Evonne Goolagong Cawley       by Jeremy.A, Luke.S, Paul.C, Kirsten.S, Gavin.Y, Ian.M, Sophie.P, Max.L, Leon.K, Tyson R and Tessa C.

Evonne Goolagong Cawley is one of Australia's most successful Tennis players. Evonne was born in July 31st, 1951, Griffith, N.S.W. She grew up in a wheat town called Barellan. Her father Kenny was a shearer and her mother Linda worked at home looking after Evonne and her seven brothers and sisters. They were the only aboriginal family in the town. Their house was a tin shack with dirt floors, but Evonne says they were the happiest days of her life. They loved little games and swimming in the irrigation canal. Evonne won most of the games. The Goolagongs were the only aborigines at their local school. At the age of 11 she was given the chance to go to Sydney to train seriously to become a champion tennis player. She grabbed that opportunity and never looked back. Before she was 13, Evonne had won more than 80 singles and doubles age titles. When she was 14, she moved to Sydney and lived with her coach (Vick Edwards) and his family became her guardians. She went to school at Willoughby High where she enjoyed numerous sporting opportunities. In 1970 Evonne left to go on her first overseas tour to Britain. At 19, she met the man she would marry, Roger Cawley. When she came back to Australia she was elected to play for Australia in the 1970 Federation Cup. In 1971 she won the French Open in the same year she won Wimbledon she was now No.1 in the world. In 1972 she was awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire title, she was also Australian of the Year. The money she earned meant she could help her family. She was now wealthy and famous, touring nine months of the year. Her nicknames were "super mum", "La Belle Evonne" and "Sunshine Super Girl".  In 1974, her father was killed in a car accident - she didn't go home for the funeral. 

At 22, she came close to a break down - the pressure of playing 40 weeks of  tennis was too much.  In 1978 injuries interfered with her tennis.  In 1980, she again won Wimbledon. In 1981, she gave birth to a son Morgan. In 1983 she retired from competition tennis because of constant injuries. 1988 she was inducted into the international Tennis Hall Of Fame in the U.S.A. After her mother's death in 1991 the Cawley's moved to Noosa heads in Queens land. She set about rediscovering her aboriginal roots and teaching her children about their culture. In 1993 she published her auto biography "Home!"  Today Evonne is a consultant to the Indigenous Sports Program, helping to raise money for sporting equipment for aboriginal communities.
 
Grand Slam Record

Australian Open: Singles-1974-77

Singles finalists-1971-73

Doubles-1971, 1974-76, 1977

French Open: Singles-1971

Singles Finalists-1972

Doubles-1972

Wimbledon: Singles-1971, 1980

Singles Finalists-1972, 1975-76

Doubles-1974

Doubles Finalists-1971

Mixed Finalists-1972

U.S. Open: Singles Finalists-1973-76

Tournament Record

Italian: Singles-1973

Doubles Finalists-1979

Federation Cup: 1971-76, 1982

 When Evonne was five she loved Tennis. The Goolagongs were all good at sport. Her first racquet was made from a wooden fruit box. She loved hitting the ball in to the wall with any thing she could get her hands on. After a while she got good Tennis skills. The local people supported and when she was ten she decided that she was going to Wimbledon and win. Evonne worked very hard with her coach Vic Edwards and started to win many local competitions. When Evonne was eighteen Vic Edwards decided it was time to go to Wimbledon.

She first played doubles with Trisha Edwards. She married Roger Cawley in 1974 and she retired in 1981 when her son Morgan was born.  

At her first Wimbledon, she lost in the second round. The very next year, she put the Tennis world into a SPIN! Being the first Aboriginal Australian to win Wimbledon. Evonne had a very successful Tennis career winning four Australian opens and one French open. She won 92 professional tournaments. In 1965 Evonne married English Tennis player, Roger Cawley. Vic Edwards didn't like the idea, so he and Evonne ended their partnership But it didn't stop Evonne!