In July 1916, the club believed younger people should be catered for also by the establishment of a tennis club (implying only older people played bowls or croquet).
Those interested in playing tennis were requested to write to the secretary, Thomas Cottle (1845-1923).
The response to Thomas Cottle must have been enough as it was planned to create tennis courts at the Joll Rd site in autumn 1917, when grass-growing conditions would be the best.
But no courts had been formed by July 1917, though the club still intended to lay a tennis court instead of another croquet one.
A meeting, described by the Hastings Standard as enthusiastic, was held later in July to form the Havelock North Tennis and Croquet Club.
A central committee of the bowling, croquet and tennis clubs was formed to manage the interests of all the clubs sharing the land.
The September 1917 minutes of this group indicate the tennis club had trouble forming a court and the bowling club was asked to lend it their man to "put some time on the ground and charge them with the time". The bowling club agreed to do so.
The first mention of any play on the tennis courts was in February 1918, when the Hastings Standard reported "Ladies on the croquet lawn, gentleman at bowls, and the young people at tennis all contributed to making a bright and animated scene."
Fundraising took place at shop days in 1919 at the Red Cross in Hastings to pay for the expenses relating to the tennis courts.
Some pressure to do so must have existed, because a bowls club meeting voted for the tennis club to retain its ground and pay for the improvements out of its shop-day takings.
In 1920, the Havelock North Lawn Tennis Club was incorporated without the croquet club.
A legendary part of the tennis club's activities in the earliest days was the sumptuous afternoon teas provided by the ladies.
However, in 1920, the ladies wanted some reprieve from this as they had to leave the courts to prepare it. The solution wasn't recorded - if one was reached at all.
In 1927, a motion was put to the annual general meeting to stop play on Sundays, and agreed to (likely in respect to the Sabbath). This was reversed in 1928.
Money the tennis club owed to the bowling club would be an ongoing issue throughout the 1920s and early 1930s.
This wasn't helped by fluctuating tennis club membership numbers, and in 1936 closing one court was considered.
When land owned by the Havelock North Town Board was made available (where the St John Ambulance Hall is now) the tennis club decided to move there in 1938.
The tennis courts were sold for £60 ($6500 in 2017 terms) to the bowling club.
Six grass courts were created at the new site. The nearby pavilion was shared with the cricket, rugby and swimming clubs (now shifted to its new position in the Domain).
During World War II, the club had only 10 active members, with the war effort taking many people's time and energy.
This reached a crisis point in 1943 when the club could no longer pay rent and court maintenance to the town board.
A proposal appears to have been accepted by the board that they pay all the expenses and that all club subscriptions be paid direct to them.
Ten members had to guarantee £10 ($729) each in 1948 to finance a club overdraft to carry out urgent maintenance on the courts.
The club was relieved when the Department of Internal Affairs gave a £90 subsidy towards the work done on the courts.
The town board also provided assistance and gave them a low rental for the 1948 season.
In those days, the town board had a relaxed attitude to its ratepayers borrowing the board's gardening tools, and just occasionally having to advertise for people to bring them back. In the same spirit, its motor mower was used to mow the club's courts.
The now Havelock North Borough Council wanted the tennis club to shift to Anderson Park No 2 (No 1 is where rugby and cricket is now played) when the creation of the Karenema Drive ring road would impact on the tennis courts.
Despite attempts by club members to have the courts moved to the Domain, the move to Anderson Park No 2 occurred in 1966. Unhappy, some members resigned after the move.
This is where the club has remained since. Grass courts were originally laid, but now it has eight artificial grass courts and one plexipav hardcourt.
The club, which now has a membership of about 220, is raising funds to resurface and provide lighting on four of the courts.
The Havelock North Tennis Club is celebrating its centennial from July 28-30 this year.
Events such as exhibition matches at the club in Anderson Park, and a dinner and dancing function on Saturday, July 30, at the Havelock North Function Centre, are planned.
For more information on the events, email havelocknorthtennis@gmail.com or go to its website for registration: havelocknorth.tennisclub.co.nz/centenary/
* Michael Fowler (mfhistory@gmail.com) is a past club captain of the Havelock North Tennis Club, a chartered accountant and Art Deco Trust heritage officer.
