Paekākāriki Tennis Club has been part of village life for more than a century.  In the early 1920s, newspapers referrred to courts and a club operating in the village, including friendly competitive matches with the nearby club in Pukerua Bay.  A second court was added in the early 1920s, a third in the early 1930s, and the club was formally incorporated as 'Paekakakariki Lawn Tennis Club' in 1931. A new pavilion—funded by community donations—was officially opened in 1933, with kitchen, dressing rooms, showers, common room, and a "wide veranda overlooking three excellent courts" (Dominion, 1931).  

For decades, the club thrived on local participation and volunteer spirit, with regular club days, championships, interclub competitions and social events. Generous supporters such as Arthur Law helped nurture the club and its young players, with several trophies bearing his name. Railway workers played an active role in the club’s activities from its founding until the 1990s.

Over the years, the club house was also used for a range of commmunty purposes, In 1954, a playcentre was established by the Plunket Mothers’ Club and operated out of the tennis club rooms, before shifting over the road in the early 1970s. The building also served as a Buffalo Lodge (a fraternal society active among NZ railway workers).

By the mid-1990s, declining membership and the rising cost of maintaining the courts and historic clubhouse presented challenges, particularly with the damage caused by the 2003 floods. In 2010, the club transferred ownership of its facilities to the Kāpiti Coast District Council. The Council invested in new court surfaces and refurbished the clubhouse to accommodate the village library, giving the club a fresh start.

The improvements sparked renewed interest in tennis. Club championships returned in 2013 after a 19-year break, and interclub teams and social activities grew in the years that followed.

Today, Paekākāriki Tennis Club continues its long tradition of bringing people together through tennis, supported by an active membership, regular club days, championships and interclub competition. Its story reflects the enduring community spirit that has kept tennis alive in the village for generations.

For more, visit https://www.xplorepaekakariki.org.nz/tennis-club-and-library/

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