday and Thursday nights, and at Gowrie Private Hotel on Sundays, under the auspices of the Gowrie Bridge Clubs⁶⁷. Combined average attendance on weeknights was about 120 peoples⁶⁸.

The CBC moved from the Griffin Centre to Industry House in Barton in February 1968s⁶⁹. Then in 1970, in the face of rising rents, the CBC moved to St John’s Priory, the recently built headquarters of St John Ambulance in Canberra Avenue, adjacent to the Burns Club. This move required that the club, for the first time, buy its own tables and chairs. These eventually became the property of the ACTBAs⁷⁰.

The ACTBA and ACTBC remained at the Griffin Centre and put a lot of effort into making the Griffin Centre a permanent home for bridge. In 1969 the club proposed that part of the new development of the Griffin Centre be devoted to the sole use of bridge and the club offered to contribute to the cost of this⁷¹. In 1970 this was followed by a proposal signed by the three presidents of the CBC, ACTBA and ACTBC, that the club take a ten-year lease on the specially constructed rooms⁷².

However this came to nothing. At the end of 1971, the ACTBC was told that it would no longer be able to use the large Rehearsal Room in the Griffin Centre, and the alternative room offered was too small. It decided therefore to move to St John’s Priory from January 1972⁷³. In early 1972, it was running two sessions a week at St John’s Priory, on Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday evening⁷⁴. ACTBA events were also held there⁷⁵. However the ACTBA and ACTBC seem to have returned to the Griffin Centre by mid-1972⁷⁶.

The Deakin Building

Finding a secure and suitable home for bridge had been an issue since the 1950s, but it was becoming acute by the early seventies because bridge was booming. By June 1974 the clubs had 484 registered members, with bridge being played five evenings a week⁷⁷. Beginners’ lessons were held regularly. In September 1975, one beginners’ class reached an enrolment of 95⁷⁸.

The Griffin Centre, home of the ACT Bridge Club and the ACTBA, was a particular problem. Demand from other organisations for use of the space meant that the club could not always get access for its regular Tuesday night⁷⁹.

Olive Lott had been particularly strong about the need to establish premises for the club, and the proceeds of her Monday group were largely devoted to this. In 1970 a building fund was established, kick-started by a donation of $500 from the Monday group⁸⁰.

In the days of strict lending by banks, raising finance was no easy matter. The money needed was raised through a wide combination of donations, a bank loan, loans from individual members and the affiliated clubs, the NSWBA and the ABF. Even so, several members had to take the risk of being guarantors before the bank loan could be approved. The interest rate reached 23%, negotiated back to 17.5% in 1990⁸¹.

The Commonwealth Government agreed to give the club a 50-year lease on the land in Deakin in March 1974, for $6000. The club paid a deposit of $1560 in July⁸². After some problems with building delays of more than three months⁸³, the club took possession of the clubrooms in May 1975. Bridge began there on Monday 19 May⁸⁴. Jimmy O’Sullivan, President of the ABF⁸⁵, officially opened the rooms on Monday 16 June. The official opening was followed by a game of ‘novelty pairs,’ in which special rules were applied to each board⁸⁶.

This first stage of the clubrooms consisted of the Olive Lott Room and the current kitchen, toilets and office, and aimed to cater for 36 tables in comfort. By the standards of previous accommodation, it was luxurious, being fully carpeted and centrally heated. The cost was slightly more than $100,000⁸⁷.

In 1977 the ACTBA decided to extend the building, and in 1980 it received a loan of $150,000⁸⁸ from the Commonwealth Bank to supplement its funds on hand. It also received loans from the ABF and from members. In total, the new extensions doubled the size of the area. The building, in its current form, was completed in 1981. The extensions took the capacity of the club from about 120 to 344 members. The extensions were again opened by Jimmy O’Sullivan, on 26 September 1981. At the time, these extensions were thought to make the ACTBA’s building the largest, permanent bridge club in Australia⁸⁹.

Sitmar donated $3500 towards the cost of a car park, and work began on this in September 1982⁹⁰. In total, the new extensions and car park cost $269,000⁹¹.

In June 1989, the lower room was renamed the Barry Turner Room. Barry Turner was Treasurer for 15 years, Chairman of the House Management Committee for 13 years, Convenor of the Australian Youth Championships for 10 years, and a driving force behind the Summer Festival of Bridge⁹². Following an accident in July 1988 while doing maintenance on the clubrooms, he was forced to retire to Perth, where he died some years later. He was a generous financial donor to the club during his lifetime⁹³ and left the ACTBA money in his will, which now makes up the Barry Turner Fund and supports ACT teams competing in the ANC.

Competition

A major aim behind the establishment of the ACTBA was to promote high-level competition, and this developed quickly along several fronts.

Exhibition Matches

To help promote interest, in an event reminiscent of the visit of the McAdam team in 1932, NSW sent a star team in April 1963, to play an exhibition match against the ACT at Industry House. The NSW team included Tim Seres, Roelof Smilde, Denis Howard and Jim Borin. NSW won 133–51. As its first major event apart from the ANC, the ACTBA hosted a team competition at the Rex Hotel between the ACT, NSW and Victoria, over the Australia Day weekend in January 1964⁹⁴.

The Australian National Championships (ANC)

In 1963 the ACTBA sent its first team to an ANC, in the Open category. The team was not successful, winning only one match⁹⁵, but it was by no means disgraced, and helped build confidence for the future.

The ANC was held in Canberra for the first time from 27 August to 3 September 1966. The Championship events were played at the Hotel Canberra, with the finals being at the Playhouse. The side events took place at the Griffin Centre⁹⁶. The ACT team did not make the finals but won the Victor Champion Cup, which at that time was a consolation competition for the States and Territories that failed to make the final⁹⁷. A feature of this ANC was the first use of the Bridgerama, with commentary from Roelof Smilde⁹⁸.

The ACT held its second ANC in 1972 at the Hotel Canberra⁹⁹. In 1978, the ACT Women’s Team became the first successful ACT team at an ANC¹⁰⁰. The ACT won its first ANC Open title in 1981¹⁰¹.

In the early 1980s there had been some discussion about withdrawing the ANC from the ACT, because of the burden of organising the Sitmar Festival, and because of the Canberra winter, but the ANC held its ground¹⁰². The 1986 ANC was held at The Lakeside¹⁰³.

The Australia Day Congress and the NOT

On 30–31 January 1965, the ACTBA held its first annual Australia Day Congress at the Monaro Mall in Civic¹⁰⁴. The Australian donated the main teams’ prize. Angus & Coote provided the pairs' prize¹⁰⁵. Len Dixon was the Chief Tournament Director. The event, with 120 attendees, was judged to be a success¹⁰⁶. It was won by the team of Schaufelberger, Seres, Howard and Cummings.

In January 1966, the second Australia Day Congress was held at the Telopea Park High School¹⁰⁷. In January 1967, it moved to the Griffin Centre¹⁰⁸. In 1968, it was held at the ANU Union¹⁰⁹. The Congress quickly became a relatively important part of the bridge calendar. By 1972 it was attracting over 300 participants from outside the ACT, as well as 80 locals¹¹⁰.

In 1969 the ABF decided to locate the National Youth Championships in Canberra each year, to coincide with the Australia Day Congress¹¹¹. This continued until the 1990s at a range of locations, but the most common were various parts of the ANU campus and the clubrooms.

The inaugural ABF National Open Teams competition was held in Sydney in 1973, but in 1974 it was moved to Canberra to take place in the week before the ACT Congress, thus sequencing three events. The Youth Championships began on the preceding weekend, followed by the NOT and then the local Congress. The NOT was played at the Hotel Canberra, with the Australia Day Congress on the last weekend being played at The Lakeside¹¹².

The linking of the NOT with the Australia Day Congress brought large numbers of high quality bridge players to Canberra. In the late seventies it was one of the largest bridge events in the world, regularly attracting more than 500 participants¹¹³. However, it also made the Australia Day Congress, which became something of a rump event, less viable. In 1980 this consisted only of a casual, inter-city teams competition played at the clubrooms¹¹⁴. From 1982, because of falling attendances, the ACTBA ceded the Australia Day Congress to the ABF¹¹⁵. The ACTBA negotiated a contract with the ABF in 1990 for running the NOT and the Youth Championships¹¹⁶.

Other Local Events

In March 1972, the ACTBA started the Southern Tablelands Teams, which was hosted by the Goulburn Bridge Club, then affiliated with the ACTBA¹¹⁷. The Spring Congress began in 1977 as a joint venture between the ACT and Canberra Bridge Clubs¹¹⁸.

International Representation

Greater exposure to strong competition began to bring international recognition of ACT players. In November 1967, George Jesner became the first ACT player to play for Australia (in Manila)¹¹⁹. Dorothy Jesner and Sheila Fowler were selected for the Australian Women’s Team in 1970–71¹²⁰. David Hoffman and Tony Hancock played in the Australian Open Team in 1972¹²¹. These were the first of a very large ACT contribution to national teams, particularly when the relative size of the population is considered.

More organisational change 1977–1997

Organisational change and debate during this period centred on three inter-related issues – the relationship between the ACT and Canberra Bridge Clubs, their relationship to the ACTBA, and the challenges posed by the new clubs that began to emerge in the 1980s.

The Canberra Bridge Club — Mark 3

Over time, the existence of two clubs began to seem anomalous. The reasons for the original rift were becoming more distant, many players belonged to both clubs, and, for the most part, events were scheduled to allow players to compete in all competitions.

From 1968 there had been occasional discussions of varying seriousness between the ACT and Canberra Bridge Clubs about amalgamation. In 1971 there were further serious discussions between the two clubs¹²². There was a fine balance between the advantages and disadvantages of merger, and interest waxed and waned. However in 1977 the clubs agreed on a joint subscription system, and in November 1988 they finally amalgamated under the name of the Canberra Bridge Club.

The Canberra Bridge Club, the ACTBA and BFACT

At the 1972 annual general meeting of the ACTBA, it was agreed that a committee, separate from both the clubs and the ACTBA, would manage the planned new clubrooms¹²³, but this never happened. In addition to its role as a state body, the ACTBA continued to be responsible for the management of the clubrooms.

The ACTBA took a number of steps to improve administration and professionalism. In August 1979, initially on a three-month trial basis, the ACTBA recruited its first bridge professional as Director (John Roberts, from Sydney)¹²⁴. In 1984 the club appointed its first part-time administrative officer (Barbara Holford)¹²⁵. Nevertheless the situation was difficult, as the committees of the clubs (and then the unified Canberra Bridge Club) had a relatively limited role, and the ACTBA role in management of the premises and in directing, created a range of ambiguities about roles and responsibilities. By 1989 the situation had reached a point where the Canberra Bridge Club declined to pass on its surplus funds to the ACTBA, as had been the norm¹²⁶.

This period also saw the rise of a number of new clubs in the Canberra region. This generated interest in organisational change. The existence of other contract bridge clubs was not in itself a new phenomenon. During the 1960s there had been clubs at ANU and Gowrie Hostel that had affiliated with the ACTBA for a while¹²⁷. Initially, the constitution of the ACTBA prevented NSW clubs from joining, but constitutional changes in 1970 allowed Goulburn to affiliate¹²⁸.

In 1980–81, the Alice Springs Bridge Club also affiliated to the ACTBA¹²⁹.

Other clubs operated that did not affiliate. There was a CSIRO club, and a club was established in Belconnen in 1977 that reportedly did not wish to be swamped by good players¹³⁰. The Valley Bridge Club opened in 1979¹³¹ and Yowani Bridge Club was operating by 1984¹³². By the late 1980s and beyond, however, there were more clubs. These were generally larger, and looked to be longer-lived than the earlier incarnations. In 1987 there were three other thriving clubs – Belconnen, Tuggeranong and Ainslie¹³³, some of which were taking an interest in ACTBA issues. Grand Slam was officially opened by Hazel Hawke in June 1989¹³⁴. Tuggeranong affiliated with the ACTBA in 1990, and Grand Slam and Ainslie, as for-profit initiatives, were affiliated under a special arrangement as 'bridge groups'¹³⁵.

The NSWBA in 1988 was also encouraging clubs in south-western NSW to affiliate with the ACTBA¹³⁶. Cooma, Cootamundra, Goulburn and Tumut affiliated in 1989¹³⁷.

The increased diversity created three main issues. For the Canberra Bridge Club, it represented a potentially serious challenge to finances if it resulted in a loss of players, particularly among those less interested in high-level competition — the fastest-growing group of players.

The active involvement of other clubs in the ACTBA also raised the question of the future ownership of the clubrooms. Although formally owned by the ACTBA, the rooms had effectively been paid for by members of the current and former ACT and Canberra Bridge Clubs. In most years these clubs transferred their surplus funds to the ACTBA¹³⁸.

For the ACTBA, a central issue was how these new clubs should be represented. Although always intended as a representative body, the reality had been that the links between the ACTBA and the two Canberra Clubs were so close that only a minimum mechanism sufficed. Under the ACTBA constitution, as changed shortly after its foundation, each affiliated club was able to nominate a Vice-President.

In November 1991, after much debate, the constitution of the ACTBA was changed to give a basis for a new model of bridge organisation in the ACT. In the short term, the main impact was that the ACTBA absorbed the Canberra Bridge Club, which, for the second time, effectively ceased formal existence for a while¹³⁹. Following that absorption, however, the new constitution contained provisions for the ACTBA to cede its role as a representative body to a new body tentatively known as an ‘ACT and Surrounding Regions Bridge Federation’. Once the new organisation was established, the ACTBA would continue just as a club and owner of the clubrooms.¹⁴⁰

The transition to a new State/Territory body took, for a number of reasons, a lot longer than originally anticipated. However, in 1997, the Bridge Federation of the ACT replaced the ACTBA as the Territory umbrella organisation. In consequence, in August 1997 the ACTBA changed its constitution to reflect the loss of its Territory role, and adopted the name of Canberra Bridge Club¹⁴¹.

Footnotes

1. The Canberra Times, Friday 10 September 1926, page 14
2. For example, see The Canberra Times, Wednesday 22 November 1939, page 2
3. The Canberra Times, Thursday 20 March 1930, page 8
4. The Canberra Times, Thursday 11 August 1932, page 3
5. The Canberra Times, Thursday 5 April 1934, page 4
6. The Canberra Times, Tuesday 25 October 1932, page 4
7. The Canberra Times, Wednesday 8 June 1949, page 4
8. Hoffman D, 'Olive Francis Lott' Canberra Bridge Bulletin Number 1 February/March 2015, p4
9. The Canberra Times, Monday 9 July 1951, page 4
10. The Canberra Times Wednesday 25 January 1950, page 5
11. The Canberra Times, Friday 2 December 1955, page 2
12. The Canberra Times, Wednesday 27 August 1952, page 5
13. Blackall, H, Clark H, Meacock R, Williams R, A History of the Canberra Croquet Club 1928–98, pp. 4, 24, 26
14. The Canberra Times, Wednesday 3 February 1965, page 17
15. The Canberra Times, Wednesday 3 March 1954, p3
16. The Canberra Times, Tuesday 9 March 1954, p4
17. The Canberra Times, Tuesday 9 March 1954, p4
18. The Canberra Times, Tuesday 9 March 1954, p4
19. The Canberra Times, Thursday 18 March 1954, p2
20. The Canberra Times, Friday 4 June 1954, page 3
21. Note by Olive Lott in ACTBA files "Progress of bridge in the ACT" — date about 1966–67
22. The Canberra Times, Friday 4 June 1954, page 3
23. The Canberra Times, Wednesday 13 October 1954, page 3
24. The Canberra Times, Wednesday 8 December 1954, page 3
25. Note by Olive Lott in ACTBA files "Progress of bridge in the ACT" — date about 1966–67
26. The Canberra Times, Tuesday 15 January 1957, page 9
27. The Canberra Times, Tuesday 15 January 1957, page 9
28. The Canberra Times, Tuesday 5 January 1960, page 5
29. The Canberra Times, Tuesday 5 January 1960, page 5
30. The Canberra Times, Thursday 8 February 1962, page 5
31. ACTBA Newsletter, August 1963 p2
32. See The Canberra Times, Wednesday 3 February 1965, page 17
33. The Canberra Times, Thursday 8 February 1962, page 5
34. Minutes of CBC Special General Meeting, 28 April 1966
35. The Canberra Times, Wednesday 24 August 1960, page 16
36. Note by Olive Lott in ACTBA files – 'Progress of bridge in the ACT' — date about 1966–67
37. Note by Olive Lott in ACTBA files – 'Progress of bridge in the ACT' — date about 1966–67
38. Note by Olive Lott in ACTBA files – 'Progress of bridge in the ACT' — date about 1966–67
39. The Canberra Times (ACT: 1926 – 1995), Tuesday 16 October 1962, page 4
40. ACTBA: Minutes of Special General Meeting 21 March 1967
41. Australian Bridge Council: Minutes of Meetings 30 January and 6 February 1963
42. Australian Bridge Council: Minutes of Meeting 25 February 1963
43. The Australian Bridge Council: Minutes of Meeting of 27 May 1963
44. See for example, Minutes of ACTBA and CBC Committee Meeting 13 April 1964
45. Burns Bridge Group Programme 1965 (CBC Archive)
46. Note by Olive Lott in ACTBA files — date about 1966–67
47. Olive Lott: President’s Report 1966
48. Certificate of Incorporation: ACT Bridge Association (CBC Archives)
49. The Canberra Times, Tuesday 16 October 1962, page 4
50. The Canberra Times, Wednesday 21 November 1962, page 32
51. The Canberra Times, Wednesday 3 February 1965, page 17
52. Hoffman, David, Recollections of a bridge player in Canberra 1964–70, unpublished ms
53. The Canberra Times, Tuesday 5 October 1965, page 11
54. CBC Committee Meeting Minutes 26 February 1966
55. The Canberra Times, Tuesday 5 October 1965, page 11
56. Minutes of CBC Special General Meeting 28 April 1966
57. The Canberra Times, Tuesday 5 July 1966, page 11
58. CBC President’s Report 1966
59. Minutes of the CBC AGM, 30 November 1967
60. The Canberra Times, Thursday 30 September 1965, page 32
61. The Canberra Times, Wednesday 16 March 1966, page 26
62. Minutes of ACTBA and CBC Committee Meeting, 13 April 1964
63. The Canberra Times, Wednesday 15 June 1966, page 26
64. Minutes of the inaugural meeting of the ACT Bridge Club 23 October 1966
65. ACT Bridge Association Bridge Club: Constitution (CBC Archives)
66. ACTBA: Minutes of Annual General Meeting 12 October 1969
67. The Canberra Times, Wednesday 8 February 1967, page 20
68. Note by Olive Lott in ACTBA files — date about 1966–67
69. The Canberra Times, Friday 2 February 1968, page 12
70. CBC President’s Report 1970, page 3
71. Letter from V. Ackerman to ACT Council of Cultural Societies 28/11/69
72. Letter from V. Ackerman, E Crichton and A Macarthur to ACT Council of Cultural Societies 18/5/70
73. ACTBA Newsletter: December 1971
74. The Canberra Times, Wednesday 26 January 1972, page 22
75. The Canberra Times, Thursday 10 August 1972, page 18
76. The Canberra Times, Thursday 3 August 1972, page 12
77. The Canberra Times, Tuesday 1 January 1974, page 7
78. The Canberra Times, Thursday 18 September 1975, page 18
79. The Canberra Times, Thursday 18 April 1974, page 17
80. ACTBA: President’s Report 1969–70
81. ACTBA: Minutes of Annual General Meeting, 28 October 1990
82. Letter from TW Falconer to Barry Turner 8 July 1974
83. For a summary of the issues, see letter from D. Palmer to the Secretary ACTBA, 8 July 1975 (CBC Archives)
84. The Canberra Times, Thursday 8 May 1975, page 21
85. The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 – 1995), Thursday 5 June 1975, page 13
86. The Canberra Times, Thursday 26 June 1975, page 16
87. The Canberra Times, Thursday 5 June 1975, page 13
88. ACTBA: President's Report 1979/80
89. The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 – 1995), Thursday 17 September 1981, page 19
90. ACTBA: President's Report 1982
91. ACTBA: Financial Statements for the Year to 31 August 1983
92. ACTBA: President's Report for 1987/88
93. ACTBA: President's Report for 1988/89
94. The Canberra Times, Thursday 16 January 1964, page 4
95. The Canberra Times, Thursday 18 April 1963, page 4
96. 1996 Australian Contract Bridge Interstate Progamme (CBC Archive)
97. The Canberra Times, Wednesday 8 February 1967, page 20
98. Olive Lott: President’s Report 1966
99. ACTBA: President’s Report 1971–72
100. ACTBA: President’s Report 1978
101. ACTBA: President's Report 1981
102. The Canberra Times, Thursday 31 July 1986, page 17
103. The Canberra Times, Friday 18 July 1986, page 17
104. The Canberra Times, Monday 1 February 1965, page 3
105. The Australian, 1 February 1965, page 3
106. The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 – 1995), Wednesday 3 February 1965, page 17
107. The Canberra Times, Monday 31 January 1966, page 3
108. The Canberra Times, Saturday 28 January 1967, page 7
109. ACTBA Newsletter Vol 1 No 1 January 1968, p2
110. The Canberra Times, Thursday 3 February 1972, page 17
111. ACTBA: Minutes of Annual General Meeting 9 October 1968
112. The Canberra Times, Tuesday 1 January 1974, page 7
113. The Canberra Times, Sunday 29 July 1979, page 11
114. The Canberra Times, Monday 28 January 1980, page 3
115. ACTBA: President’s Report 1981
116. ACTBA: Minutes of Annual General Meeting, 28 October 1990
117. The Canberra Times, Thursday 3 February 1972, page 17
118. Canberra Bridge Club: Minutes of the AGM, 3 November 1977
119. Newsletter of the ACT Bridge Association, August 1967 p4
120. ACTBA: President's Report 1969–70
121. ACTBA: President's Report 1970–71
122. ACTBC : Newsletter December 1971
123. ACTBA: Minutes of the Annual General Meeting, 22 October 1972
124. ACTBA: President's Report 1979
125. ACTBA: President's Report 1984
126. ACTBA: President's Report for 1988/89
127. Newsletter of the ACT Bridge Association, August 1967 p2
128. ACTBA: President's Report 1970
129. ACTBA: Treasurers Report 1981, Members’ Funds Appropriation Account
130. ACTBA: Minutes of the Annual General Meeting, 31 October 1977
131. ACTBA: Treasurer's Report 1978/79
132. ACTBA: Statement of Income and Expenditure for the Year to 31 August 1984
133. The Canberra Times, Friday 14 August 1987, page 11
134. The Canberra Times, Tuesday 13 June 1989, page 20
135. Hudson H, ACTBA Constitutional Changes (1990)
136. ACTBA: President's Report for 1987/88
137. ACTBA: President's Report for 1988/89
138. Hudson H, ACTBA Constitutional Changes (1990)
139. ACTBA: Minutes of Annual General Meeting, 17 November 1991
140. Hudson, HR, ACTBA Constitutional Changes' 1981
141. ACTBA: Minutes of Special General Meeting 17 August 1997