It has played host to a raft of professional tennis stars, but it appears to be game, set and match for the owners of this Wayville tennis court.
Plenty of SA homes have tennis courts – concrete, grass or synthetic – but it’s this home’s clay court that sets it apart from the rest.
Paula and Nigel Brown bought their 15 Trevelyan St, Wayville property in 1985, with Paula saying the court was established long before they came along.
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“It’s been here for years, probably since not long after the war,” she said.
“My husband was a tennis player and he started a tennis club not long after we moved here, and we’ve been here for nearly 40 years now.
The striking clay court – believed to be one of only two private clay courts in Adelaide. Supplied.
Imagine a game in this garden setting. Supplied.
“Most of the same guys are still coming here. There are about 16 in the group and about eight to 10 come around each week.
“We’d get about 60 per cent of them each Saturday.
“There were about three other courts that they’d play at too but over time some of those have dropped off as people move and they don’t have the court anymore.”
Among those to have played on the court are some fairly notable names, Mrs Brown says.
“The Davis Cup boys played here back in the day, a lady called Gorgeous Gussie Moran – the first lady to wear the first lace panties while playing. She wanted a place where she wasn’t going to be troubled by the media, so she came here and played.
“Frank Sedgman also played here as well as Thanasi Kokkinakis – the clay courts at Memorial Drive were being rebuilt and he needed a clay court to practice on so he came here and that was quite exciting and he was lovely.”
Gertrude ”Gussie” Moran shocked the modest mid-century tennis world when she took the court at Wimbledon with short skirt and ruffled underwear. Pic: AP Photo, File
Victorian tennis player Frank Sedgman serving during match at Memorial Drive, North Adelaide in 1950. Pic: The Advertiser/Krischock.
Thanasi Kokkinakis in action at the 2025 Australian Open. Pic: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images
Mr Brown said the court required little upkeep aside from watering, but that the work needed was something of a labour of love.
“We’ve got a lot of trees around this one and I find if I maintain it regularly it’s easier to do,” he said.
“It would take me an hour to get ready before we can play on it – that’s blowing the leaves off, cleaning the leaves up, matting it and lining it.
“It really is enjoyable – I love gardening and love getting down there early in the morning and doing it – my neighbour says it’s a labour of love for me.
“We’ve also had quite a few fashion labels have photo shoots on it.”
The home’s picture perfect facade. Supplied.
The light-filled kitchen and dining area. Supplied.
The stunning grand hallway. Supplied.
Mr Brown says he believes the court is one of only two private clay courts in Adelaide.
“There is only one other that I know of in Stirling or Aldgate, which I converted for the owner from a grey gravel court,” he said.
“So they’re not very common.”
The court sits on a 1472sqm allotment it shares with a stunning four-bedroom character home built in 1915 by renowned architect/master builder Walter Charles Torode, who was, at the time, in the vanguard of the South Australian building industry, designing and creating a number of large and prestigious buildings in Adelaide.
Now downsizing, Mr Brown says it is time to let someone else enjoy the property and its prized court.
“It will be hard to say goodbye to it,” he said.
“We’ve loved it here.”
A more formal dining space. Supplied.
The home’s alfresco area. Supplied.
The property has recently been placed under contract, with selling agent Charles Booth of Booth Real Estate saying it attracted strong interest.
“We had about six quite interested groups and pretty much all of them liked the idea of the court, and several definitely wanted it for it,” he said.
“It’s an incredible package and it’s a bit deceiving from the street because you have no idea of what the property offers.
“There were a couple of interstate buyers interested, but the rest were locals.
“The buyers have young kids and like tennis, and like the idea of the kids having somewhere to run around.”
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