History
The South Suburban Badminton Association Inc. (SSBA) originally known as ‘The North Murray Badminton Association Inc’ was formed in the late 1960’s, when Armadale was a country town north of the Shire of Murray. In 1984, the name was changed to SSBA, when the founding name did not fit the annual country competition held by Badminton Association of Western Australia (BAWA) as Armadale was classified a suburb of Perth metro. SSBA is affiliated with BAWA.
The badminton courts in the Armadale Badminton Centre have been named ‘Laurie Blackburn Courts’ by Mayor Ruth Butterfield of the City of Armadale on 10 March 2026. Laurie Blackburn was instrumental in building the Armadale Badminton Centre. Together with his late wife, Ann, he also ran badminton clubs, weekend competitions, coached juniors and was also the booking officer for the hiring of courts. Laurie was on the inaugural SSBA Board and continued for 48 years, loyally serving the local badminton community.
Goals
- To be a sporting and social hub promoting badminton in Armadale and its surrounding community.
- To provide an affordable and appropriate playing surface to support the training, tournaments, social and casual participation by people of all ages, including elite and high performance players.
SSBA Board of Management
SSBA Board are volunteers who are hands-on with the management and upkeep of Armadale Badminton Centre.
Board members (2026/27):
- Secretary: Tania Phillips (Email: admin@ssba.net.au)
- Treasurer/Registrar: Orla McCarthy (Email: accounts@ssba.net.au)
- Booking Officer: Verghese Jacob (Tel: 0402 365 301)