Table Tennis Fremantle

Table Tennis Fremantle Inc. currently have an agenda to provide good quality, high standard facilities. Fremantle Club wish to take a step further in the direction of obtaining an attractive playing facility, open most hours of each day of the week, providing for all interested participants.

Brief History

Table Tennis has been played in the Fremantle area since around the game was invented. Table Tennis is arguably the most PARTICIPATED ball sport in the World, with Asia now the dominant area. China alone has 60 million registered players at last count. Korea, Japan, India and Indonesia all have a huge participation rate. Every Sovereign country in the world is a member of The International Table Tennis Federation.

It was formally played in the 1938 at the Toc H rooms No.1 High St. Fremantle. After that to the Fremantle Police Boy’s Table Tennis Club, operating with 4 Tables in South Terrace near the southern end of Fremantle Oval. By now Fremantle club had pennant teams competing in the Western Australian Table Tennis Association.

Since that time up to date, there have been many performances of note by Fremantle players. Arthur Marshall was an Australian ranked junior (also competing at Wimbledon as a tennis player). Bill Bates (after moving to Victoria) won The World Veterans over 80 singles in Hohhot China in 2010. In The same tournament Gordon Lee beat Dieter Lippelt, World and European Champion, seeded 1 in the over 70 singles. 

In The World Veterans in Stockholm, Sweden - Lee partnered Stolzenburg from Germany to win the Silver medal. There have been many Australian representatives, and the area has produced International umpires, and qualified coaches.

At the present time Fremantle Table Tennis District players are catered for in a variety of premises. The main one being Samson Recreation Centre. The players there have ~10 tables for 5 sessions weekly, total 12 hours, every week of the year. This group has followed the thread from No. 1 High St. in 1938 to South Terrace, started in the 1940’s (vacated for Stan Reilly homes), to South Fremantle High School, 2 tables (outgrown), to Hilton park Bowling Club 4 tables (outgrown), then to Samson Recreation Centre 10 tables. Other places where Table Tennis Fremantle District groups get together (Samson Recreation Centre do not have the hours available) include Melville Recreation area, Mission to Seamen Fremantle, Spearwood senior citizens, many school’s, and some Universities in the area, some playing in sub-standard halls. That is, on carpet, dim lights, and low ceilings.

Fremantle players 1956 Harburn,Sergeant and Lee

Zampatti and Marshall. Fremantle Tournament c 1949

Players from 1938

Sunday morning Melville 2021

Viktor Barna Hungarian/British winner of 41 world Championship Medals . 5 times singles Champion.

(Shown playing in Fremantle Town Hall as a guest of Fremantle Table Tennis Club.)

Len Hitchen. Current patron. Life member TTA. TTWA. East Fremantle Football Club. Former president of all those clubs and Fremantle Table Tennis Club. Member of the Swaythling Club International.

Session at Samson

Lenny Properjohn member of Australian AWD squad. Pictured as a young lad with Gordon Lee