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2008 marked the 70th
anniversary of the Club’s move to its present home at Stonehenge Reserve.
“The unique atmosphere of playing and watching tennis at Stonehenge has much
to do with the attraction Stirling seems to have on local tennis players. We
also like to think that we promote tennis as much as a social event as it is
competitive” says current President Steve Stranks.
It was way back during the period 1915-1920 that a small group of enthusiasts
joined together to form what was then Mount Lofty Tennis Club, and courts were
constructed adjacent to the Stirling Institute building on Avenue Road.
Prominent players of these years included Eric Gaskell, Frank Mugford, Gordon
Halliday, Edgar Preece and Ceece Dyer. In those days matched were played
on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Club quickly outgrew the Avenue Road site and approached the then Stirling
District Council in 1933, who in turn decided to develop a tennis and bowls
complex on vacant land at Stonehenge Avenue. The Club was asked to arrange an
exhibition match to mark the official opening of the new venue in 1938, and it
was then that it changed its name to Stirling Tennis Club. The Club was
successful in attracting John Bromwich and Arthur Huxley, the reigning
Australian Junior Doubles champions, to play against the local pairing of Dr. G.
Hore and Cliff Harvey. They also played in a mixed doubles match with
SA’s No. 1 and 2 ranked ladies, Gwen Griffiths and Joan Walters. The
umpire for the day was Egdar Preece who went on to umpire Davis Cup in Melbourne
and later at Queens Club and Wimbledon in London.
After a quiet period during the Second World War, tennis
began to flourish again and STC built its first clubhouse in 1947 thanks to the
hard work of Arthur Healy, Roy Chandon and Ron Scragg.
It was in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s that STC dominated the local
competition amassing Division 1 premierships in 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961,
1962, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1972 and 1973. During this period the Club’s
leading players included Reg Pistola, Bob Smart, Don Blows, Marilyn Blows, Max
Blows, Ted Harvey, Theo Ewen, George Turner, Daphne Halliday, Beryl Wiese,
Concie Collins, Janet Whiting, Marg Evans, Bev Barry and Rosemary Haig. Much of
the Club’s success can be attributed to the stability of its Committee with
significant contributions made by several key people including Daphne Halliday
(Secretary 7 years), Trevor Surman (Secretary 5 years) and Marilyn Blows
(Secretary 10 years).
STC also won a Division 1 title in 1980, and then again in 1993 with 13 year old
Jordan Kerr, now playing professionally, and mother Susie at No. 1 singles.
STC has also had its share of recent Association champions, with Paul Juzulenas
(1992) and David Mullins (1996, 1997), Rachel Morgan (1994) and Daranee Zeitz
(1996, 1997).
At the Club's 1998 Presentation Dinner, Daphne Halliday and Bob Smart returned
to the Club after many years absent to join the celebrations and pass on some
tales from Stirling’s hey-day. Daphne presented medallions to members of the
premier teams and trophies to the winners of the Club’s closed tournament.
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