tenniscentenary44 Mahurangimatters March 2, 2016

tenniscentenary FEATURE

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Kaipara Flats Tennis Club

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Proud to support the Kaipara Flats Tennis Centennial. March 18-20, 2016

It’s 100 years since the first court was laid and racquets were raised at the Kaipara Flats Tennis Club, and members past and present are planning a long weekend of social and sporting activities to celebrate from March 18 to 20.One of the highlights will be the Men’s Challenge singles and doubles exhibition matches on the Sunday, featuring four top New Zealand Davis Cup players of the last 20 years – Wesley Whitehouse, Mark Nielsen, Steven Downs and Matt Prentice, all of whom have represented their country at junior and senior levels.The anniversary weekend kicks off in style on the Friday evening with a cocktail party at the Kaipara Flats Sports Club, with live jazz from Ian Dustin plus the unveiling of the 16 pairs who will be playing in the Centenary Doubles Tournament the next day.There will then be a Calcutta Auction to ‘sell off ’ these pairs of players to the highest bidders, with the ‘owner’ of the winning player set to receive 50 per cent of the prize pool raised, with the rest of the money divided between the highest bidders for the runner up, losing semi-finalists and so on.

Anyone for tennis? Kaipara club set to celebrate in style

The doubles tournament takes place all day Saturday, with knock-out matches played to nine games and sudden death deuces, followed in the evening by the Centenary Dinner with dancing to Auckland duo Kate & Steve.Ten special courtside boxes are being created for the Men’s Exhibition Challenge on the Sunday, including a catered lunch.

Once the celebrations are over, the next challenge for the club is to get new floodlights to replace the current ones that were installed in 1996.Club president Katie Mitchell said they were also hoping to boost junior numbers again, as they have dropped to about 20 this year.“We are looking to perhaps change our coaching night next season to

help boost numbers again,” she says. “Over the past few years we have had as many as 70 juniors playing.”Otherwise, membership is steady and everyone is looking forward to the club’s next century.“The club is very excited that Kaipara Flats Tennis is still running with such enthusiasm and enjoyment,” Katie says.

1916

1980s 2015

tenniscentenary 45MahurangimattersMarch 2, 2016

Kaipara Flats Tennis Club

100th Anniversary Weekend

1916 - 201618th, 19th and 20th March 2016

Email: katiemitchell@clear.net.nz or collect a registration form for

these events from the club

Friday Welcome and Cocktail Party

SaturdayCentenary Dinner $30pp

SundayMens Exhibition with all included courtside boxes$400 per six person box

Bevan Wech | Rob Millsx xPO Box 267, Warkworth. Tel 09 422 4991, Mobile 021 273 4619

Email bevan@mce.co.nz

Stirling Sports Congratulates Kaipara

Flats Tennis Club on 100 years of community sport

Chartered Accountants & Business Advisors

Proudly supporting Kaipara Flats Tennis Club

Hi - sorry just found this e-mail. Can we make it appear bigger (the words) - by removing the Fax and Top �oor lines. Also remove the PO Box 16 words but leave Warkworth., thanks Stephen

Phone 425 8723 • Fax 425 9526Private & All Insurance Work

EDMONDS & MASONPANEL & PAINT

Ian Wayne

Proudly supporting Kaipara Flats Tennis Club over the years

Contact Wayne 021 765 706 or Ian 021 977 729

Email: autoglassww@xtra.co.nz

One of the most important guests at the centenary celebrations will be Jess Dill, the tennis club’s oldest member, who played for more than 50 years and will be 90 this year.She moved to the area from the UK as a war bride in 1946, farming in the Kaipara hills with her husband Trevor, and she joined the Kaipara Flats Tennis Club in 1947. “I played in England, I always loved it,” she says. “Kaipara had two courts then. It was a widespread community, members came from quite a wide area. A lot of us were mothers, so when you played depended on your children.“We had a team and played on Saturdays, but nothing was taken too seriously; it was quite social.“I must have been 75 when I gave up … I thought I’d better, I was surrounded by so many young people! I miss it, because I loved my tennis.”Jess’s contribution to the club was formally recognised three years ago when she was made a Life Member. She and Trevor now live at Summerset Falls in Warkworth.

1916-17 First tennis court believed to have been built next to Ranfurly Hall.1920 First mention of an inter-club game, against Warkworth.1926 The club now one of the biggest in the area. There were four courts, two teams and $58 in the bank. 1930 A trouncing by Wellsford: “Some came down by the 8.30am train, some by the 10, some by car, and some by the 2pm train, wireless or smoke signals having told of many scalps to be carried off. Wellsford won by 22 matches to two …”1931 Alas, a decline: “The Tennis Club is still dead, nobody being willing to act as office bearers. It is a pity as a number are keen on playing and a lot of money has been spent on the courts ... The few hitherto willing horses are tired this year.”1933 A fundraising effort is made: “Kaipara Flats Lawn Tennis Club Will hold their Annual Dance on Thursday, Nov. 9, and are out to make it a really good show. The NZ Institute for the Blind will supply the Orchestra. Admission 2 Shillings.” £8 was netted.1934 Disaster narrowly averted: “The local tennis Club was having such an exciting tussle with the Warkworth B Team last Saturday that the copper (water heater) fire was allowed to get away, and very nearly resulted in the total loss of the hall … Tennis was dropped “the tooter the sweeter”, and the roof above the fire was torn off, tins containing cakes were emptied

From services to surfaces – a timelineJess Dill

Social stalwart

and filled with water, and thrown on the fire … Another five minutes and it would have been too late.” The cost of the damage: £5.1942-44 The US Army Corps were stationed at Kaipara Flats and used the courts for stacking ammunition. This damaged the surface, but the Americans made good when they left.1946 Three courts now, all in very bad repair. One abandoned and two maintained. An experiment to resurface one of them with sawdust and tar seal “didn’t prove satisfactory”, however.1958 An optimistic report in the local press: “The revival of the Kaipara Flats Tennis Club was marked by a good gathering of players and friends, particularly juveniles, on Saturday afternoon last. Even if the membership is not large, the number of children present, and their enthusiasm, augers well and indicates a strong potential for the future.”1960 New schoolmaster Monty Souter

joined with locals to help resurface the courts and build a pavilion. He and his wife did much for the junior section. 1963 Subscriptions: £1 for men and ladies; 30 shillings for a married couple, and seven shillings and sixpence for juniors.1966 Under-15 juniors Kevin Kenny (the postmaster’s son) and Bruce Dill selected to travel with the Auckland juniors to Cairns and Brisbane.1977 Amalgamation with the Kaipara Flats Rugby Club.1983-4 Decided to reseal the two existing courts and build a third (cost: $7,156). Fundraising methods included a Pig in a Barrow and members donating a vegetable each. Unfortunately, a bad job led to problems with the new tar seal lifting.1991-92 The courts were again resealed with ‘hot mix’ asphalt and new fences installed.1996-97 Four light poles were obtained for free from Whangaparaoa Tennis Club, and four floodlights bought from Avondale Jockey Club for $600 each to put on top of them.2005-06 At last, an end to tar seal problems – all three courts were AstroTurfed.2012 New pavilion built and opened.2013 Flooding caused major damage to the courts, lifting the AstroTurf. Junior section thriving.2016 100th Anniversary Weekend.Club’s 100 year record.

A potted history of tennis highlights and members’ memories from sports club records