Tennis History Sacred Ground

Just in need for a bit of exercise we went for a bike ride today down to St Kilda Rd and Queens Rd in Albert Park, to a location which will hopefully remain a truly sacred site to the Australian Tennis Community nationally.

Down here in Melbourne, the MCC (Melbourne Cricket Club) were the driving force behind the early growth in tennis and the formation of local club competitions  in the late 1870′s. As with cricket, interstate tennis competitions also commenced and in 1892, despite having club courts at the MCG, it was decided to move the Intercolonial Matches to the Warehouseman’s Ground.  Today it is known as the Albert Ground.

The grounds, courts and clubhouse have been well maintained. The courts are no longer grass but the same surface as that now laid at the Melbourne Tennis Centre to enable tournament players some additional facilities to practice on.

In between, the courts are available for hire.

Bot not only were the Interstate tournaments played here, so were the Victorian Championships and eventually the first Australian Men’s Championships in 1905.  Lastly, and at the top of the list, these are the courts on which the very first Davis Cup, was played in 1908 (away from UK & USA), due to Australasia’s win in England in 1907. Here Norman Brookes, who lived just down the road and New Zealander, Anthony Wilding successfully defended the cup which the following year would be played in Sydney. The location was selected in Victoria as an honour to the new Australian tennis hero, Norman Brookes who had also won Wimbledon in 1907.

The clubhouse, with the exception of a new entrance room,  is almost as it was in the early 1900′s so we hope that the administrators continue to value this little corner at least to the point where it is protected from the property developers forever.

The photo was taken almost exactly where the forehand court would have been. Scaffolding surrounded the Davis Cup Court to accommodate the large number of keen spectators in 1908.  All along St Kilda and Queens Roads were stately mansions like this which have slowly been overun by the multi storey apartment and office complexes.  Thankfully some of these have been saved. Norman Brookes house is now a block of 1950′s style flats.

This photo was copied from the 1953 Davis Cup Challenge Round program as used in a Melbourne Sports Depot Ad. As you can see, the clubhouse is little changed. 

Here is another shot as well. Note the manisons in the background and the cricket ground also exists today.