Memorial Drive Park

Memorial Drive Park, more generally referred to as "Memorial Drive", is a tennis venue, located adjacent to the Adelaide Oval, in the park lands surrounding the centre of Adelaide, South Australia. Memorial Drive took its name from the winding avenue, known as War Memorial Drive, which separates the venue from the River Torrens.

Memorial Drive Park
Memorial Drive; The Drive
The main court at Memorial Drive, showing the northern grandstand
LocationWar Memorial Drive,
Adelaide, South Australia
Coordinates34°55′03″S 138°35′46″E
OperatorMemorial Drive Tennis Club
Capacity5,000
SurfaceGreenSet
OpenedOctober 1921
Tenants
South Australian Championships (1889–1989)
Australian Open (Various years)
Australian Hard Court Championships (1988–2008)
World Tennis Challenge (2009–2019)
Adelaide International (2020–present)

History

The Memorial Drive Tennis club was established in 1914, under the name South Australian Lawn Tennis Club. About 6 acres (2.4 ha) of land were leased to the club and the courts were opened in October 1921 by the Governor of South Australia, Sir Archibald Weigall. Gerald Patterson won the first South Australian Men's Singles Championship staged at the venue in 1922, the same year in which he also won Wimbledon for the second time. The following year, a clubhouse and grandstand were erected at Memorial Drive, the northern grandstand being the former stand from Adelaide Oval, which was dismantled and then reassembled. In 1938 a large permanent grandstand was erected on the northern side of the courts.

Over the years many major events have been held on the grass courts including the Davis Cup and Australian Open Championships. In 1926 the Australian men's singles title was staged at the courts for the first time, won by John Hawkes. Adelaide hosted a total of fourteen Australian championships until 1967, twelve of which were played at Memorial Drive. In 1938 American Donald Budge won the first leg of the first Grand Slam in tennis at Memorial Drive by defeating Australia's John Bromwich.

In January 1933 Australia played a tennis Test match against the United States. American champion Ellsworth Vines made his only appearance in Adelaide and among the Australian representatives were Harry Hopman, Adrian Quist, and John Bromwich. The following year, international matches featured the English champion Fred Perry.

Adelaide's first exposure to professional tennis involved the French dual Wimbledon champion Henri Cochet in contests against local professionals in 1935. In 1958 Pancho Gonzalez and Lew Hoad appeared at Memorial Drive as part of Jack Kramer's professional troupe. From 1974 until 2007 the Adelaide International tournament was played at Memorial Drive, and since 2009 the World Tennis Challenge has been played there.[1]

Memorial Drive last hosted the Australian Open in 1967, with Roy Emerson winning the Men's Singles, Nancy Richey Gunter the Women's Singles, John Newcombe and Tony Roche the Men's Doubles, Lesley Turner Bowrey and Judy Tegart Dalton winning the Women's Doubles, and Turner Bowrey and Owen Davidson the Mixed Doubles. All winners were Australian with the exception of American Nancy Richey Gunter. Other than Richey Gunter, the only non-Australian finalists were Arthur Ashe (USA - Men's Singles) and Évelyne Terras (France - Women's Doubles).

2019-21 redevelopments

In February 2019, the South Australian Government announced funding of $10 million to construct a canopy-roof structure over Memorial Drive Park, to prepare the venue to host the new Adelaide International, the first ATP sanctioned event in the city in over ten years and the first ever WTA event.[2] Additional minor redevelopments in the precinct allowed Memorial Drive to host the inaugural tournament in January 2020, in the week preceding the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open.[3] Later that year the government announced $44 million would be spent on constructing four new permanent grandstands surrounding the main court, which would replace the two older grandstands and increase the capacity of the centre to 6,000 patrons. There will also be upgrades to training and recovery facilities, and improved access routes to the adjacent Adelaide Oval. The redevelopments are scheduled to conclude in late 2021.[4]

Concerts

See also

References
  1. "World Tennis Challenge appoints IEC in Sports". sportbusiness. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  2. "Adelaide tennis tournaments to replace Sydney International as new roof funded". ABC News. 2 February 2019.
  3. "SA to serve up best in women's tennis". South Australian Tourism Commission. 2 August 2019.
  4. "Upgrades for Hindmarsh Stadium and Memorial Drive". Austadiums.com. 10 November 2020.
  5. Concert Timeline, 19 February 1972, ledzeppelin.com
  6. The Rolling Stones Pacific Tour 1973, milesago.com
  7. "The Rolling Stones tour Australia". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  8. Cold Chisel Gig History - 1970s Archived 7 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine, coldchisel.com.au
  9. Skyhooks Tour Archive, skyhooks-music.com
  10. Cold Chisel Gig History - 1980s Archived 1 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine, coldchisel.com.au
  11. Live concerts performed by Midnight Oil, midnight-oil.info
  12. 27 October 1989 & 1989-10-28, u2tours.com
  13. New Found Glory Concert at Memorial Drive, Setlist on 5 April 2002, setlist.fm
  14. Jack Johnson, Matt Costa, Will Connor @ Memorial Drive, Adelaide (27/3/08), fasterlouder.com.au/reviews
  15. Kings Of Leon @ Memorial Drive, 11 March 2009, wots-on.info
  16. Powderfinger Sunsets Tour Archived 12 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine, powderfinger.com
  17. Powderfinger @ Memorial Drive, 16 September 2010, wots-on.info
  18. Powderfinger @ Memorial Drive, 16 September 2010, yourgigs.com.au
  19. Powderfinger @ Memorial Drive, 30 October 2010, yourgigs.com.au
Preceded by
White City Stadium, Sydney
West Side Tennis Club, New York City
Milton Courts, Brisbane
Milton Courts, Brisbane		 Davis Cup
Final Venue
1952
1956
1963
1968		 Succeeded by
Kooyong Stadium, Melbourne
Kooyong Stadium, Melbourne
Harold Clark Courts, Cleveland
Harold Clark Courts, Cleveland
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