West Melton Tennis Club

Considering West Melton’s 150-year history, the West Melton Tennis Club was a relative newcomer when it was founded in 1958. Nevertheless, the names of the club’s founding fathers are a history lesson in itself: Langdale, Calder, Litten, among others.

It all began in February 1958 when they met together in the West Melton Hall to form a committee, enter a team in the Malvern competition and organize a rag, bottle and scrap-iron drive to raise funds for nets and other tennis equipment. Two tennis courts had been recently laid by the Domain Board funded by a grant from Paparua County Council along with the proceeds of a Hare Drive, raffles and donations and so “West Meltonites” were eager to make use of the new facilities. Thus the club was formed.

Now having the new courts, it was then a case of building a pavilion for the newly formed club and so further fundraising was undertaken for this enterprise.  It is interesting to look back and see the fundraisers that were successful for a rural farming community fifty years ago.  Potatoes were grown on Mr Langdale’s property, a pea crop was sown in the Domain along with the drilling of wheat, another hare drive was held, grazing brought in further funds and a stock drive was also organized.  Besides holding a picture evening, the Domain Board received a £400 grant from the Commissioner of Crown Lands, and all resulted in the new pavilion being built in 1959. As well as being a place for the tennis club’s use, the pavilion was later hired by the Education Board for use as a classroom by West Melton School in the years 1964 to 1968 while new classrooms were being built.

In 1974, Court 3 was laid and Court 4 soon followed it in 1979.  However, it was to be nearly 25 years later that Courts 5 and 6 were laid after a massive fundraising effort by club members and various trust grants.

The tennis club’s first president was Geoff Wright and the first club captain was Malcolm Calder. Alan Adcock, the first secretary, was succeeded in the following year by Wilfred Hughes, Roger Hughes’ father. Roger can still remember attending the meeting when his father was appointed to the role and Roger himself was to become secretary nearly 20 years later. Roger is now the club’s longest-serving player and club member, having joined the club as a teenager in its first year of operation.

Other names well-known in the district have served as office bearers of the club in earlier days: Overton, Litten, Prouting, Wylie, Butts, Legat, to name but a few.  And the club has had its champions over the years too, but the club’s “king of the courts” must be Jack Prouting who has put West Melton on the map by winning NZ Masters’ Grade singles, doubles and mixed doubles, the National 45-plus singles and doubles, joining the “100 Club” by winning his 100th match in Canterbury A-grade tennis and representing New Zealand at a Veterans’ Tournament.

The story of the West Melton Tennis Club since its inception is not only about tennis but also one of community. A delightful fact to illustrate this occurred during the sixties when dances were popular.  The club held its fair share of these dances and provided supper, usually in the form of sandwiches prepared by club members. As recorded in the club’s minute book, even the mailman became involved when he delivered loaves of bread to various households for making into sandwiches for dance suppers!

This short history of the West Melton Tennis Club would not be complete without a short anecdote about some of the “characters” along the way, in this case, the Summerfield brothers. Back in 1967, Kevin and Tom Summerfield were good, keen tennis players and were of an age where they had left their childhood behind them but had not yet settled down into marriage and raising families.  They had girlfriends, though, and being ones for friendly rivalry, the brothers fastened onto the idea that each could beat the other at mixed doubles with their girlfriends as their tennis partners.  And so they prepared to do battle on the courts of West Melton, each to prove a point.  The winners of this inaugural match, Kevin and his partner, are recorded for posterity on the Summerfield Cup, which the brothers presented to the club so that friendly rivalry could continue as part of the club tradition.  And so the same battle continues to be played out each year by club members for this coveted award, an important and popular event in the club’s annual tennis calendar.

From humble beginnings in 1958 with under 30 members, the club has grown over the years in line with the increasing population of West Melton so that today its membership stands at an impressive 160.