Newcastle tennis precinct gets surprising new lease of life

Driving past Newcastle’s District Park Tennis Courts in recent years many have noticed the sad decline of its backcourts. It’s getting a major facelift, but it won’t all be about tennis.

Work has begun on breathing new life into Newcastle’s District Park Tennis Courts. Picture: Michael Cain

Driving past Newcastle’s District Park Tennis Courts in recent years many have noticed the sad decline of its backcourts.

Once upon a time in that very area, many baseline shots were made, aces served, umpire decisions questioned and long rallies played out. Sadly it looked nothing like its heyday, as long grass had grown through the cracks in the concrete aligning where the net once sat and graffiti scribbled tags as far as the eye could see.

Change is fast on the way.

Lately, there’s been a hive of activity. Workers driving excavators and large trucks scatter the place and large rolls of synthetic grass lay rolled up in readiness for what most would guess to be new decks for tennis courts.

The courts have been in a state of disrepair for years.

For those thinking that… you’ve guessed wrong.

Sitting on Crown land on Broadmeadow Road, a lease renewal has been rubber-stamped, allowing it to become a designated sports area.

“We think multi-sport options are the way to go,” said Discover Sports managing director, Dave Comyns.

“A simulated golf driving range, an 18-hole put-put golf course will go in, and there will be a relatively new sport, which is taking hold overseas called “Footsquash. It’s like squash but it’s played with your feet. The section will get great exposure. There are over 20 thousand cars that go past the facility per day. It’s in the shop window so to speak.”

A host of former legends of the sport have graced the courts over the years, including the likes of Ken Rosewell and Lew Hoad, as well as various Australia Davis Cup sides who used the venue as a training facility.

The eyesore is finally getting the attention it needs.

On a local front, the late Peter Doohan, the man dubbed the “Becker Wrecker” after he famously defeated the two-time defending champion, Boris Becker, at Wimbledon in 1987 was once a regular, while Newcastle born and bred, female tennis professional, Rachel McQuillan started her tentative steps on the way to reaching world number 28 in the world.

The news of letting different sports jump in on Newcastle’s home of tennis may raise eyebrows but the facility has the full support of the District Park Tennis board.

Club President Ian Tennant says the decision change tact won’t disrespect the facilities’ long history.

“The key priority is about diversification and to bring more people into the centre. Hopefully, it will generate a good community hub,” Tennant said.

“We need more people coming here. Some have said it’s been an eyesore for years and it has. We’re doing something different but our core priority will always be tennis.”

The decline of tennis on a domestic level can be attributed to many things. Just being able to physically play the game is a big problem.

The late “Becker Wrecker” Peter Doohan was once a local on the courts.

As real estate prices over the years have sky-rocketed, tennis courts around Newcastle have disappeared. Once you could walk down a suburban street and come across a grass or clay court, but now houses, townhouses, and developments have taken precedent.

Apart from overseeing the District Park development, Comyns is a tennis coach and says being a time-poor society also doesn’t help the cause.

“You see other sports abbreviate their games to go quicker. Hopefully, in years to come we can see this facility do a lot to push kids into picking up racquets instead of play station games,” Comyns said.