From ping-pong games in church halls to Olympic tournaments, table tennis is now a global sport. Played in Victoria since the 19th century, 2025 marks the centenary of the state's official body, today called Table Tennis Victoria. The earliest stars of the sport, such as Arch Champion, the first Australian national title holder, included multisport talents and potato farmers. Dedicated officials - mostly volunteers - have stewarded table tennis and helped it to flourish; people who served for decades like Ron Jones, Joan Guggenheim and Albert Cooper. Wirth's Olympia, Earls Court and the Albert Park Nissen huts have housed table tennis' Victorian headquarters and now it's played in dozens of centres across Melbourne and the regions. Table tennis in Victoria is also a story of multicultural Australia, as it was enriched by waves of immigrants from Europe and Asia. Champions such as Hungarian Suzy Javor, Thailand's Charlie Wuvanich and Chinese Miao Miao delighted the crowds and raised the standard of the local game. Victorian table tennis has had its share of thrilling events, dramas and surprises, and this centenary history captures them all, along with celebrating the coaches, the officials and, most of all, the players.
A Smashing Success – 100 Years of Victorian Table Tennis is a beautifully produced, richly researched celebration of one of Victoria’s most enduring and community-driven sports. Tracing the sport’s journey from church halls and working-class suburbs to international arenas and Olympic podiums, the book blends sporting achievement with social history. It features rare archival photographs, personal interviews, and insights into the cultural shifts that shaped both table tennis and Victoria over the past century. This title will appeal to readers of local sporting histories, in that it captures the people, places, and passion behind a grassroots movement. Intended for adult readers and older teens (15+), the book will resonate with sports fans, historians, educators, and anyone with a connection to community sport or multicultural Victoria. Created by the Table Tennis Victoria History Group, with contributions from respected writers Bob Tuckett and Andrew Cornell, this is a heartfelt and authoritative addition to Australia’s sporting bookshelf.
