Popularised in movies such as Heathers, Alice in Wonderland and, more recently, Netflix’s adaptation of Bridgerton, croquet has seen a resurgence in interest in Canberra and surrounds. 

A player of two years, Nerida Gill, 64, is the recent victor of the NSW Division 3 Golf Croquet Singles Croquet Tournament, bringing the title home for Canberra. 

Thought to have started in Ireland, it arrived in Britain in the 1850s. Croquet is played between two, four or six players with the objective of hitting a ball through a course of hoops that are pinned to the ground, before aiming for the centre peg to win. 

The resurgence of the sport was putting pressure on the croquet club in Yarralumla, which had a waiting list, so a new club was formed at the Belconnen Bowling Club in Hawker to take the overflow. 

Nerida thinks the attraction of croquet is its ageless appeal. 

“I know of a young man who’s 14 and he and his older sister are both playing. I’ve also heard of people in their 90s who are using a walker while they play,” she says. 

Played in just about all weather conditions, Nerida says that, for her, there’s a lot of strategy involved. 

“It’s a bit of a mental game,” she says. “You’re learning different strategies all the time, and that’s why I go to competitions, because I learn from other people.

“It’s not getting your heart rate up, like one of those really active [sports], but you’re still out and about and interacting with people.” 

Without complicated rules or previous skills needed to participate, Nerida says it’s the perfect family sport. 

Although often depicted as a peaceful, social sport, she says croquet is a “nasty game for nice people”.

“Often you’re hitting other people’s balls away, you’re not trying to go through the hoop yourself, you’re trying to stop other people going through the hoop,” she says. 

“I’ve played at a lot of different clubs, but I’ve not come across anyone who’s been mean.”

With games running for up to an hour and 15 minutes, Nerida says it’s the perfect sport for people who don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to competitions and training.

The Belconnen Croquet Club at the Belconnen Bowling Club, Beetaloo Street, Hawker. is accepting new members with a variety of training sessions each week to cater to differing schedules. More at belconnencroquet.com.au