Akhurst, Daphne Jessie (1903 - 1933)

A promising pianist in her school days, Daphne Akhurst attended the State Conservatorium of Music in New South Wales, becoming a music teacher and performer. While studying, she became an enthusiastic tennis player, winning the schoolgirls’ singles championship in 1917-20. In 1923 she won the County of Cumberland ladies’ singles, and two years later, the Australasian championships. She went on to win the Australasian championships a further four times. Akhurst travelled to the United Kingdom, where she competed at Wimbledon, reaching the singles and doubles semi-finals and the mixed doubles final (with Jack Crawford). Akhurst out-performed all of the Australian men in the conmpetition and was ranked third in the world by Ayres’ Almanac.

Akhurst married Royston Stuckey Cozens, a tobacco manufacturer, in 1930, and retired from serious competition in 1931. The pair had one son. Akhurst died of an ectopic pregnancy in 1933.

See also

• Australian National University, Australian Dictionary of Biography Online, 2006, http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au. [ Details... ]
• Vamplew, Vray; Moore, Katharine; O'Hara, John; Cashman, Richard; Jobling, Ian (ed.), The Oxford Companion to Australian Sport, Revised Second edn, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1997. [ Details... ]