В поиске истории австралийского дартс

I was recently in contact with Darts Historian, Dr. Patrick Chaplin about his upgraded, new and improved website www.patrickchaplin.com.
We were talking about the history of the greatest sport in the world and Patrick then asked me what I knew about the history of darts in Australia. I was a little embarrassed when I realised and had to admit that I knew a bit about the sport over the past twenty years but before that not much at all. Nothing.

Obviously, I’d heard that ex-servicemen and women returning home after the Second World War brought the game back with them and I’d also been aware that ex-pats who settled over here clearly encouraged the game through pubs and bars and, of course, British Legion clubs.

But that’s about it. That’s the full extent of my knowledge of the history of darts in our country pre-1980. (Not much eh?)

But do you know any more? What can you tell me about it? Were you involved in Australian darts in the early days? Where were the first organised darts leagues held and who was responsible for setting them up? Who was the first recognized Australian darts champion? When did Australian women first start playing darts?

So many questions, but as yet no answers. So come on, help me - and ‘Doctor Darts’ - reconstruct the history of darts in Oz. Any information whatever – however small – would be gratefully received. Just contact me at wazza180@bigpond.net.au and I’ll add it to my database and later produce a piece for inclusion on this website and on Patrick’s site.

C’mon. Let’s do it!

Warren A. Ackary

Patrick Chaplin