A giant tennis racquet that once adorned the Milton Tennis Centre will return to the site of the fabled sports venue once the area’s redevelopment is complete.
Brisbane City Council unveiled plans for a $12 million overhaul of the 3.5 hectare Milton Park in March 2012, which includes six tennis courts, a tennis administrative facility, open parkland and a playground.
The seven-metre racquet once towered over the tennis centre but was bought by Brisbane hairdressing entrepeneur Steve “Stefan” Ackerie after the site was demolished.
For much of the time since then the old racquet has sat in the spare block of land beside Mr Ackerie’s sky needle at West End.
Now it is set to welcome visitors to the new sporting facilities in Milton.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk announced this week the highly recognisable landmark would return to the site, now known as Frew Park, thanks to Mr Ackerie’s generosity.
“We are very grateful for this donation from Stefan and the agreement moving forward is for the racquet to be restored and placed within the park development, once complete,” Cr Quirk said.
“With construction now underway the plan is for the racquet’s steelwork to be rejuvenated and then repainted, before being placed along Milton Road at what will become one of the entrances to the park.”
Mr Ackerie took ownership of the racquet some time after the old Milton tennis centre was demolished.
The name Frew Park is in honour of local identity Robert Frew who was widely regarded as the driving force behind the creation of the former Milton Tennis Centre.