History

History of the Club

19th May 1886South Bourke & Mornington Journal
7th April, 1909South Bourke & Mornington Journal
10th March 1932Dandenong Journal
1934 - Clarinda Tennis Club:  100 years of history
11th February 1948 - Dandenong Journal
25th September 1940Dandenong Journal
Unfortunately little can be found about the early days of the Keysborough Tennis Club, but it appears that a tennis club in Keysborough was in existence as early as 1886.  
In the South Bourke and Mornington Journal on Wednesday, 19th May, 1886, the following article stated:
"At a meeting held in Everslie House, Keysborough, last week a lawn tennis club was formed...The subscriptions for the season was fixed at - Ladies, 5s; gentlemen 10s; season commences 24th May.  At the close of the meeting a good few members were enrolled which, with a little practice, will be open to receive challenges from other clubs."
The formation of the club would appear to have waned over the years until 1909 when a subsequent article in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal, dated Wednesday, 7 April stated:
"KEYSBOROUGH – A meeting was held in the Keysborough Sunday School last Thursday night to discuss the formation of a Mutual Improvement Society and Tennis Club. There was a fair attendance and the meeting was very successful. It was agreed that a club should be formed, and that a further meeting should be held on the 12th inst.; a committee will then be formed and office bearers elected."
Articles have appeared in various histories and newspapers over the years including an entry in the Dandenong Journal dated 10th March, 1932.
"Much interest has been caused among the young folk of Keysborough by the holding of a Queen competition, in aid of the Keysborough tennis club."
There was a small entry in the ‘Clarinda Tennis Club: 100 years of history: 1913-2013’, under the page title of: ‘The Early Years: The Great Depression & World Conflict’ –
"1934 – A letter of apology was sent to Keysborough Tennis Club re the non-attendance of the B team in a match at Keysborough."
On 25th September, 1940 in the Dandenong Journal an article appeared listing the upcoming Annual meeting of the Club.
"The annual meeting of the Keysborough Tennis Club was held at the home of Mr and Mrs B Isaac on Tuesday, 17th inst., when there was a good attendance of members. Officers for the year were elected, and a very satisfactory balance sheet was presented by Mr B Isaac, the retiring secretary.  Miss M. Corrigan was appointed secretary and treasurer, and Mr J. Smythe and Mrs W. Bowman vice-presidents."
On 11th February, 1948, the official home of the Keysborough Tennis Club was established.  The Dandenong Journal wrote:
"Keysborough's new sports ground is steadily taking shape... At a recent public meeting the Keysborough Tennis Club was formed and courts are to be established on the recreation reserve.  Mr Tom Villiers is president, Mr Don Werrett secretary and Miss Pat Trebilco treasurer."
In 1976, it was recorded that the Keysborough Tennis Club was called the Keysborough Youth & Recreation Centre Tennis Club. During 1976 the Club entered teams in the Dandenong & District Tennis Association Mid-week Ladies Competition and Saturday Junior and Seniors Competition. The DDTA Mid-week Ladies competition commenced in February 1975, and the Club entered mid-week ladies teams for the first time in 1976.
A small group of tennis players from this club met in 1976 at Nola Kemp’s home and at this meeting, it was stated that the club was a constituted club under the Keysborough Youth & Recreation Centre, but it was decided that it would be beneficial to form a properly constituted tennis club and a General Meeting was organised to elect a President, Treasurer, Secretary and Committee members. This General Meeting was held and D & N Kemp’s home in Keysborough on 23 September, 1976. Roy Paton was elected as President, with Nola Kemp as Secretary and Geoff Brooks, Treasurer. This was the beginning of the Keysborough Tennis Club as we know it today.
The first committee meeting of the Keysborough Tennis Club was held at the home of D & N Kemp on 7 October, 1976. Those in attendance were: R. Paton, G. Brooks, R. Carroll, B. Parks, M. Ditoro, J. Trevillyan, K. Parker, D. Kemp, N. Kemp. This meeting discussed a letter dated 27 September 1976, from the City of Springvale stating that the Club would be required to contribute one-half of the actual cost over a term of ten years and the estimated cost of the construction of the courts is $15,000. The Club, in turn, would be granted a lease of the courts for a ten year term.
In the first annual report, by the President, Roy Paton, he stated: The success of the first year is shown in our achieving a senior premiership, Section 7 and a Runners up in Juniors Section 9 in the Winter Competition of 1976. In the Summer Season the juniors showed the way by winning the Section 5 Pennant. The senior teams though not as successful. The Mid-week Ladies are playing well with a Section 5 Premiership in the Summer Season and a Section 8 Runners Up in the Winter Season, the other team finishing sixth.
Four teams (Seniors - Sections 4, 6 & 9, Juniors – Section 5) were entered in the Dandenong & District Tennis Association for the Summer 1976/77 Season. The membership consisted of 40 adults and 16 juniors. The club hired courts for their home matches, namely: Dingley Church of England, West Bentleigh Meths and Mulgrave Uniting. In some instances the opposition teams were asked to use their courts. The Mid-week Ladies Competition played at the Dandenong Presbyterian and the Noble Park Tennis Club.
Plans for six courts at Frederick Watcher Reserve were drawn up in January 1977. The Lease between ‘The Mayor Councillors and Citizens of the City of Springvale’ and the representatives of the Keysborough Tennis Club, namely, ‘Roy Young Paton and Geoffrey Grant Brooks and John Charles Craig’ was signed in April 1977. By September 1977, the courts were under construction and fund raising was underway to contribute to the building of the clubhouse. The six en-tous-cas courts were opened in November 1977.
By the 1977/78 season, with the courts completed, the membership of the club had increased to approximately 150 players. The Club entered six senior teams and three junior teams in the DDTA Competition. The original Clubhouse was a portable tin shed. A permanent Clubhouse was constructed, and was officially opened by His Worship The Mayor of City of Springvale, Cr G J Duggan, JP on 6 August, 1978.
For the Winter 1980 competition, the Club entered nine senior teams. By the Summer Competition of 1986/87, the Club was also entering teams in the Caulfield/Carrum Competition as well as DDTA, resulting in ten teams.
Lights were installed on Courts 2 & 3, and 5 & 6, in 1985/86, enabling the Club to conduct Night Competitions. The Keysborough Tennis Club ran a Women’s Comp on Monday evenings, a Men’s Over 30’s Comp on Wednesday evenings and a Mixed Comp on Friday evenings. These competitions were open for members and non-members and all standards of players. In 1985, prior to the Night Competition commencing, there were a group of men who regularly played in a club competition on a Sunday morning.
In the late 1980’s the Club’s membership was around 400, and there was a ‘Waiting List’. There were so many teams competing that once again the Club needed to hire extra courts to facilitate the extra players.
Due to the increase in memberships and more teams competing in competitions on Saturday mornings and afternoons, and also Pennant Teams competing on a Sunday, there was a need to increase the number of courts. In 1993 another two en-tout-cas courts, with lights, were constructed, taking the number of courts to eight.
The Club obtained a Liquor Licence in 1991.  In 1996 a Gazebo was constructed, and a barbecue was installed. This allowed more social interaction, especially during the warmer months.
The Keysborough Eagles Social Golf Club commenced using the Clubhouse and surrounds for social interaction and meetings in 2001, Their contribution enabled more funds to assist in maintaining the Club’s facilities and better utilisation of the Club’s amenities.
The Club faced a disquieting time as membership numbers declined during the early 2000’s, dropping to below 100. But with the number of children joining the coaching program under the newly appointed coach, Lisa D’Amelio, from 2011 memberships slowly started to increase, mainly due to the juniors coming through the coaching program. These juniors joined the club to play competition on Saturday mornings in the Waverley & District Tennis Association. From 2010 when there were no Junior Teams to eleven teams representing the Club in 2014.
Steve Fullarton also brought a welcome face to the Keysborough Tennis Club on Saturdays for Junior Competition and was a much loved committee member of the Club, inspiring more Juniors to join the Club.
In 2011 the City of Greater Dandenong refurbished the kitchen area.  In 2014, following a generous grant from The Victorian Government and the City of Greater Dandenong, six porous courts were resurfaced with synthetic grass, the drainage system upgraded and the outer fencing was also replaced. In 2016/2017, refurbishments to the clubhouse with new air-conditioning was installed by the City of Greater Dandenong, and a Defibrillator installed with a State Government grant.
In 2015, the Club embarked on converting to a Keyless system.  With endorsement from Phil Horsburgh and the committee and in conjunction with the City of Greater Dandenong and Tennis Australia, the Book-a-Court / Clubspark system was trialled and implemented in June of 2016.  This system removed the need for keys and opened up the courts to non-member bookings, which brought further income to the club.  This income has sustained the club during the 2 difficult years of COVID when courts were closed and membership and competition income was greatly reduced.
After many years of consultation with the City of Greater Dandenong, in 2022 / 2023, the Club will convert its ageing lights to LED competition standard.  To date, the details and timeline have not as yet been finalised.
The Club welcomes new members. There is competition play available for Juniors on a Saturday morning, Seniors on a Saturday afternoon. There is a Night Competition held on a Wednesday evening and a Mid-week Ladies Competition on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. All members can use the courts for social play.