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.
 
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.