Memorial Drive Park

Memorial Drive Park

Memorial Drive; The Drive
File:MemorialDriveTennis.JPG The main court at Memorial Drive, showing the northern grandstand
Location	War Memorial Drive, Adelaide, South Australia
Coordinates
Operator	Memorial Drive Tennis Club
Capacity	5,000
Surface	Plexicushion
Opened	October 1921

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.

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 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, of which twelve 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.

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 Evelyne Terras (France - Women's Doubles).

Concerts

• Elton John - 1971, 1982 and 1990
• Led Zeppelin - 19 February 1972
• The Bee Gees - 1972
• The Rolling Stones - 20–21 February 1973
• Black Sabbath and Status Quo - 1974
• Slade - 1974
• Uriah Heep - 23 November 1974, with Cold Chisel
• The Skyhooks - 21 December 1974, with Ayers Rock, Daddy Cool, Matt Taylor and Cold Chisel and 20 December 1975
• Joe Cocker - 26 February 1975, with Cold Chisel
• 5KA Concert - 8 March 1975 - The Skyhooks, with Sherbet
• Deep Purple - 27 November 1975, with Cold Chisel & 1984
• Devo - 1980
• The Police - 24 February 1981
• AC/DC - 1981
• Cold Chisel - 11–12 September 1982
• Duran Duran - 25 November 1983 originally scheduled for the 24th and swapped to the 25th
• Midnight Oil - 2 November 1984, 23 November 1985 and 10 October 2002 (M-One Festival)
• Phil Collins - 17 April 1985 and 31 March 1990
• Bob Dylan - 1986, with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• ZZ Top - 1987, with Rose Tattoo
• George Michael - 11–12 March 1988
• INXS - 2 October 1985 (http://inxsonline.com/gigography/), 21 & 22 October 1988 (http://inxsonline.com/gigography/), 19 & 20 April 1991 (http://inxsonline.com/gigography/)
• Sting - 11 November 1988
• U2 - 27–28 October 1989, with B.B. King and Weddings Parties Anything
• Bon Jovi - 11 November 1989
• Fleetwood Mac - 1990
• Aerosmith - 29 September 1990
• Kylie Minogue - 15 February 1991
• Pearl Jam - 8 March 1995, with The Meanies
• KISS - 11 February 1997, with Alice in Chains
• New Found Glory - 5 April 2002
• Garbage - 10 October 2002
• Carlos Santana - 2003
• New York Dolls - 2007
• Jack Johnson - 27 March 2008, with Matt Costa & Will Connor
• Kings of Leon - 11 March 2009
• Powderfinger - 16 September, with Jet and Yves Klein Blue and 30 October 2010, with Jet and Andrew Morris Duo

See also

• Adelaide Entertainment Centre
• Adelaide Festival Centre
• Adelaide Oval
• Thebarton Theatre
• List of tennis stadiums by capacity

External links

• Official website
• Memorial Drive Tennis Centre at Austadiums

Preceded by White City Stadium Sydney	Davis Cup Final Venue 1952	Succeeded by Kooyong Stadium Melbourne
Preceded by West Side Tennis Club New York City	Davis Cup Final Venue 1956	Succeeded by Kooyong Stadium Melbourne
Preceded by Milton Courts Brisbane	Davis Cup Final Venue 1963	Succeeded by Harold Clark Courts Cleveland
Preceded by Milton Courts Brisbane	Davis Cup Final Venue 1968	Succeeded by Harold Clark Courts Cleveland