11 November 2022 | Tennis Victoria

Tennis Victoria congratulates Carole Houston of the Royal Park Tennis Club for her outstanding contribution to tennis. This was recently recognised with the presentation of a Highly Commended Tennis Service Award.

Carole joined the Royal Park Tennis Club in 1966 and was made a Life Member in 2001. She commenced voluntarily as Club Manager in the mid 1970’s and continues in the role today.
She has been a member of the Management Committee and Secretary of Match and Team and Tournament Director of the Club’s Twilight Tournament, Club Championships, Junior Classic and Junior Masters for more than 15 years.

Carole has been Northern Suburbs Ladies Tennis Association (NSLTA) Grade Secretary since 1992, NSLTA Assistant Secretary since 1996, Member of Match/Permit Committee since 1993 and was made a NSLTA Life Member in 2016.

Carole’s contribution has played a major role in the strong performance, financial viability and growth of Royal Park Tennis Club with a sustained membership of 500, 90 teams per annum participating in competition including pennant, and more than 40,000 people playing tennis at the facility every year.

Her leadership role in the NSLTA has played a pivotal part in the ongoing delivery of mid-week tennis programs for women in the northern suburbs.

Carole is the heart and soul of the Club. She has undertaken many of the Club’s administration tasks such as membership, competition registrations and payments, collections, purchase and stocking of bar, canteen, kitchen, cleaning and other supplies, tournament management, invoice payments, Club data and records, emails and correspondence etc.

She is the Club’s first point of contact and has enabled and facilitated public access for playing tennis, arranged regular social tennis programs and been the Club’s maintenance ‘fix-it’ person if anything goes wrong such as plumbing, lighting, sprinklers, office equipment etc.

When the Club established a bar in 2015, Carole did her RAS and takes full responsibility for the purchase, stocking and operation of the bar. Whatever the club needs, Carole is always on hand to help.

She has organised and operated the canteen for Junior Saturday morning tennis since 1975 generating much revenue for the Club. Her canteen menu is talked about among all of the NSJTA Clubs.

On top of her commitment to the operations of the Royal Park Tennis Club, Carole
has also found the time to win 33 Club Championship titles, including 17 as Female Club Champion. She played pennant for the Club and competition in the Northern Suburbs and Western Suburbs competitions at the highest level for more than 42 years.

Congratulations Carole and thank you for your contribution to tennis in Victoria.