MUNGINDI Tennis Club on Saturday will celebrate a century of the game at the border-town, with the official opening of new playing surfaces taking centre court.

Social tennis matches, a barbecue and a display of history memorabilia will also feature at the 100-year celebrations.

Tennis in the district goes back many decades, and found its early roots with the Murphy Cup, believed to be first held in 1925.

There were two dirt courts and a bough shed on the recreation ground and water was carted by George James to freshen up the courts.

The Murphy Cup drew teams from as far away as Bollon, Dirranbandi and Goondiwindi, and every village in between.

Mungindi was well-represented and stations in the district would nominate at least two teams.

The year 1929 was big for the club and supporters.

“Mungindi has one of the best tennis courts in the north-west and visitors to the town have expressed great surprise at seeing such a fine set of courts so far out in the back-country,” reported the North West Champion in 1929.

Some excellent players emerged from the district in the early days, including Bun Proctor and Florrie Francisco.

The Guns, 1961 Murphy Cup winners (left to right) Alan Kendall, Bill Montgomery, Fred Barlow, Bill Sykes, Beth Speidel and Helena Sykes (Image: A History of Mungindi to 1988).

Fine publication, A History of Mungindi to 1988, states tennis was most likely played in the district well before the Mungindi Tennis Club was formed.

“It would appear that some tennis was played in the early part of this century (20th), and possibly even before. Most the larger stations had at least one court, while in Mungindi there were some courts on the Queensland side of the river, as well as others scattered throughout town.

“No doubt, the tennis playing public travelled by horse and buggy to visit each other at weekends.

“So far as a Club in Mungindi is concerned, it seems at after the First World War tennis became more popular and some of those whose names are mentioned as organisers and players are Charles Thompson, Les Bingham, Frank Trevillion, and the Proctor, Ledingham, Gall and Murphy families.

“The courts were of plain, old-fashioned dirt which required a tremendous amount of labour to maintain.”

One hundred years later and the Mungindi Tennis Club will celebrate a brand-new sporting complex at the border-town.

Netball enthusiasts and local school children will also utilise the high-quality multi-purpose courts, which will serve as a vital hub for community engagement, health, youth and intergenerational connections.

Moree Plains Shire Council staff and contractors at the new Mungindi Tennis Courts. The Mungindi Tennis Club will celebrate 100 years on Saturday, October 19 (Image: MPSC).

Moree Plains Shire Council director of infrastructure, John Dyer, announced the completion of the courts earlier this month, in time for centenary celebrations.

“It has been a priority to rebuild this vital community asset and we are delighted to have completed stage one of the project, for all to enjoy,” Mr Dyer said.

The multi-purpose courts consist of four tennis courts and two netball courts, with stage two comprising the installation of permanent fencing, final landscaping and a Tennis Australia compliant playing surface will be laid (weather permitting).

The majority of work was completed by local contractors, and delivered under Federal Government funding.

The Stronger Country Communities Fund Round 3 (SCCF3) grant of $208,780 and Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program Round 2 (LRCI2) grant of $300,000 was instrumental in getting the new courts up and ready for public use.

MUNGINDI Tennis Club 100 Years

Where: Mungindi tennis courts

When: Saturday, October 19

Time: From 5pm