In the first of our Tennis at the Park series we look back to 1885. This is the year Queanbeyan was declared a municipality, containing an area of 5,700 acres.

There were 8 hotels, 4 churches, 2 flour mills, a tannery, a lemonade factory as well as shops and dwellings. Research by our club indicates, that in 1885 the Queanbeyan Cricket Club resolved to place a concrete wicket-ground and the Lawn Tennis Club a concrete tennis court at the Queanbeyan Recreation Reserve (now known as the Queanbeyan Park).

There were reports that both the cricket ground and the tennis ground were suffering from “the grazing of stray animals”. A request to Council to fence off the courts was refused!

In 1900, the club erected a pavilion and fenced the courts at a cost of £30.

Tennis was a regional affair in the late 1800’s and through the 1900’s. Queanbeyan played clubs like Sutton, Cooma and Goulburn. Even smaller communities such as Williamsdale and Illalong had teams.

While quite a bit has changed in 140 years, our tennis courts remain in the heart of one of Queanbeyan’s oldest public spaces – the Park

Photo: Parkside Tennis Academy. Aerial view of Queanbeyan Park Tennis Courts, Campbell Street, Queanbeyan.