Our Story
From council land grant to six courts
A timeline of how Burden Park Tennis Club became the community fixture it is today.
- 1959
Springvale City Council makes land available at Burden Park; the tennis club, bowling club and a croquet club are all founded on the same grant.
- 1960
First two courts completed in August; the first competition match is played in October.
- 1961
First clubhouse built by volunteer labour from the remains of an old Volkswagen crate, ready for the club's first AGM on 25 August.
- 1962–64
Four more courts built, bringing the total to six.
- 1967
Subsidence on the original site (an old tip) forces relocation to the current Olympic Avenue site.
- 1976
Six new en-tous-cas courts and a clubhouse officially open on Olympic Avenue on 15 August, built at the council's expense.
- 2008
Lighting installed to all six courts, enabling night tennis.
- 2009
A water bore installed to cope with water restrictions.
- 2022
All six courts converted to synthetic mod-grass, with new lighting and fencing.
Through the Decades
Championship flags still hang in the clubroom
Historically strong through the 1970s–80s in junior and senior men's, ladies' and mixed competition; the clubroom still displays championship flags won over the years. Demographics shifted in the late 1980s–90s as Springvale's population diversified — today's membership reflects that change.
Why "since 1959"?
Springvale City Council made the Burden Park land available for recreation in August 1959 — the same grant that created the neighbouring bowling and croquet clubs. The first two courts were ready for play by August 1960, and the club's first competition match was played that October. We've called it home ever since.
Come and be part of the next chapter
The people change, the courts get better, but the reason we're here hasn't moved in over sixty years.
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