Oakleigh Tennis Club president Donald Smith honoured as club makes big move to new venue

Oakleigh Tennis Club president Donald Smith was honoured for his service to the club with state and national recognition last year. But the biggest thrill came just last week.

Oakleigh Tennis Club president Donald Smith was honoured for his service to the club when he was a winner in the volunteer achievement category at the 2018 Tennis Victoria Awards and was a finalist at Tennis Australia’s night of nights, the Newcombe Medal.

“Both nights were really good,” he said. “My wife and I got a ‘selfie’ with Evonne Goolagong. We tried for one with “Newk”, but with 800 people in attendance, he was a bit busy.”

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Oakleigh Tennis Club celebrates arriving at its new home

But the biggest reward came just last week when his club made its eagerly awaited move to a new facility.

While a tireless worker for his club over a number of years, Smith’s efforts have been invaluable over the past year or so as he piloted the club’s move to a new venue.

Oakleigh is one of the oldest clubs in the state, first serving up the action in 1879, but plans for a $20 million upgrade of the neighbouring Oakleigh Recreation Centre meant the club’s land was at a premium.

“We’ve been at the present venue since 1977,” Smith said. “In early 2017, I was invited to a meeting with Monash council officers who asked how the club would feel about relinquishing three of our seven courts to provide extra space for the recreation centre’s expansion.”

“I said losing three of our seven courts would ultimately see the club fold, and I did not want to see that happen to a vibrant, family club with great coaches and such a long history. Being an engineer, I suggested the best design outcome for the expansion would be to relocate us altogether, which would provide it with much more land and two street frontages. As we had relocated once before, we were prepared to relocate again, providing the council would build us a new facility to move to, with a minimum of seven courts, preferably eight, which would allow us to stage more competition matches and tournaments.

“Council were very open to the idea, and I agreed to go home and see if a suitable location could be found on Google Maps.”

(From left) Donald Smith (Oakleigh Tennis Club), Monash mayor, Cr. Shane McCluskey and Michael Roberts (North Oakleigh Tennis Club)

The Oakleigh president quickly identified a possible location on some underused land at Caloola Reserve and superimposed plans for an eight-court tennis club over the image.

It was a perfect fit.

The move to the new venue was helped by the smaller North Oakleigh Tennis Club, which merged with Oakleigh and threw its three courts (the sale of which will help pay for the new facility), its membership and its support behind the proposal.

It proved to be a win-win for all parties and a victory for successful negotiation.

And, despite a couple of construction delays, Oakleigh Tennis Club’s new courts were officially opened by the Monash mayor, Cr. Shane McCluskey, at a special function earlier this month.

“It’s (the move) a good chance to not only celebrate our 140th anniversary and reach 150 years, but to set ourselves up for 200,” Smith said.

“The development of this new facility has come about primarily because Oakleigh Tennis Club, North Oakleigh Tennis Club, Monash Council, Tennis Victoria and Tennis Australia all worked cooperatively together to ensure an outcome that is a win-win for everyone involved.”