Evonne Goolagong celebrity print 1972

Summary

This concrete handprint was formerly located as a part of the iconic McEwans celebrity pavement. Between 1972 and 1994, scores of celebrities had their handprints and footprints immortalised in cement at the entrance to the McEwans hardware store on Bourke Street. The City of Melbourne Art and Heritage Collection acquired a number of these impressed concrete slabs from the original celebrity pavement in 2005.

"Evonne Goolagong (born 1951) won the women’s singles tennis title at Wimbledon in 1971. She was named Australian of the Year and in 1972 was awarded an MBE. Goolagong would go on to win 14 Grand Slam tournament titles over her long career. She was in Melbourne in December 1972 competing in the 1973 Australian Open (the tournament concluded on New Year’s Day 1973). Goolagong was defeated by Margaret Court in the women’s final. She would win her first Australian Open singles title the following year." - Robyn Annear, 2023