The Victor Harbor Tennis Club has been in existence since 1912. The picturesque seaside venue, with its uniquely constructed club-house, is a popular destination for visitors to the area over the summer months.
The initial foundation of the Victor Harbor Tennis Club can be traced back to 1912 when the club hired the sea-front courts at Bridge Terrace from the District Council of Victor Harbor (then the corporation of Victor Harbor).
Successful Easter tournaments, which the club held in its early years, were later disbanded due to tennis losing its popularity in the 1960s and early 1970s.
In September 1985 the Victor Harbor Tennis Club took out a bank loan to upgrade the existing structure to make it a much more comfortable place for the viewing of tennis. The club has had its share of success over the years.
Trevor Holmes and Kay Ewens head a list of past champions from the club, both winning the State Country Singles Titles, and in particular, Kay winning five times Trevor began playing tennis with Victor Harbor at the age of 12 and in his early days he won the Great Southern Championship title in the under 13, 15 and 17 sections.
Kay Ewens is regarded as one of Victor Harbor's more prolific women's players. Starting her career at Port Elliot at the age of 10, she played in her first A grade game at the age of 13. During the next few years, Kay won the State under- 16 hard court title at Goodwood, in 1961, and was fortunate to gain selection in the Slazenger sponsored team that toured New Zealand in 1966. Kay's achievements in the State Country Singles Championships in 1964, 1965, 1966, 1970 and 1971 is where she really excelled. She was also fortunate to represent South Australia in the interstate country teams competition on eight separate occasions. Kay ended her career at Victor Harbor where she was also a member of their 1976 premiership side.
Currently, the Victor Harbor Tennis Club is heading into the new millennium with their court resurfacing at the Victor Harbor Oval. Committee members believe this will give the town a venue to be proud of.
Kay Ewens (then Kay Rosser) plays in the finals of the 1965 women's country singles championships at Memorial Drive. Kay defeated Shirley Langrehr 7-5, 6-3 to win the title.
With the finals starting this week in Great Southern tennis it is opportune to present one of the greats of tennis in this area - Kay Ewens
Kay commenced her tennis career playing for Port Elliot at the age of 10 and played her first A Grade game when 13, as in those days there was no junior tennis.
During the next 6 years she has an outstanding career being a member of the Port Elliot Premiership squad and representing this Association with great distinction.
She won the State Under 16 hardcourt title at Goodwood in 1961 and was fortunate to gain selection in the Slazenger sponsored team that visited NZ in 1966.
It was in the country carnival area that Kay really excelled winning the Country Carnival Singles title in 1964,1965,1966,1970 and 1971, a wonderful achievement.
She was also fortunate to represent South Australia in the Interstate Country Teams com petition on 8 separate occasions. As well as on the tennis court Kay excelled in badminton wining the State country singles and doubles title in 1965.
During her sporting career Kay was renowned for her personality and sportsmanship and owes a lot to her mum and dad Lawrie and Fon Rosser for their support over the years.
With the finals starting this Saturday I can think of no person who epitomizes the ideals of sport than our sportswoman of the week Kay Ewens
When people ore members of sporting families and, indeed, hove been prominent in sport themselves, It con be difficult to just sit on the sideline.
Such was the case with Kay Ewens, Victor Harbor, one of the best tennis players this area has produced.
With a sporting career that involved not only tennis but table tennis, golf and badminton, it was a blow to be forced off the court because an insulin problem prevented her from extending herself.
After a few years lay-off, Kay began her comeback into sport by taking up lawn bowls with the Encounter Bay Club two seasons ago. Although enjoying the game immensely, she admits Dowling is a lot more physical than I gave it credit for.'
She also re-started golf recently, making use of her son's mini bike for easier movement around the fairways. Kay, then Kay Rosser, began her tennis career at the age of 10 when she started playing in her home town of Port Elliot. At 13, with no junior tennis available, she played her first A Grade game. The next six years saw her a member of several Port Elliot premiership teams and a prominent member of Great Southern Association sides. She won the South Australian under-16 hardcourt title at Goodwood in 1961 and was fortunate to gain selection in the Slazenger sponsored team which visited New Zealand in 1966. But it was in the Country Carnivals that Kay really made her mark, winning the singles titles in 1964, '65, '66, 70 and 71, and reaching the semi-finals on four other occasions.
She also represented South Australia in the Interstate Country Teams competition eight times. Kay was also reasonably prominent in Country doubles play, both women's and mixed, and her singles success in '64 was a double in itself, winning both junior and senior titles. Before marrying former Victor Harbor Golf Club professional, Graham Ewens, Kay played tournament-level table tennis but was more successful as a badminton player. She won the State singles and doubles titles in 1965. In golf, Kay was runner-up in the Victor Harbor club championships three times before her lay-off.
Her return to the sport came about the time Graham was re-instated as an amateur last year. Despite her string of successes, Kay's memories of titles are a little vague now and to be sure she turns to scrapbooks and albums faithfully kept by her mother. 'You remember the people more than events,' said Kay, recalling how she' immediately recognised a recent customer to her ceramics business as a former competitor at the Country singles in 1966. '
We hadn't seen each other for years and yet we immediately knew who the other was and realised we had almost 20 years to catch up on,' she said. 'When you actually win an event, it's exciting for a half hour or so but then you just go on. 'It really comes back to the people you knew and made friends with,' Kay said. During her break from competition, Kay turned to supporting her family, just as her mother and father supported her and her brother, Glen, who went from junior grade at Port Elliot to playing league football for Norwood, where he is now a reserves coach.
With her children involved in tennis, sailing, football and gymnastics, among others, Kay remembered how her mother had recorded her successes in her scrapbooks. 'So I went out and bought two large scrapbooks and am doing the 'motherly thing' by doing the same for my children.'