Developing a Sport Museum: The Case of Tennis Australia and the Tennis Heritage Collection

Abstract

The case study describes strategic issues surrounding the preservation and exhibition of a collection of sport heritage artefacts. The case study is factual, and outlines the issues faced by Tennis Australia (the national governing body for tennis in Australia) in its decisions to preserve, house, and exhibit a significant international collection of the sport’s heritage—the Tennis Heritage Collection. The Tennis Heritage Collection is part of the governing body’s strategic plan, and has the full support of the CEO and President. The case study is written from the perspective of an employee of Tennis Australia (Janice) who has been assigned the responsibility of developing a concept for a museum to display the collection, including choosing potential elements to be considered for inclusion in the museum, and developing a plan for the museum’s location. The fictional employee begins from a perspective of knowing very little about sport heritage, museums, or tourism strategies in which museum and sport heritage visitation are embedded. Students should find this an interesting case as it provides them with a roadmap to understand the increasingly complex practical and theoretical issues surrounding sport heritage as cities use heritage to find a point of difference in marketing their stadia, teams, and facilities. From an educational perspective, this case provides the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge regarding sport heritage and nostalgia tourism to a practical situation. The case is suitable for upper-level undergraduate or graduate level studies in sport management, sport sociology, and sport tourism.