MOUNT Martha Tennis Club celebrated their 50th anniversary with a day filled with community spirit and fun.
On 16 November, the club hosted over 160 guests as long-term members, families and friends helped commemorate the past 50 years.
The day began at midday, and included serve competitions, a barbeque, families playing together, and coaches running activities with the kids.
At 2pm, the formalities began. The newly elected president Ben Wolstencroft was introduced, who welcomed members, guests and sponsors. The club then recognised Ken Davis, who led the committee for the past 11 years, and Ian Cockle, who served as vice president alongside him.
Cockle said the day was a celebration of the history of the club and was filled with positive energy.
“We’re seeing some people who have been coached as juniors when they were kids, coming back to the club as adults and playing,” Cockle said.
“So, there’s definitely a connection with long term residents who associate with the club, and it’s a very positive connection.”
Several life members attended the celebration, including 92-year-old Noel Barton, who was responsible for the construction of Court One and played in the first match at the official opening in the mid 1970s.
In recent years, the club has continued to expand and is now just shy of 700 members. Cockle said a big part of their recent success has been their collaboration with the Mornington Peninsula Shire.
In 2023, the shire contributed over $800,000 to help reconstruct the club’s courts, and ten years ago supported a rebuild of the clubhouse.
“We were fortunate to partner with the shire, with the rebuild of the clubhouse,” he said.
“We’ve also taken over the management of the three courts at Watson Road. Again, partnering with the shire, we’ve been able to resurface and light those courts up.”
These upgrades have allowed the club to continue expanding and they now have more than 300 children being coached and playing regularly.
In July, the club held a special general meeting where new leadership was elected after Davis stepped down. Cockle said despite the changes, the club’s direction and priorities remain the same.
“We’ve still got similar priorities with the wish list for an extra court at Watson Road, doing something with the little pavilion at Watson Road, and then also getting a potential pickleball court,” Cockle said.
For many Mt Martha families, the club has been a part of their lives for decades. Cockle said some players grow up at the club, drift away during secondary school or young adulthood, but then return as adults, often with their own children.
“A lot of people who have left the club and moved interstate have come back and given feedback about the quality of the people and the ease of conversation and playing, the relaxed feel,” Cockle said.
He said the celebration was a great chance to reflect on the club’s long history and how far they have come.
“It’s an awesome effort that we’ve recognised, and I think it’s a testament to the community,” Cockle said.
First published in the Mornington News – 2 December 2025