Annette Sharp: New love matches on cards at old White City tennis site

The Jewish mothers of Sydney who want their nice Jewish boys to find love with nice Jewish girls now have hope with the redevelopment of the White City site, Annette Sharp writes.

While politicians within federal (Wentworth MP Dave Sharma), state (Vaucluse member Gabrielle Upton) and local government (Woollahra mayor Susan Wynne) are backing the
$65 million redevelopment of dilapidated White City sports complex in Paddington, it’s the Jewish mothers of Sydney who now breathlessly await the opening of the new centre.

The redevelopment of the 2.67ha White City site has been raising temperatures and ending friendships between investors, developers, politicians, activists and the Paddington community for 25 long and bumpy years.

Notably among them was the affiliation between the original failed development consortium Manboom comprising longtime friends Kerry Packer, John Singleton and merchant banker Robert Whyte.

Singleton and Whyte fell out 12 months into their White City dream, just 12 months after pitching for the project in 1997. Manboom withdrew completely in 2000.

Owned by and home to Tennis NSW from 1919, White City was bought by the Jewish Hakoah Club in 2012 for $13.5 million – a steal by current property standards.

A new artist impression of the Hakoah Club at White City.

An artist impression of the pool area of the Hakoah Club.

Nine years on, with community fears somewhat allayed concerning the risk of overdevelopment — though not entirely concerning broad community access to club facilities and a green public corridor linking Paddington to the harbour foreshore via the site — Hakoah has indicated it will break ground later in the year.

It’s news that has been well received by long-term members of the Hakoah Club who have been living rough at Rushcutters Bay since the sale of their former Bondi club in 2009.

Also celebrating loudly, as is their right and their style, are the Jewish mothers of Sydney who have all but abandoned hopes their nice Jewish boys might find love with nice Jewish girls in this city.

With orthodoxy on the wane, synagogue love matches have dwindled to a trickle in romantically hostile Sydney.

But hope springs anew at Hakoah At White City, as the new sports centre and club is being called.

Hakoah’s mission statement, as promoted on its website, sounds like a marketing spiel for a dating site: “Welcome to Hakoah!” it shouts.

“Hakoah will connect people through their love of sport, community, shared interests, wellbeing, entertainment and food. Because life’s better together.”

Hakoah president Steven Lowy and wife Judy are deeply invested in the new Hakoah – something that promises to bear fruit for their four own children and future grandchildren.

Rumoured to have tipped as much as $20 million of his own money into the development — topping even the government’s $15 million — the Westfield heir shares a proud history with Hakoah.

Hakoah president Stephen Lowy has reportedly put millions of his own money in to the new development. Picture: Hollie Adams

The old White City tennis centre as of June 2020. Picture: AAP/Matthew Vasilescu

His billionaire father, Sir Frank, was a previous Hakoah Club president who built the original Bondi club in 1975.

He knows better than most the value of Hakoah to a Jewish community that guards its privacy fiercely.

With two heated pools, nine tennis courts operated by Maccabi Tennis, a synthetic playing field, a fitness and wellness centre and myriad venues for wedding and parties, the complex, had it been erected in 2018, might have served as an appropriate wedding venue for Lowy’s grandson Josh, Judy and Steven’s son.

Certainly it would have afforded the family more privacy than did a public space in Centennial Park where paparazzi managed to capture members of the bridal party during unflattering candid moments.

Slated to open its doors in 2023, we’re sure many great love matches will be made at the new club.

Some, we’d like to venture, even between those of non-Jewish persuasion.

Originally published as Annette Sharp: New love matches on cards at old White City tennis site