Skip to Content
Department of Premier and Cabinet

Divisions

Contact Details

By phone
Find the number of a specific division or office to contact them directly or call Service Tasmania on 1300 135 513.

Our staff
Use the Tasmanian Government Directory to find staff contact details

Joan Carswell

Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women logo
Joan Carswell

Awarded for service to Sport and Recreation

Born: 15 April 1924

Entered on roll: 2008


Joan Carswell was born in Launceston and was educated at Invermay School. Her schooling was cut short when she developed the symptoms of polio and her mother sent her to her family home ‘Glenfern’ at Kempton to recover. Joan began her working life in the warehouse office of Patons and Baldwins. She married Andy in 1944 and has two sons and one daughter.

In the 1960s, Joan became interested in tennis as a result of her children’s enthusiasm for the game. She took on the responsibility of organising the large City and Suburban Tennis Pennant at that time, a role she has continued to the present day.

The pennant provides regular competition for members of every club in Launceston and surrounding districts. Its organisation requires an enormous amount of time, which Joan gives willingly on a voluntary basis.

The City and Suburban Pennant spans centres from Georgetown to Perth and Longford, Ravenswood to Riverside and all points in between. It caters for players from all levels and brings hundreds of women, and often their small children, together for the chance to talk and play tennis. The low cost of the event allows women who may otherwise be isolated to interact with others on a regular basis.

Joan organises the grading and rosters for the large number of teams which participate from October to April, as well as organising the finals each year. She also fields all enquiries about the roster, from weather conditions to rule clarification.

By facilitating the ongoing viability of the City and Suburban Tennis Pennant, Joan also provides the opportunity for social interaction between a diverse range of people. There are no barriers to participation in the pennant. In more than 40 years’ voluntary service Joan has seen many friendships formed, assistance given to those who need it, and has given the women of Launceston an opportunity for a weekly gathering in a healthy atmosphere.

Joan was awarded an Australian Sports Medal in 2000 in recognition of her efforts.

<< Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women