Colonel Light West Tennis Club

Ms DIGANCE (Elder) (15:40): I rise today to talk about the Colonel Light West Tennis Club. In mid-August this year the Colonel Light West Tennis Club, located in a beautiful reserve next to a playground on Penang Avenue, Colonel light Gardens, held their AGM and celebrated a significant milestone, being that of their 90^th year. The club was founded in March 1927 under the guidance of president, Mr Hurtle Oakey, who steered the club for some 31 years when in 1958 the late Mr Murray Fraser took over the reins.

Over the years, the club has won in excess of 150 premierships across junior and senior competitions, and its members have participated in hundreds of finals. The club offers coaching, competitive and social tennis to children and adults of all ages and abilities. The club has eight high quality hard courts and air-conditioned clubrooms with restricted liquor licence, kitchen and barbecue facilities. The courts are available for casual hire when not in use by members and the clubrooms are available for hire, providing an ideal venue for birthday parties, work functions and family fun days.

On the 90^th birthday celebration, it was interesting to listen to and talk with members of the club and hear about the history and the involvement of generations of families. At the heart of the club is the commitment and value of every single person and the friendship, companionship and social connections. Outgoing president, Leigh Aitken, cited the club as his home away from home over the past 45 years, having spent half his existence at the club. He first played tennis with his parents, watching on when he was eight years old and, prior to that, having watched them from his pram as a baby.

In the club's 90-year history, there have been 13 different presidents. That is only one every seven years, and the significant contribution of 30 members has been recognised with life membership. The club is built on the dedication, hard work and passion of volunteers, especially the commitment of the many people who have served on the committee over the years.

Some interesting facts about the club are that in the earliest records of the association the Senior Division 2 Team, B Division, won the grand final in the 1932-33 season, but it did not go on to win a division 1 premiership until the 1949-50 season. In the 1967-68 season, the club won all six senior divisions, and to this day it is still the only club to have done this in the same season. It won premierships in every senior division. This is a feat that the club believes is unlikely to ever be achieved again.

The club won the Division 1 Junior Girls Premiership in 1951-52, which appears to be the first year of the junior girls competition. It took the club until the 1959-60 season to win the Division 1 Junior Boys Premiership. Also, Colonel Light West was awarded the Metropolitan Club of the Year in 1999. As the club enters its 91^st year, its membership is around 138, incorporating junior and senior members, life members, social members and mid-week ladies. Three of the male members this year will achieve a combined senior game tally of more than 1,700 senior games. An amazing achievement!

While the club identifies that it has many challenges ahead in maintaining and recruiting members, especially females, it is approaching this through a lens of innovative strategies with an offer of flexible options to play tennis. The historic nature of the occasion of the 90^th birthday celebration was extra significant as we witnessed the appointment of the first female president of the club. Congratulations, Leta Northcote, and the confidence the membership has in you was palpable on the day.

This is a great club with proud history, with generations of families based on the solid foundation of friendship, companionship and a keen sense of fun, community and, of course, competition. I look forward to the next unfolding chapters of this club and congratulate you on your great success at Colonel Light West Tennis Club as you continue with your long tradition of being a competitive, social and family-friendly place to play tennis on facilities of a high standard. Congratulations on your sense of community and creating a feeling of belonging. Congratulations on your 90^th anniversary.