Origins of tennis in Birkenhead

Tennis was played on private courts in Birkenhead as far back as the 1890s which was prior to the formation of Birkdale (now Birkenhead) Tennis Club. At this time courts were located at a few private residences in an area that was largely market gardening. 

The formation of Birkdale Tennis Club

Birkdale School (now Birkdale Primary School) was established in 1894 and became a focal point for the local community. As the population grew, so did the desire for a range of activities, many of which centered around the school. On Wed 8 November 1911, Birkdale School Headmaster Julian Brook chaired a meeting at the school hall to establish Birkdale Tennis Club. Brook was elected as the club’s first President, a role he would hold for a couple of years before handing over to Cranston Walton. The club grew under Walton and the one court at Birkdale School was supplemented by the use of the private court of Mr and Mrs Rainsford a few km away. 

Move to John G Kay Park

As demand for tennis grew, a delegation from the club applied to the Birkenhead Borough Council to lease land on John G Kay Park next to the area’s water supply. Council granted the club a lease to the land in 1922. The club has now been located at John G Kay Park for more than a century.

The Garrett Era

In 1923 Cranston Walton stood down as Club President to become Major of the Birkenhead Borough and Bill Garrett was elected for the first of what would be 23 consecutive years as President!. The first opening day at John G Kay Park took place the same year.  At the time the club had one clay court that had been carved out of the hill by hand. The original lines were said to be copper. It quickly became apparent that North Shore clay was not a sustainable surface and the clay court was re-surfaced with an asphalt surface.

In the next two years a second court (the current court 2) was added as well the club’s first attempt at a clubrooms - a three-sided construction resembling a bus shelter. A third court (the current court 1) was built in 1930 along with the club’s first proper clubrooms, a former butcher’s shop that was transported onto the site. 

The club joined the Auckland Tennis Association in the late 1920s/early 1930s and was one of only a handful of clubs from the North Shore to take part. This coincided with the addition of a Council road to Verrans Corner that allowed buses to transport residents to the ferry at Birkenhead Wharf. With most opposition teams located on the other side of the harbour, Saturdays often required hours of travel including ferry trips. During this period there were a number of local clubs that were operating in the Birkenhead area. In 1935 one of these, Rosebury Tennis Club that was also competing in the Auckland Tennis Competition wound up, effectively merging with Birkdale as the majority of members shifted to Birkdale Tennis Club.

Local businessman Ernie Osborne was heavily involved in the club’s development during the Garrett era. When he stood back from the club in 1939 he was made the club’s first life member. Osborne also served as Major of Birkenhead between 1936 to 1953.

Unlike many tennis clubs, the annual championships were not originally regular events. The first club championships only began in the late 1950s. Prior to this time regular tournaments were run with the annual handicap tournaments becoming the most coveted. Osborne and Garret donated the club’s first trophies for these in 1933. 

Post World War 

In 1948 Birkdale Tennis Club was a foundation member of the North Shore Lawn Tennis Associate (now Tennis Northern). This was an era where juniors received etiquette training so that they knew how to shake hands properly, boys would let their female partners change ends first, games were only played in white uniform, and members did not dare address each other using christian names.

By the 1960s and early 1970s things had changed (as had society) to the degree that it was not uncommon for some midweek players to sunbathe in their bras in the grass area beside the clubrooms. Admittedly Midweek was very much an all-female affair at the time.  

Unsettling times

In the early 1970s the Auckland Regional and Birkenhead Borough Councils (BBC) shared their intention to build a new reservoir at John G Kay Park. Seemingly futile discussions created a sense of impending doom and over the next few years club membership plummeted as it seemed that the Council wanted to remove the club at a time when the BBC had conveniently just established the Beachhaven Tennis Club as an alternative club. 

Negotiations were led by President Malcolm Doleman who negotiated for 2 ½ years to allow the club to continue to exist. In the end, the club lost its original court and clubrooms to the new reservoir. Part of the agreement included two new courts situated on top of the new reservoir. New clubrooms were built in 1975. These are still in use today although another level has been added. 

In 1982 the new reservoir was opened with great hype and ceremony. Guests included current and former Mayors, the Attorney General, Chairperson of the Auckland Regional Council, the local MP, and the President of North Harbour Tennis.

The Golden Era - 1980s and early 1990s

Following the conclusion of the reservoir discussions the club bounced back with a vengeance. This period was categorised by a number of strong personalities including Malcolm Doleman, Tony Gyde and Gordon Masters. 

Gordon Masters was responsible for establishing the region’s premier tennis competition - the Chelsea Cup which the club went on to win four times. In 1981 the club hosted what is thought to be the world's first Tiebreaker Tournament which drew in a number of the country’s top players. 

By 1983 membership had to be closed for the only time in the club’s history as the club could not accommodate any more members. Over the next couple of years the annual club champs had more than 300 matches!

In 1984, the club followed the local college changing its name from Birkdale to Birkenhead. At the time local real estate personality Paul Lachore was on the boards of both organisations and it is said the the decision to change the name was centred around Birkenhead being seen as a more desirable suburb.  

In 1985 the courts were upgraded from an asphalt to a playpave (a hardcourt surface).  The reservoir courts were abandoned in 1989 as they were just too windy being located on the highest point on the North Shore. To compensate the Council built what is now court 3. 

Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, the club became famous for its Saturday post-match functions that would last into the wee small hours. 

The club nearly folds

In 1993 President Gordon Masters passed away, sending the club into a slow tailspin. Gordon had been involved in every facet of the club and had been surrounded by loyal friends whose connection with the club was through Gordon. Over the next 10 years club membership dropped from the 200s down to 22 paying members. The diminished membership meant that the club could not service debt owed for previous resurfacing and did not have the funds to maintain courts. By 1999 the club champs were no longer being held and in 2002 a Special General Meeting (SGM) was called to decide if the club would fold.

A new way of doing things

At the 2002 SGM the decision was made to fight, not fold. Christo Peters was elected as President for the first of two terms that together would total 20 years. With the support of an invigorated committee, the revitalisation of the club began. Debt was paid off gradually, grant funding enabled the club to resurface courts and membership categories were changed to enable midweek pay-to-play and junior memberships not being required for those just attending coaching.  By 2004 the club champs were again a regular fixture. Courts 1 and 2 were resurfaced into artificial grass in 2007. By the 2010s the club was hosting a number of regular tournaments engaging participants and spectators from around the North Shore and wider Auckland. These included the Jean Nankivell Tournament, Cat Guts Scream and Scones with Cream Heritage Event, and the St Patricks Day Tournament.

The here and now

Today Birkenhead Tennis Club has around 100 members. Many of the things set up in the early 2000s continue - unlike most tennis clubs our midweekers are pay-to-play (not members) and juniors who only receive coaching are not required to be members. We have a group of fantastic parents who run junior hits as well as a professional coaching team that caters to all abilities and offers a range of coaching options from cardio tennis to group, and individual sessions. The club also runs a range of tournaments and other events throughout the year.