NEW TENNIS COURTS NOW BEING CONSTRUCTED ON CENTENNIAL PARK

Wanganui Chronicle, 29 January 1948, Page 2

NEW TENNIS COURTS NOW BEING CONSTRUCTED ON CENTENNIAL PARK

A start was made this week with the laying down of five hard tennis courts on Marton Centennial Park in North Broadway. The work is being put in hand by the Combined Sports Society and already a bulldozer has almost completed the excavation portion of the project. Later on it is proposed to lay down five grass courts giving a total of 10 new courts for Marton. The major plan to make Centennial Park into a sports centre was made possible by the very successful queen carnival held last year when over £4OOO was raised to improvg the sporting amenities of the town. The only public hard courts in Marton at present are the two at the Marton District High School, used by the Matanui Club and the two belonging to the Railway Club at Marton Junction. When the new asphalt courts are ready for use it is understood Matanui will relinquish control of their present tenure. For some time members have been agitating for new courts, as the two at the school were not sufficient for the number of members seeking admittance into the club.

The Marton Lawn Tennis Club, on Bredin’s Line, control the only grass courts' in town. This season seven courts are being used, but if necessary, two others can be brought into use, giving the club nine courts. It was explained yesterday by the secretary of the Sports Society, Mr. R. G. Kingdon, that the new courts would be available to all interested tennis players, and would not be taken over by the Matanui Club. It was proposed at a later date to call a meeting for the purpose of forming a new tennis club in the town, and discuss the maintenance of the courts.

Under these circumstances it is doubtful whether there will a Matanui Club next season. In some quarters it has been suggested that the new club will bear the name of Marton Centennial Tennis Club. The cost of laying down these courts is estimated at £l5OO. The hard courts in the winter months will be utilised for the playing of basketball, the local club having in the past to depend upon the generosity of the Marton District High School committee for the use of the school courts, for its competition matches.

The major plan to make Centennial Park into a sports centre catering for tennis, basketball, hockey, croquet, and indoor games was outlined last evening by Mr. F. V. Calkin, chairman of the Sports Society.

The hard courts are being constructed in the north-western corner of the park and the grass courts at the south western corner, all running north and south. On the area of land separating the two sets of courts it is proposed to erect a building containing changing rooms and conveniences. Later on when the restrictions are eased the building will be added to and when completed will have room for sports club meetings, spacious verandahs for spectators or the serving of refreshments, store rooms, and a full-sized indoor basketball court. On the eastern side of the tennis courts there is sufficient space left for two hockey fields for the Rangitikei Women’s Hockey Association. It is known there is a move to inaugurate women's cricket in the district and there is every likelihood of the hockey grounds—providing sanction is obtained—being used for this purpose next summer. Provision is also made at the south-eastern corner of the park for three croquet lawns, running east and west, a terrace separating the croquet from the hockey grounds. At the Broadway entrance to the park an area will be cleared for a car park. When fully established Marton will have a concentrated sports centre considered to be equal to other similar centres in any part of New Zealand.