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Tennis; Upper Hutt Club
History
HistoryThis collection contains photographs and documents appertaining to the history of the Upper Hutt Tennis Club. The team photos were originally displayed in the clubrooms.
Originally tennis in Upper Hutt was played on courts at local residences. Tennis players also had the use of a court at the residence of James Greenwood in King Street, adjacent to the present tennis club courts.
Pre-World War I tennis was played on courts at Maidstone Park which was developed by Phillip Davis. There was a problem with the ground being swampy, and in the late 1920s the tennis club planned to build a pavilion in Pine Avenue. About that time the local bowling club was in financial difficulty, and the two organisations collaborated together. The tennis club paid the outstanding debts and moved into the bowling club's King Street facility. The Upper Hutt Bowling and Tennis Club was formed in 1928.
For approximately 70 years, the bowling and tennis clubs ran their sports independently on the privately owned King Street land. In 1994, the two clubs merged into the one incorporated society, to enable them both to upgrade and extend their playing facilities.
The May 30, 1994 Leader printed an appeal for memorabilia by the then club president, Ian Wallis. Among the memorabilia was a printed invitation card to the Tennis Club Silver Jubilee in 1935-36, which indicates that the club dates from around 1910. This was a key date Mr Wallis wanted to know as it was believed the club would turn 100 this decade.
An article in the May 5, 2000 Leader announced that the tennis pavilion was to be demolished, and the two clubs would share rooms.
The tennis club would replace three sub-standard Flexipave courts with two Astrograss courts, and the bowlers would establish an all-weather Astrograss green on land previously occupied by an asphalt tennis court and an adjacent Exchange Street house. The project would cost $650 000. Recollect has two undated photos of a King Street house being removed to make way for tennis courts (Ref: P2-757-1881, P2-758-1882).
An article in the March 2, 2016 Leader explained how the club found itself without clubrooms or courts when it split from the bowling club in 2014. Diggers tore up the old courts, which are now residential housing, and the club was left having to use Maidstone Intermediate's courts.
Originally tennis in Upper Hutt was played on courts at local residences. Tennis players also had the use of a court at the residence of James Greenwood in King Street, adjacent to the present tennis club courts.
Pre-World War I tennis was played on courts at Maidstone Park which was developed by Phillip Davis. There was a problem with the ground being swampy, and in the late 1920s the tennis club planned to build a pavilion in Pine Avenue. About that time the local bowling club was in financial difficulty, and the two organisations collaborated together. The tennis club paid the outstanding debts and moved into the bowling club's King Street facility. The Upper Hutt Bowling and Tennis Club was formed in 1928.
For approximately 70 years, the bowling and tennis clubs ran their sports independently on the privately owned King Street land. In 1994, the two clubs merged into the one incorporated society, to enable them both to upgrade and extend their playing facilities.
The May 30, 1994 Leader printed an appeal for memorabilia by the then club president, Ian Wallis. Among the memorabilia was a printed invitation card to the Tennis Club Silver Jubilee in 1935-36, which indicates that the club dates from around 1910. This was a key date Mr Wallis wanted to know as it was believed the club would turn 100 this decade.
An article in the May 5, 2000 Leader announced that the tennis pavilion was to be demolished, and the two clubs would share rooms.
The tennis club would replace three sub-standard Flexipave courts with two Astrograss courts, and the bowlers would establish an all-weather Astrograss green on land previously occupied by an asphalt tennis court and an adjacent Exchange Street house. The project would cost $650 000. Recollect has two undated photos of a King Street house being removed to make way for tennis courts (Ref: P2-757-1881, P2-758-1882).
An article in the March 2, 2016 Leader explained how the club found itself without clubrooms or courts when it split from the bowling club in 2014. Diggers tore up the old courts, which are now residential housing, and the club was left having to use Maidstone Intermediate's courts.
Photos
Manuscript
Details
Location37 Exchange Street
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Tennis; Upper Hutt Club. Upper Hutt City Library, accessed 02/04/2026, https://uhcl.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/24594