She started playing tennis when she was a young girl. A began when Bill Kurtzman, a player at Barellan, saw Goolagong looking through the fence of the local tennis courts. He asked her if she would like to try playing. She joined the local tennis club when she was seven years old. She quickly showed a talent for the game. She was fast and had quick reflexes. She played in competitions with neighbouring towns. In 1961, Vic Edwards, the owner of a tennis school in Sydney, travelled to Barellan to watch Goolagong play. She was eleven years old at the time.