4 February 2013 | Tennis ACT

Every year our national day falls within the Australian Open period – the biggest sporting event in the world in January. This year Australia Day coincided with the Women’s Final.

On Saturday 26 January 2013 Melba Tennis Club held a special Australia Day celebration, hosting a diverse group of Australian families in the local tennis club atmosphere, featuring fun tennis activities MLC Tennis Hot Shots, Cardio Tennis, other on-court activities, free BBQ and entertainment.  Despite the terrible weather conditions Canberra faced in the evening the event was considered a success.

The event featured a citizenship ceremony to welcome a new family to Australia.  Special guests at the ceremony were the CEO of Tennis ACT, Ross Triffitt and Dr Chris Bourke MLA and Mary Porter AM MLA, members for Ginninderra.
Ross Triffitt the CEO of Tennis ACT commended Melba Tennis Club committee and coach Owen Peemoller for hosting such a great event.

‘It was fantastic to arrive at the facility to shrieks of laughter from the parents enjoying a Cardio Tennis session, while their children wore beaming smiles as they enjoyed the MLC Tennis Hot Shots classes’ Triffitt said

‘Spirits were high on the day, even when a severe storm blew in. Everybody pulled together to pack down the event and escape the torrential rain’

The event saw over 68 participants from, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Ethiopia, Persia and Pakistan.

Vielibo Choka from Companion House has been involved in running many joint community events for CALD communities and was encouraged by the feedback, as it was the first time families could not stop talking about the event.

‘Most parents are now interested in following up on playing tennis with their kids” Choka said. “I look forward to us collaborating to come up with something for these communities’

In 2013, the partnership between the Federal Government and Tennis Australia will take the first step in what is planned to be a five year program. The event was held at four community tennis clubs across the country, Melba (ACT) Sunshine Park (VIC), Grange Lawn (SA) and Chatswood (NSW), with a special event held at Melbourne Park (VIC) during the Australian Open. 

As the partnership and project matures hundreds of tennis clubs throughout Australia will become the hub for celebrations each Australia Day, all taking place against a background of tennis based leisure activities available to all – families, seniors, people with a disability and in particular, to our multicultural communities.