Eastwood Tennis Club closed in 2010 after having 250 members at one point

Armidale Mayor Sam Coupland and Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall turned out to cut the ribbon for the official opening of the North Armidale's new court surfaces along with club president Robert Mackenzie.

Take a look at the once proud Eastwood tennis club on the corner of Chapel and Mann Street.

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The first thing you notice about Eastwood is its state of disrepair.

Weed infestations on the clay courts and dilapidated, graffiti-ravaged weatherboard clubhouse, it's a far cry from a small-town club once boasting over 250 members in its heyday of the mid-90s.

Club life member, joint patron and celebrated Armidale volunteer Ken Peter, joyfully reminisces about the years he spent playing at Eastwood before injuries finally got the better of him in the early 2000's.

"In 1964 I was allowed to become a member. Until then, there was only one court, so you would have 20 people turn up and you couldn't have a learner on the other end, take too long to get through the set," he said.

Ken officially joined the club in 1964 after being around his parents since the club's inception.

It was Ken's parents, along with the Matthews and Baker families who restored the single court to a state of playability back in 1956.

"My parents were foundation members, Mum would take me along to the courts every other day and that's how I learned to play," he said.

The three families encouraged others to form a club with the intention of managing the court and tennis activities.

The ground at the time was controlled by the East Armidale Progress Association under leasehold from council.

According to historical documents collected by Bob Brown, the club's name was officially changed to Eastwood Tennis Club in 1958, the name being derived from the historic geographic term for the east Armidale area which was originally East Ward.

A 'substantial' corrugated iron shed was donated by the Hydroelectric scheme in 1959, power was connected the same year by John Pearson and the gravel floor was concreted in 1959.

Court lighting became a reality in 1963 and in 1967 a mixed night comp was inaugurated after the continued strong growth of the club and the construction of another court.

A fourth court was not completed until 1985 and in 1998 planning commenced for major clubhouse renovations which according to Ken, were long past due.

"The renovations included extensions to the clubhouse, and I think the roller shed which is out the side and the stormwater drains in the middle of the courts, retaining walls, things like that," he said.

The last time a tennis ball was smashed in competition at Eastwood was in 2001 and socially sometime around 2010.

According to life member and the club's last president Noel Kelly, there are a myriad of reasons why Eastwood's future pathway didn't follow the same gilded stepping stones as North Armidale.

Local politics, personal conflicts, and a lack of interest from the younger generations were some ongoing issues that eventually saw the club's gates locked permanently.

"All of our funding came through memberships, we didn't have any grant money or anything like that, even the synthetic surface was funded internally," he said.

Ken backs up Noel's recollections and says it was a combination of things that led to the club's closing, many of which were difficult to control.

"Keeping the lights on for night tennis became a difficult expense and when you haven't got the club numbers at a point where it covers the costs to keep the lights on, it get's a bit difficult.

"Throw in unfortunate political jostling and social differences and over time, everyone else just fell away."

"There were so many great competitions here over the years. I remember once a week we would play against North Armidale or Rocky River or Uralla, just small local clubs playing some tennis."

For a moment, Noel and Ken pause from reflecting on the years gone by and start to wonder what it would take to see Eastwood return to its glory days.

"All we really need is some manpower," says Ken.

"The infrastructure is all here, a little bobcat we could get in here and scratch the surface."

Noel nods slightly in agreement.

"I wouldn't scratch it down too far."

"If you want to get into the work, just tell me when, and I'll come down," says Ken.

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