The Club was formed in 1948 when the Defence Department had two clay tennis court, built in a section known as the NCY Area of the old Salisbury Ammunition Factory, which had been transformed, since the war, into a Defence Establishment named Long Range Weapon Establishment.

The courts were provided for the recreation of the research scientists arriving from England.

The rather modest complex consisted of two clay courts, on the west side there was a bus stop like shelter with a wooden bench and a tiny cubby hole about a one metre by one metre with a door that was used as a mini store room. All of which was enclosed in mandatory 15 foot fence.

In 1953 an “en-tuot-cas” tennis court was added on the west side. The court had a drainage system upon which a porous bitumen surface was poured. The surface was covered with a substantial stratum of very fine GREEN pebbles. The extension of the fence was carried out by volunteer labour.

It just happened that I joined the Club in July 1957 and continued my membership ever since.

In 1966 the Club, by then was known as the W.R.E.I. Tennis Club (Weapon Research Establishment Institute), built its own clubroom with volunteer labour and some assistance from the Institute.

In 1973 an ablution and toilet block was added to the clubroom thus cancelling the need to walk across the road for a shower etc.

In spite of the Club’s volunteers’ best effort, the Green court eventually became unusable due to flooding in winter and deemed unsafe due the slippery condition of the surface. The court was resurfaced a coat of bitumen and Plexy paved.

The Club’s was growing fast and it was decided that a new court was required. In 1975 it was decide to have a new court built north of clay court one. To finance the venture a levy was floated and accepted. Sufficient funds were raised to get a new court built.

Unfortunately, the committee opted for a construction similar to the original Green court in spite of some strenuous objections and by 1979 the new court suffered the same fate as the Green court simply because members refuse to play on it.

The Club name kept on changing as the establishment went through a few name changes itself. From W.R.E.I. TC we went to D.R.C.S.I. TC (Defence Research Centre Salisbury) then on to D.S.T.O (Defence Science & Technology Organisation).

In the 90s DSTO went through a somewhat drastic downsizing exercise which involved the shedding of a lot of land, both north and south of the central hub known as the Labs Area.  

The south portion of the land went to S.A. LMC (change its name recently) and plans were soon afoot to build a new housing development, which most unfortunately, placed our tennis club smack bang in the middle of the proposed “Village green”.

The Club change its name once again and we became the Penfield Tennis Club. After long discussions with LMC and the Salisbury Council we agreed to transfer to the new tennis complex being built by the Salisbury.

We have been located in the Salisbury Recreation Precinct, Happy Home Reserve, Waterloo corner Rd. Salisbury since early 1999 and the planned housing estate with a “Village green” was shelved.

The most important things about the Penfield Tennis Club is that we play organised social tennis only and we do cater, successfully I must add,  for mature players of both sexes. We do not stop at that, we also have frequent on site Clubs’ BBQs, we do organise play at different venues, we do have Club dinners on site and other place and do organise the occasional trip.   

The current membership stand at 28 players and we must the cheapest club in the state.

 

Penfield Tennis Club Inc Secretary

Wally Rella

 ~ c 2014