Larkham, 75, who began playing tennis at the age of six, was honoured for his playing, coaching and officiating efforts spanning almost 50 years.

“I am honoured to be considered worthy, it is a unique and humbling experience,” Larkham said. “I have always loved tennis. It has given me so much, so many great memories.”

An ACT Junior Champion from the age of 12, Larkham went on to win a record eight adult ACT Resident singles titles.

He also won the ACT Open five times, beating internationally renowned players including Dick Crealy and Geoff Pollard, and beat Bill Bowrey (who won the Australian Open men’s singles title three months later) to reach the semi-finals of the 1968 NSW Hardcourt Championships, before losing to Tony Roche.

The first player from the ACT to travel overseas to play tennis, Larkham - known for his tenacity, sportsmanship and killer forehand - won singles titles in England, Holland, Switzerland and Germany.

Throughout his playing career, he also claimed the scalps of former Australian Open champions Frank Sedgman and Mark Edmonson.

Despite his success, he said the “highlight of his travels was definitely meeting Stephanie”, a British player who became his wife.

In 1977, with Stephanie, he built the first private tennis centre in Canberra, the Hawker Tennis Centre, coaching between 300-400 students each week at its peak.

As a coach, Larkham was instrumental in guiding Alun Jones, Amanda Grahame, and his sons, Brent and Todd, in their youth, all of whom went on to be ranked within the top 150 in the world.

“It [tennis coaching] was a great job,” Larkham said. “I’m incredibly proud of them all. As we all know tennis is a long, hard road.”

As an umpire, Larkham joked he came out “unscathed” when adjudicating an exhibition match in Canberra between ‘Superbrat’ John McEnroe and Paul McNamee.

In seniors, Larkham won the Australian 45 and over doubles championships with best mate Alan Richardson, and was runner-up at the 50 and over singles and mixed doubles titles.

He also represented Australia at the Fred Perry Cup international competition.

Larkham, who moved to Narooma in 1999, continued coaching juniors for several years. He can still be found competing hard “although in slow motion” each week at the Narooma tennis club.

Larkham and the late Charles Boag joined Wally Masur, Ken Willis, Keith Carnall, Ros Balodis and Alison Ide, as Canberra tennis legends on the Walk of Fame.

The Walk of Fame can be found at the entrance of the redeveloped Canberra Tennis Centre.