Tinui Tennis Club

Tinui Tennis Club history - 1907-1982

Tennis was introduced to the district in the early 1900s. The first tennis was played on a private court behind the Tinui General Store belonging to Mr and Mrs R. Johnston senior. Resident doctors appeared to take a prominent role in the social life of the district, being instrumental in bringing tennis to the district. One of these early doctors was Dr Charles McBeath Dawson, who trained at the University of Aberdeen and served in the Tinui district around 1900.

Tennis was put on an organised footing in the 1907-08 season with the founding of the Tinui Lawn Tennis Club. 

The Tennis Club opening was held on land then owned by Mr W H Brooks, on the land where the former timber treatment plant was situated on the Masterton-Castlepoint Road.  The first annual general meeting minutes note that Bartholomew, Brooks, Belliss, Daniell, Groves, Dawson, Langdon, McRae, Speedy, Schofield, and Sutton families were involved.

The tennis courts were moved to Manawa (formerly Annedale) Road in 1914, on land donated by Mr D H Speedy.

In 1923 Constable Peter Berthelsen presented an Inter-club Challenge Rose Bowl for competition between Tinui and Mangapakeha Clubs. From 1958-onwards the rose bowl was used for competitions between Tinui and Whareama Clubs.

In 1935 the Tinui Club resigned from the Wellington Lawn Tennis Association and joined the Wairarapa Tennis Association, where it remained until at least 1982.

In 1925 the subscriptions were £1 ($2) for men and 10 shillings ($1) for women. The subscriptions stayed the same until 1935 when they were each increased by five shillings.

In 1932 a third court was added. It was apparent that with the court running the same way as the other courts an alteration to the Tinui School fence would be required. The school committee was happy to approve this alteration, provided school students could use the new court on week days - as long as they were properly supervised and wearing tennis shoes.  In 1933 a presentation was made to Mr E Jennings for his work on the court. 

In both 1932 and 1933 teams were entered in the Wairarapa Tennis Association's annual competitions.

In 1933 the Tinui Lawn Tennis Club became an incorporated society, with power vested in the president and secretary to operate the bank accounts.