Over the past 6 months, there have been a large number of upgrades and improvements made to the Club, with more work still to come. This Clubhouse & Courtyard Upgrade Project is a significant co-funded joint project between the Club and the Boroondara Council.

Upgrade activities completed so far have included:

Interior and exterior painting
Recarpeting
New lounge nook
New interior lighting
New ‘The Frame’ digital artwork/TV for watching the AO, sports events etc.
Roof replacement including newly clad fascia
Fall protection equipment on the roof for safe accessing of A/C units for servicing, ball retrieval, and solar panels as required.
New solar system installed with solar panels on the roof
Further sustainability initiatives that have involved replacement of gas appliances with electrical, including a new electrical hot water heat pump unit.

Remaining activities to be completed over the next few months include further Clubhouse interior improvements with furniture replacement (chairs/tables), external security lighting and signage improvements, modifications to the roof fall protection equipment and completion of the Courtyard upgrade activity.

The new Courtyard deck that is currently under construction is due to be completed by early December. The deck will significantly improve the outdoor courtyard amenity. The deck will be elevated and allow for better viewing of the courts, with bench tops and stool seating as well as new tables/chairs for enjoying sunny summer afternoons and social functions at the Club.

Sadly, the new deck has meant that we had to say goodbye to our beloved Wisteria! We know that many in the Club have cherished the Wisteria and we want to assure you all that we did try all that we could to find ways to include the wisteria in the new deck design! The Wisteria had outgrown its support structure and was drooping significantly under its own weight and had become a safety hazard (lots of head bumps, plus a favorite with kids as monkey bars!).

In early deck designs we looked at options to create holes in the deck to work around a couple of the Wisteria trunks and elevate the canopy, however aside from the significant cost involved to achieve this, there was no guarantee that the Wisteria would survive the significant manipulation and cleaving of its branches that would be required. A plan to potentially relocate the wisteria was also explored, but this too proved impractical. As a result, after significant consultation with arborists and Council, and consultation with the Committee and members, we arrived at the sad conclusion that there was no other option than to start again.

We will be looking to reincorporate wisteria into the next stage of the deck development with a wisteria trellis/ canopy design for shading being explored. The design for the support structure will need to ensure it can accommodate the weight of that of a mature Wisteria. In the meantime, we will use the Club’s umbrellas for shade.

Whilst we have needed to “crack eggs to make an omelet” and are sad to see an iconic feature of the Club go (temporarily!), we are looking forward to the improved opportunity for members and guests to enjoy warm summer afternoons together on the deck in the very near future!

Please email the Club if you have any further questions or queries regarding the Clubhouse & Courtyard Upgrade Project at info@hawthorntennisclub.com.