For a country as vast as Australia, isolation or disconnect in remote, regional towns is not an uncommon occurrence.
The same could have once been said of the NSW town of Scone, a farming town in the Upper Hunter Region three hours north of Sydney with a population of just 5000 residents – if it weren’t for one dedicated and driven denizen.
Kirsty Cole was crowned Volunteer of the Year at Tennis Australia’s 2025 Newcombe Medal Awards last November, in recognition of her visionary leadership and tireless volunteer commitment at Scone Hardcourt Tennis Association (SHTA).
Cole was spurred to join the SHTA leadership team on a voluntary basis after realising the importance that sport – and tennis in particular – has in knitting together a community.
“I would say to anyone who is moving to the country – anywhere really – but particularly the country, to go and get involved in a couple of sports,” Cole advised.
“That's the fast way to meet people and make friends.”
Over the past five years, Cole has been responsible for gaining three major NSW grants totalling $1.86 million to build a brand-new clubhouse, as well as build new storage, a tournament shed, and resurface the courts at SHTA.
“This is a precinct designed to improve and increase connection, community, collaboration and competition,” Cole explained.
“[The clubhouse] creates opportunities to improve one’s mental and physical health, a family’s mental and physical health, [and encourages] a group of friends getting together to enjoy cardio tennis.
“In our instance, creating the opportunity to redevelop some of the precinct and construct a new clubhouse – the Scone Multipurpose Sporting Community Facility – has seen an investment in the region like no other.”
Cole first encountered Scone’s world of tennis in 1992, when a friend took her to the Tuesday summer women’s tennis competition and introduced her to the women who played. Coming from a tennis background herself, Cole was instantly embraced.
Cole had her opportunity to give back to the sport and town she loved so much when she was offered the role of President at SHTA in 2014.
When asked what has kept her around at SHTA all these years, the answer was simple: tennis.
“Tennis is challenging (great for the mind and body), playing competition is good to improve your tennis skills, great for fitness but probably most importantly for the last 34 years, is friendship,” said Cole.
It’s not only the locals who benefit from Cole’s tireless volunteer work to boost and better the facilities at the club.
“This is a precinct and infrastructure development that is designed to bring the community together, make access easy, inviting and welcoming for all abilities and CALD groups,” Cole said.
The Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Australians (CALD) are becoming a growing part of Scone’s population.
“The CALD group in rural communities is becoming increasingly important as the visa regulations allow people from overseas to work in Australia, temporarily. The SHTA has line markings for tennis, hockey and futsal on three courts – all being international games.”
The employees at the local abattoir as well as the staff at Scone’s thoroughbred horse studs and racing stables are made up of a diverse group of locals and international workers, who are welcome to use the SHTA facilities.
“They too are welcome,” Cole said of the CALD group. “[They] can book and pay online, play when they want or join in on comps or organised groups.”
For Cole, there are many points of pride throughout her stint at SHTA, which ended when she stepped aside as President in December 2025.
In 2018, a $10,000 ANZ Tennis Hot Shots grant – boosted by support from local contractor Daracon – sparked an unexpected renaissance in community tennis across the Upper Hunter region. The funding allowed the club to deliver two weekends of free coaching with Sydney‑based coaches, opening the sport to newcomers and bringing families, couples, and friends onto the court together. What began as a simple outreach initiative quickly reignited local enthusiasm, particularly among younger players, and set the club on a transformative trajectory.
Backed by Tennis NSW’s guidance in competition design, coach development, and a confronting but galvanising club audit, the committee went on to secure three NSW government grants worth more than $2 million. The resulting infrastructure has reshaped the precinct into a vibrant, multi‑sport community hub used day and night. Collaboration with council, local businesses, politicians, and neighbouring clubs became a defining feature of the journey.
Among other standout moments for Cole was being named Volunteer of the Year at the Newcombe Medal Awards.
“What an extraordinary thing … [I felt] very overwhelmed and lucky. I felt very grateful that I am involved in a sport where they are able to fund and put back into the sport.”
READ: Australian Tennis Awards to acknowledge service to the sport
Cole also experienced the Australian Open for the first time in 2026, which provided a powerful insight into how major-event revenue can fuel grassroots tennis.
“To see the Australian Open in action, [and] all the income streams created through that event that in the end provided funding and support for tennis [across] Australia … This was another standout moment.”
Looking ahead at what’s in store for SHTA, Cole is as optimistic as ever.
“[I’d like] to see the precinct, courts and fields, building and surrounds be used by the entire Upper Hunter community,” Cole said wishfully.
“For there to be no barriers for use of the precinct. To increase participation, connection, pathways and competition.”
Cole has undeniably paved the way for success for the future of SHTA. While she has handed the baton to the next President of the committee, she won’t be a stranger in Scone.
She’ll be at SHTA, playing tennis on Tuesday nights as she has since 1992, making use of the clubhouse she so tirelessly worked to bring to life.