It was first played in 1905 as The Australasian Championships, and became the Australian Championships in 1927 and the Australian Open in 1969. Since 1905, The Championships have been staged at six different venues as follows: Melbourne [46 times], Sydney [17] Adelaide [14], Brisbane [8], Perth [3], New Zealand [2] 1906 & 1912.
In 1972, it was decided to stage the Tournament in the one city each year, as opposed to visiting various states across the nation, and the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club was selected due to Melbourne attracting the biggest patronage.
Melbourne Park (formerly Flinders Park) was constructed in time for the 1988 Open to meet the demands of the evolving tournament that had outgrown Kooyong's capacity. The move to Flinders Park was an immediate success, with a 90 per cent increase in attendance in 1988 (266,436) on the previous year at Kooyong (140,000).
Youngest Champions
Men's singles: Ken Rosewall (18 years, 2 months) in 1953.
Women's singles: Martina Hingis (16 years, 3 months) in 1997.
Men's doubles: Lew Hoad (18 years, 2 months) in 1953.
Women's doubles: Mirjana Lucic (15 years, 10 months) in 1998.
Mixed doubles: Venus Williams (17 years, 7 months) in 1998.
Oldest Champions
Men's singles: Ken Rosewall (37 years, 2 months) in 1972.
Women's singles: Thelma Long (35 years, 8 months) in 1954.
Men's doubles: Norman Brookes (46 years, 2 months) in 1924.
Women's doubles: Thelma Long (37 years, 7 months) in 1956.
Most successive singles
Men: Roy Emerson (5) 1963-1967.
Women: Margaret Smith (7) 1960-1966.
Most successive doubles
Men: Adrian Quist (10) 1935-1950.
Women: Martina Navratilova / Pam Shriver (7) 1983-1989.
Triples (singles, doubles, mixed doubles)
Men: John Hawkes 1926; Jean Borotra 1928; Jack Crawford 1932.
Women: Daphne Akhurst 1925 / 1928 / 1929; Nancye Wynne Bolton 1940 / 1947 / 1948; Thelma Long 1952; Margaret Smith 1963.
Junior and Senior Champions (singles champions who previously won junior singles title)
Men: Jack Crawford, Vivian McGrath, Adrian Quist, John Bromwich, Dinny Pails, Frank Sedgman, Ken McGregor, Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad, Rod Laver, John Newcombe, Stefan Edberg.
Women: Joan Hartigan, Emily Westacott, Thelma Long, Beryl Penrose, Mary Carter-Reitano, Kerry Reid, Evonne Cawley, Chris O'Neil.
Left-handed Singles Champions
Men: Horace Rice (1907), Norman Brookes (1911), John Hawkes (1926), Mervyn Rose (1954), Rod Laver (1960 / 1962 / 1969), Jimmy Connors (1974), Guillermo Vilas (Dec. 1978 / 1979), Roscoe Tanner (1977), Petr Korda (1998).
Women: Martina Navratilova (1981 / 1983 / 1985), Monica Seles (1991 / 1992 / 1993 / 1996).
Biggest Gap between First and Last Singles Titles
Men: Ken Rosewall (20 years) 1953-1972.
Women: Nancye Wynne Bolton (15 years) 1937-1951.
Whitewash Result
Men: (6-0 6-0 6-0) Recorded by six men - James Anderson (first round 1925), Fred Perry (quarter final 1935), John Bromwich (first round 1949), Neale Fraser (first round 1953), Martin Mulligan (first round 1960), Richard Russell (first round 1966).
Women: (6-0 6-0) Recorded by 13 women, including four in 1998 (Mary Pierce achieving the feat twice). Margaret Court achieved the feat four times and Wendy Turnbull three times.
Unseeded Champions
Men: Mark Edmondson (1976).
Women: Chris O'Neil (1978).
Champions Abroad but not at Home
(Six former Australian players who won Grand Slam singles titles overseas but failed to capture their native crown):
Neale Fraser: three-times Australian runner-up (Wimbledon and US champion).
Fred Stolle: twice Australian runner-up (French and US champion).
Mal Anderson: twice Australian runner-up (US champion).
Tony Roche: Australian semi finalist (French champion).
Lesley Turner Bowrey: twice Australian runner-up (French champion).
Pat Cash: twice Australian runner-up (Wimbledon champion).
Oddity
John Newcombe won three Wimbledon titles and one US crown before winning the Australian Open at Melbourne in 1973 .
Rhys Gemmell (1921 men's singles champion) is the only Australian-born champion not to have played Davis Cup for his country .
The 1998 Australian Open saw two of the five senior titles won by wildcards - Martina Hingis / Mirjana Lucic in the women's doubles and Justin Gimelstob / Venus Williams in the mixed doubles.