Tennis Queensland chief executive Cameron Pearson and Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk look over plans for the new tennis centre at Frew Park, Milton. Article: Brisbane Times. Photo: Kristian Silva
Tennis in Brisbane is going back to the future, and in the process will honour one of the city’s greatest players.
Some 15 years after the former Milton Tennis Centre closed down, a $12 million dollar redevelopment of the Frew Park site is less than six months away from being complete.
On Tuesday it was announced a large grassed area at Frew Park would be named after Wendy Turnbull, who won nine Grand Slam doubles and mixed doubles titles and was a three-time Grand Slam singles finalist.
Construction workers install a giant tennis racquet, donated by Stefan Ackerie. Photo: Kristian Silva
The Wendy Turnbull Green will be next to the Roy Emerson Tennis Centre, which includes six courts and a two-storey office facility.
A giant tennis racquet, an icon of the former tennis centre, will also return and be placed near the Frew Park’s Milton Road entrance.
The racquet was bought by Stefan Ackerie after the old centre closed, and the seven-metre structure is undergoing restoration work.
Wendy Tuurnbull in action in 1980. Photo: Supplied
Turnbull, who grew up in Sandgate, said she was honoured to be recognised at the place where she and her six siblings honed their skills as juniors.
“I started there when the grass courts were considered ‘gold’ and the Queensland Lawn Tennis Association only let the juniors play on the two worst grass courts at the back on a Sunday afternoon,” she told Fairfax Media.
“We enjoyed it and it probably helped our tennis that the bounces were not great.”
In 1982, the former Milton Tennis Centre provided one of Turnbull’s career highlights, when she won the first WTA tournament played in Brisbane.
“It was a tremendous feeling to win such a tournament in front of my hometown crowd and my family. I know they were very proud,” she said.
Turnbull said it was “depressing” to see how the old centre was left unused and derelict before its demolition, and expressed her joy that new tennis courts would be built on the site.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the 3.5-hectare Frew Park complex would be completed by November “certainly on time and very much on budget”.
“This was going to be the site of a multi-storey unit development and council decided that it needed to be used for a better purpose, and I think this is a great outcome for the city,” he said.
Tennis Queensland chief executive Cameron Pearson said there was a shortage of courts and the new facility would “help tennis enormously”.
“It’s fitting that a Brisbane girl – born and bred – has her place etched in history here,” Mr Pearson said of the Wendy Turnbull Green.
A $1 million Arena playground will also be constructed at Frew Park and will include a large climbing wall, climbing nets and cages.