The Ainslie Tennis Club is one of the first tennis clubs established in Canberra. At 3pm on Saturday 21st April 1928 the club's Patron, Colonel Goodwin, officially opened the club and served the first ball. Initial work was done using picks, shovels, horse and dray. The original clubhouse was built in 1930 on the south side of the courts. The current clubhouse was opened in 1955. Ainslie Tennis Club is an incorporated organisation managed by a Committee.

The Ainslie suburb was named after James Ainslie, a pioneer overseer of Duntroon homestead.

Club Timeline
 
22 August 1927
On the 22nd August 1927 fifteen people met at the Social Services Cottage in Lister Crescent, Ainslie to discuss the formation of a local tennis and social club. The Ainslie district was growing rapidly and there developed a need for a social outlet for new residents. A provisional committee was appointed to draft a constitution, consult with the Federal Capital Commission on the selection of a site and organise the voluntary labour to be used in construction.  Thomas Boag, the Supervisor for Roads and bridges, was placed in charge of the laying of the courts.

October 1927
Named as the North Ainslie Social Service Tennis Club. The committee agreed to devote seventeen Saturday afternoons to the formation of the club. Initial work was done using picks, shovels, horse and dray. Potential female members supplied billy tea (made in the park) for those men working on construction. Various fundraising events were held including a number of successful euchre parties. The club’s first office bearers were elected as follows:

Chairman – Mr McNamara
Secretary – Mr Grainger
Treasurer – Mr Sam Dee
Committee – Les Lott, Guy Thomas, Thomas Boag, Frank Bishop, Messrs McAlister, Ricklar, Lyons and Holdsworth.

August 1927 - April 1928 
Construction of tennis courts by volunteer labour. Initial work was done by using picks, shovels, horse and dray. A ladies committee was also appointed to organise refreshments for those working on construction of the courts. Plans were made to purchase equipment including two nets at a cost of £3.5s.0d. each and fittings from the Riverbourne Tennis Club (providing they were in good condition).

March 1928
New office bearers were elected including the club’s first patron, Colonel J. Goodwin and President Mr. Guy Thomas.  Other members elected were as follows:

Vice president – Mr Frank Bishop
Secretary – Mr Grainger
Treasurer – Mr Sam Dee
Committee – Mrs Agnes Gillard, George Browning, Les Lott, Frank Marcusson and Mr Holdsworth (who resigned after one month with Mr. Bill Bird elected to fill the vacancy).

The committee set membership fees at the following rates:

Gents    -              £1.1s.0d.
Ladies   -               12s.6d.
Juniors  -               1s.0d.

It was not until the mid 1970's that the club charged men and women the same membership fee.

21 April 1928
Colonel J Goodwin officially opens club and served the first ball. He also donated a tennis racquet to be offered as a prize at the first club competition.  Invitations to the opening were sent to all other tennis clubs in the area. An afternoon tea was held to celebrate the occasion. Initial membership stood at 79 consisting of 32 men, 24 women and 23 juniors.

25 May 1928
Ainslie Club enters first team in local competition. One of the principal functions of any sporting club is to provide competition for its members. The first Ainslie team to enter the local competition was a mixed "B" grade team in May 1928. No record of its success has been recorded for posterity. Social competition has proved popular amongst members since the club's inception. Until the 1950's a feature of this social tennis was the organising of matches against other clubs. In May 1928 (one month after the club's official opening) the Westlake Tennis Club threw out a social challenge to the Ainslie Club. Other early matches were played against the Reid and Causeway Tennis Clubs.

In later years members were prepared to travel further for competition. Occasionally one or two car loads of members would take to country roads for competitive and social outings against tennis clubs at Tharwa, Yass Junction, Lake in Bathurst and Cuppacumbalong.

1929
As early as 1929 the President of the club, Mr Guy Thomas, was stressing the importance of court maintenance. Without constant care, the President said, the courts would soon become "dust heaps": and maintenance should be a job for the men of the club. Mr Thomas further suggested ladies could help by reminding their menfolk of the importance of the task.  Social attitudes may have changed since 1929, but court maintenance continues to be a problem for the club. Over the years countless working bees have been conducted in an attempt to keep the courts in good condition. During 1929, the club's committee wrote to the Federal Capital Commission pointing out that much football was being played in an area set aside for infants and that a stop should be put to this. 

1930 
Ainslie's first clubhouse was built in 1930 and paid for by the government. It stood opposite the present clubhouse and the surrounding fence was paid for out of club funds at a cost of £2.6s.4d.  Unsuccessful attempts were made to establish a rose garden. A club flagpole was erected costing 10/-. It cost the club £1.3s. for the privilege of flying a club flag.  The depression of the 1930's ironically proved a bonus for the club. An Unemployment Relief Committee was established to provide employment for those out of work. The Ainslie Club successfully applied to this committee to have its courts top dressed.
Club members were also instrumental in having Corroborree Park beautified with 500 new trees (planting being performed by the unemployed). The legacy of these efforts makes the Ainslie Tennis Club one of the most picturesque sporting sites in Canberra.
In 1930 it was decided that the club's official colours would be maroon and gold.
1931
From the written sources available it appears the first Ainslie team to win a pennant was a "C" grade team competing in a winter mixed competition in 1931.
1933
Ainslie Club has entered many hundreds of teams in local competition. It appears from the records that Ainslie fielded its first "A" grade side in 1933.
1934
An interesting proposal was put forward to the Committee in 1934 - it was suggested that a ping-pong and social club be formed as an auxiliary to the tennis club - but the motion "lapsed".
1936
The death of King George V in 1936 led the Executive to decide to close the courts on the day of his funeral. For many years the courts did not open on Anzac Day morning.
1938
First club championships held. In 1938 four Perpetual Cups were donated for competition play. The first winners were:
Tom Gillard Cup
(Ladies Open Champion) - Mrs Olive Browning
Frank Marcusson Cup 
(Ladies Open Handicap) - Mrs Pearl McAlister
Ally Nish Cup 
(Mens B Champion) - Mr Jack Pettifer
ALTC Cup 
(Mens Open Handicap) - Mr Merrick Thompson
The Ainslie Lawn Tennis Club (ALTC) Cup was purchased with club funds. Over the years other cups were donated by club members which led to the establishment of new club championship events.
1941
The membership of the club dropped from 108 in 1941.
1942
Only 30 members existed in 1942 (the lowest membership in the club's history). The club championships were not held between 1942 and 1944 due to the war. The war years were some of the most interesting from an historical viewpoint. Competition tennis in Canberra ceased between 1942 and 1944 and social tennis was restricted. Large numbers of men left Canberra either to join the forces or work in war service areas in other states.
1943
In 1943 female members of the club took over the responsibility of running the club and an all female executive and committee was elected with Mrs Agnes Gillard becoming the club's first female President. There were only four male members at the club in 1943. The impact of the war led to some interesting administrative decisions. It was decided that all club members joining the forces should be kept on the club register without charge. The wives of these members were to be charged half the normal membership fee. A roll of honour was placed in the Minutes Book to record the names of each member who joined the fighting forces.
The list reads as follows:
Mr Coull                          A.I.F.
Mr G Miller                       A.I.F.
Mr W Morphett                A.I.F.
Mr J Pettiffer                   R.A.A.F.
Mr L Thomas                   A.I.F.
Mr W Parker                    A.I.F.
Members joining up for service overseas were also given a presentation on behalf of the Club to a value of 10s.6d. The lack of members often meant there was not a quorum to hold committee meetings.
On the limited occasions when social matches were played they were run on the basis that afternoon tea be provided by the home team, but due to rationing restrictions each player was to bring their own tea and sugar. Prizes awarded for social competition were often war savings stamps. With the end of the war the club's committee decided war widows should be charged only half the normal membership fee.
1945
In 1945 a committee was established to raise funds for the purpose of lighting the centre court. Fund raising continued until 1950 and included card parties, raffles and bring and buy tables. The centre court was lit in 1950 and this additional facility proved very popular. Mrs Agnes Gillard, then Club Patron, hit the first ball under the lights.
1946
Since 1946 one of the greatest problems faced by the club had been the shadows thrown on the courts by surrounding trees.  Vandalism has also been a problem for the club since its inception. Many criticise the youth for their supposed destructiveness and disregard for property.  It was noted in the 1990s that the club records show reports of vandalism from the early 1930's. Petty theft, the breaking of windows and removal of court fittings have been common problems for the club. Other concerns for club members throughout the years had been poor top dressing of the courts and "overactive" children.
1947-1957
The post war years (principally 1947-1957) marked some of the busiest times for the club with regard to structural improvements.
 

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