Goolagong was born in Griffith and raised in Barellan, New South Wales, of Wiradjurri and European ancestry. Her gift for tennis was evident at an early age and she went to Sydney aged nine to be coached by Vic Edwards.

At 13 she went to live with the Edwards family and Vic Edwards became her legal guardian. She soon began winning Australian junior tournaments. In 1970 she was Australian junior tennis champion; Australian Open women's champion in 1974-76 and 1978; Wimbledon women's singles champion in 1971 and 1980; French Open women's champion in 1971; South African Open women's champion in 1972; Italian Open women's champion in 1973.

Her marriage to Roger Cawley estranged her from her coach-foster father.

In 1971 she was named Australian of the Year, and has also been awarded an MBE. She retired in 1981 to run a tennis ranch in the USA but in 1992 moved back to Australia.

References

Dever, Maria, and Dever, Aileen. Relative Origins: Famous Foster and Adopted People. (Portland: National Book Company, 1992)
Matthews, Peter. Guinness International Who's Who of Sport. (Enfield: Guinness Publishing, 1993)
Cawley, Evonne Goolagong, and Jarratt, Phil. Home: The Evonne Goolagong Story. (Roseville, NSW: Simon & Schuster, 1993)
Nadene, Tegan and Thomas. "Evonne Goolagong-Cawley." [Includes portrait]. Available at: http://mm-1.educ.monash.edu.au/1000/ivanhoe_ps/Tnt.htm
"Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Tennis Legend." [Includes portrait]. Available at: http://www.ausport.gov.au/sportex/pages/cawley.html
Goolagong, Evonne. On the Move. (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1975)
Who's Who in Australia 2001. (Melbourne: Information Australia Group, 2000)
The Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History, Society and Culture, David Horton, general editor. (Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, 1994)
Monash Biographical Dictionary of 20th Century Australia, general editors John Arnold and Deirdre Morris. (Port Melbourne: Reed Reference Publishing, 1994)

Indexes

Australian Aboriginal
Australia
USA
20th Century
21st Century
Sports
Estrangement from Adoptive or Foster Family
School-age Years, Adolescence
Priest, Religious, Teacher, Coach, Mentor, Patron, Apprentice Master or Owner
Adoptive/Foster Family Included Birth Child(ren)
Trans-Racial, Trans-Tribal, International or Trans-Cultural Adoption or Fostering
Parents Married (or Partnered) to Each Other