People power … the opening of the Queanbeyan Park Tennis Club pickleball courts, which helped increase community participation and engagement. Photo: Queanbeyan Park Tennis Club.
It took a “leap of faith” for Queanbeyan Park Tennis Club to turn around its fortunes, says president Wendy Grant.
After inheriting near-derelict courts at Waniassa Street in the late 70s, the club was faced with the challenge of what to do with surfaces that were subject to flooding and regularly became unplayable.
“It didn’t matter what you did,” Wendy says.
“The artificial turf would not dry out, it became mouldy and there was damage underneath.”
The club, which runs two venues (the other at Campbell Street), grappled with its Waniassa “white elephant” for years, all the time chasing funding to keep the courts going, according to Wendy.
In 2023, the NSW Government delivered funding from its Stronger Country Communities pool, which literally paved the way for a total resurface of the courts and a rather daring move into the world of pickleball, a sport fast becoming a global sensation.
“We pulled up the turf and put down a hard court surface that was more durable for the weather extremes,” Wendy says.
“And we took the opportunity when we reopened in February 2024 to explore pickleball, which was unknown to most of us die-hard tennis players.”
For those unfamiliar with the sport, pickleball is a blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis played on a court similar to a badminton court with a special paddle and a plastic ball.
With the revamped venue offering multi-purpose tennis and pickleball courts, something unbelievable happened.
In the 14 months after the courts reopened, the club experienced a whopping 94 per cent increase in membership, Wendy reveals.
“We were a bit nervous about the pickleball dynamics, but it really proved a key driver of that membership increase,” she says.
“It provided an opening for people who had been inactive for years to take up a sport and really increased our community engagement, helping to build interest and participation in both tennis and pickleball.
“It’s a fantastic outcome for the community.”
This bold vision to safeguard the future of its facilities saw Queanbeyan Park Tennis Club take out the Club of the Year trophy at the recent 2025 Tennis ACT Awards. The annual awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of individuals and groups both on and off the court and their contributions to the region’s tennis community.
Queanbeyan Park Tennis Club’s Adele Henry, Kris Mitchell and Mechelina Bradley accepting the Club of the Year gong at the 2025 Tennis ACT Awards. Photo: Tennis ACT.
Wendy, who has been in the president’s chair for the past three years and has been a club member since the early 1990s, says the success of the club absolutely comes down to the people in it.
“I think the thing I’m really, really proud of is the dedication of our volunteers who keep this club going,” she says.
“We are completely volunteer-run, and among our committee, there are people who host pickleball, our social sessions, and take care of the maintenance, to name a few … we just could not operate as well as we do without our core group of volunteers.”
This small band oversees a tennis community of about 370 members (including family memberships) with the youngest participants starting from as young as three and four years of age through to the oldest member, Dick Brian, who’s a sprightly 92!
It absolutely proves that tennis is a sport for life, Wendy says. And, you can start playing at any time, she adds.
“I love that this is a grassroots club. There is a real sense of community and belonging,” she says.
Through its two venues, Queanbeyan offers playing surfaces that include six artificial turf courts and multi-purpose durable hardcourt surfaces for both tennis and pickleball, with casual court hire, social, school and corporate bookings available.
Whether you’re after a casual hit-out, keen to play competitively in junior or senior leagues, or looking to train and improve fitness, there is absolutely something for everyone at every level, according to Wendy.
Those opportunities to learn, play and even coach are further enhanced by the club’s partnerships with Parkside Tennis Academy and Vision Pickleball, she says.
Wendy says the club is now in a strong financial position, with its eye on larger, long-term projects that always seek to optimise player experiences – and maintain a legacy for future generations.
Given the club was established in 1885, that’s a 140-year history Wendy is keen to honour.
“We think we must be one of the oldest clubs to be operating out of the same site, so it’s been a part of the fabric of this community for a long time – and we’d like to keep it that way,” she says.
To find out more about what’s on offer at the club and its upcoming Community Open Day on 11 October, visit Queanbeyan Park Tennis Club.
