A century of tennis
Since 1914, Island Bay Tennis & Squash Club has been a hub of sport and camaraderie in Wellington.
Initially established as the Island Bay Lawn Tennis Club, at that time it used the courts located at Island Bay School's Victory Park site.
In time the club outgrew the school courts and in 1930 moved to the current site on The Parade.
The photo to the right was taken in December 1930 and shows the first three courts being constructed. A further two courts were built in 1936. Apparently the land upon which the courts were built formerly supported Chinese market gardens.
The tennis club was very active over the next few decades. Tennis coaching became available in the early 1950s and the club was one of the first to offer reduced junior memberships and junior coaching.
Squash adds new dimensions
In 1968, at a meeting of the Island Bay Progressive Society a young Catholic Priest named Father Paul Shanahan suggested that building squash courts in Island Bay would be a good idea.
From there a subcommittee was formed, funds were raised and two years later in 1970 construction began. The Squash Club took over two of the existing tennis courts and was completed in 1971. The Architects were McKefrey & Brenton and the construction contractors were CP Construction.
The Architect was Ben Brenton whilst the project foreman was Owen O’Sullivan.
At the time it was built the Island Bay Services Club, (being the Old RSA from the Empire Theatre complex) helped by putting up the last of the money needed to build the courts and they set up on the ground floor where they are still operating today.
The photos to the left show the opening ceremony for the Squash Club in March 1971 with the first ball being hit by Miss New Zealand –Glenys Treweek and Father Shanahan.
Adaptable through time
Over the decades, we've evolved to meet the changing needs of our members, ensuring inclusivity for all.
Some of the fundraisers and the first committee members were: Barry Charles, Des Hoskins, Father Shanahan, Mr Dallow, Doug Peacock and Graeme Hall (1st Secretary).
Following this, the second committee included: Ken Imlach, John Seamer, Eilene Imlach, John Porter, Brian Kennerley (2nd Secretary), Peter McIroy and Bryan Harvey.
Needless to say the club was very popular – evidence of this being in the minutes from an early meeting in the 70's where the committee was forced to pass a resolution that prevented a certain gentleman who lived nearby, from sneaking into the club in the early hours - booking some courts then selling the bookings to desperate players!
Things didn’t always go smoothly back then and there were problems with the front walls. They where constructed from tilt-up panels which would condensate when the weather was humid. The committee had to have them specially plastered to beat the condensation but be able to withstand the pressure of the little black ball.
By the time our current Patron (Clyde McLeod) joined in 1978/79 there was a waitlist for squash - 450 members! Poor old Clyde had to play tennis for the summer of 78/79 and was accepted into the squash club in the new season.
Looking to the future
Our committee works on behalf of members and the Island Bay community to ensure our club stands the test of time.
Preserving the legacy of the club is balanced with ensuring financial responsibility, undertaking active management and building a club that remains competitive into the future.
Alongside the core management of the club, we have a number of key projects underway including upgrade of the squash hitting walls, fundraising for outdoor tennis lights and replacement of the tennis court surface.
If you can lend a hand - reach out.