by Cathy Jones 2025
Southend Tennis Centre is located in Strathfield South near the Cooks River. There is a pedestrian walkway from Chiswick Street and carpark on Maria Street.
The land on which the Centre and the adjacent Chiswick Reserve is located measures about 5 acres. Part of the land was owned in the 1920s by Annie Francis Flynn, whose husband Maurice was a dairyman. It is likely some dairy activities occurred on this site prior to the land being resumed in April 1940 by the NSW Minister for Public Works.
In 1958, land located at the rear of houses on Chiswick Street Strathfield South and facing the Cooks River was transferred to the Cumberland County Council. Cumberland Country Council acquired a number of sites along the Cooks River for the purposes of building a road.
Strathfield Council zoned the land as “Open Space” with the rear portion of the land reserved for Garden and Recreation Space’. Ownership of the land was transferred to Strathfield Council in May 1959. It appears that the land remained undeveloped until 1971 when a proposal was made to develop the land into a community based tennis facility.
The Strathfield Harcourt Junior Tennis Club submitted a tender to Strathfield in 1971 to develop the site into a tennis facility. The Club was made up of local residents who raised money to build the centre.
On 17 February 1974, a ‘Celebrity Tennis Day’ was held at Strathfield Recreation Club to raise funds for the project. Australian tennis legends Ken Rosewall, Neale Fraser and Fred Stolle attended and played. Also in attendance was Jim Russell (author of “The Potts” cartoon) and the Federal Member for Tourism and Recreation, Frank Stewart.
The Southend Tennis Centre finally opened in January 1975 with four courts and a small clubroom. The name ‘Southend’ refers to the location being in the southern end of Strathfield Municipality. In 1977 a further 3 courts were constructed on the upper level. An additional five courts were built on the lower level five years later and another amenities block was also built. A carpark was added at the Maria Street entrance. Over time, more landscaping, paved walkways and lighting were installed. A lease to the Strathfield Hardcourt Junior Tennis Club was registered on the land title on 25 January 1979.
The Club offered coaching, holiday clinics and competition tennis. The Club folded in the 2000s. In 2017, a long term agreement was made with Meriden School to manage the tennis centre.
