Brian Reginald Tobin (5 December 1930 – 22 April 2024) was an Australian tennis player and executive who was the president of the

International Tennis Federation The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is the governing body of world tennis, wheelchair tennis, and beach tennis. It was founded in 1913 as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by twelve national tennis associations. As of 2016, there a ...

from 1991 to 1999. He was awarded the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

in 1986 and the

Olympic Order The Olympic Order, established in 1975, is the highest award of the Olympic Movement. It is awarded for particularly distinguished contributions to the Olympic Movement, i.e. recognition of efforts worthy of merit in the cause of sport. Traditi ...

in 1999. Apart from awards, he was inducted into the

International Tennis Hall of Fame The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It honors both players and other contributors to the sport of tennis. The complex, the former Newport Casino, includes a museum, grass tennis courts, an indo ...

in 2003 and the

Australian Tennis Hall of Fame The Australian Tennis Hall of Fame was established in 1993 by Tennis Australia under the leadership of then-president Geoff Pollard. Described by Tennis Australia as "one of the highest honours Australian tennis players can receive", inductees are ...

in 2004.

Early life and education

Tobin was born on 5 December 1930 in Perth, Western Australia. As a teenager, Tobin played

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

before switching to tennis. He attended

Christian Brothers' College, Perth Christian Brothers College (CBC), informally known as CBC Perth or The Terrace was an Independent school for boys situated on St Georges Terrace in the centre of Perth, Western Australia. The college opened in January 1894, and the college was a ...

for his post-secondary education.

Career

As a tennis player, Tobin appeared at his first

Grand Slam Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...

tournament during the 1949 Australian Championships. During the 1950s and 1960s, he played in multiple Australian Championships in singles and doubles events. Outside of Australia, Tobin participated at the 1964 French Championships where he reached the first round in doubles. Apart from playing tennis, Tobin was the captain of the Australian team that won the 1964 Federation Cup. He began his executive career as a member of

Tennis Australia Tennis Australia Limited is the governing body for Tennis in Australia. It is owned by Australian states and territories. The association organises national and international Tennis tournaments including the Australian Open, the Australian Open ...

in 1965. He was promoted to president in 1977 and remained with the organization until 1989. He later became president of the

from 1991 to 1999.

Death

Tobin died on 22 April 2024, at the age of 93.

Awards and honours

Tobin was appointed a

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

(AM) in the

1986 Australia Day Honours The 1986 Australia Day Honours were announced on 26 January 1986 by the Governor General of Australia, Sir Ninian Stephen. The Australia Day Honours are the first of the two major annual honours lists, announced on Australia Day (26 January), with ...

, "for service to tennis, particularly in the field of administration"; he was additionally awarded the

in 1999. Tobin was first inducted into the

Sport Australia Hall of Fame The Sport Australia Hall of Fame was established on 10 December 1985 to recognise the achievements of Australian sportsmen and sportswomen. The inaugural induction included 120 members with Sir Don Bradman as the first inductee and Dawn Fraser th ...

in 1991. Subsequent hall of fame inductions for Tobin were the

in 2003 and the

in 2004.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tobin, Brian 1930 births 2024 deaths Australian male tennis players Members of the Order of Australia Recipients of the Olympic Order Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees Tennis executives Presidents of the International Tennis Federation Tennis players from Perth, Western Australia Sportsmen from Western Australia 20th-century Australian sportsmen 20th-century Australian businesspeople