Memorial Drive Park

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Memorial Drive, showing the northern grandstand

Memorial Drive Park is a tennis venue located in 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 six acres of land was 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 ever 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 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.

In January 1933 Australia played a tennis Test match against the United States. American champion Ellsworth Vines made his only appearance in Adelaide and among the Australian representatives were Harry Hopman, Adrian Quist, and John Bromwich. The following year,international matches featured the English champion Fred Perry.

Adelaide's first exposure to professional tennis involved the French dual Wimbledon champion Henri Cochet in games against local professionals in 1935. In 1958 Pancho Gonzalez and Lew Hoad appeared at Memorial Drive as part of Jack Kramer's professional troupe.

Since 1974 the Adelaide International tournament has been played at Memorial Drive.

Besides tennis, Memorial Drive has also hosted a series of large open-air concerts, including Elton John in 1971, Led Zeppelin and The Bee Gees in 1972, The Rolling Stones in 1973, Black Sabbath in 1974, Deep Purple in 1975 and 1984, AC/DC in 1981, Bob Dylan in 1986, Sting and INXS in 1988, B.B. King and U2 in 1989, Fleetwood Mac in 1990, Pearl Jam in 1995 and Carlos Santana in 2003