Memorial Drive Park
| Memorial Drive; The Drive | |
The main court at Memorial Drive, showing the northern grandstand
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| Location | War Memorial Drive, Adelaide, South Australia |
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| Coordinates | 34°55′03″S 138°35′46″E / 34.91750°S 138.59611°ECoordinates: 34°55′03″S 138°35′46″E / 34.91750°S 138.59611°E |
| 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.
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