1914-2002
Mary McMahon, widely believed to be the best of her generation of Australian women bridge players, died in Sydney on 12 September 2002 at the age of 88.
For some years now, Mary’s bridge was confined to regular rubber games at the Double Bay Bridge Centre, together with her annual participation in her much-loved bridge tournament, the Surfers Congress. She shares with Tony Jackman the remarkable distinction of having played in every Surfers Congress from its inauguration in 1962 up to and including 2002. She won the teams title thirteen times and the pairs title six times.
Mary represented Australia in three Women’s Team Olympiads and in one Venice Cup. She also played for Australia in a number of Far East Teams Championships, winning the women’s title three times and the open title once (this was in 1970, the last time that Australia won this event).
On the national front, Mary won the women’s interstate teams title eleven times and the open teams twice. She also had numerous successes in pairs and individual championships.
At the State and club level, she was a prolific winner.
Tim Seres and Mary McMahon at the 2000 Gold Coast Congress
Her principal partners were the late Ruth Eaton and Tim Seres. Tim vouches at first-hand for Mary’s outstanding abilities, stating that her aggressive approach to bidding and her technical accomplishments in play and defence made her a champion. Her irreproachable ethics and good sportsmanship completed the picture of arguably the best woman player yet produced in Australia.
Denis Howard
