"It was initially formed in 1926 because the wives of the bowls players at the Kensington Bowling Club were not allowed on, only providing refreshments," he said.
"So they went and started their own club and it's been quite the success."
With big increases in membership over the first year, they moved to Mill Rd in order to have space for more bowling greens.
They adopted the rules of the already established Whangarei Croquet Club.
In the same year, the club was incorporated, with blue and white its chosen colours.
KCC went through some tough times as the Great Depression set in, but they soldiered on valiantly, remaining viable and becoming affiliated with the NZ Croquet Council.
In 1940, the Hayward Cup was inaugurated when a cup and trophy was offered for a Handicap Singles play tournament. The competition continues to be their most popular event.
KCC's first highly successful member was Lanna Morgan, Northland's first minus player and winner of the North Island Women's Championship in 1963.
She is remembered by the Lanna Morgan Memorial Trophy played for annually on the Kensington lawns.
It would be 1972 before the club got its first male player, followed by a second the
next year. KCC celebrated their golden jubilee year in 1976 by hosting the North Island Championships, with multiple teenage title holders coming to compete.
This was a far cry from the initial days where it was almost infeasible that their lawns would be occupied by male and teenage players.
Dupree was a major part in the running of KCC in his role as president, and was rewarded for his efforts by being honoured at the Sportsperson of the Year awards in 1997 for services to croquet.
However, the 2000s marked a tough time for the club with waning interest in the sport depleting their membership numbers. There were only 12 total entries across senior and junior croquet, which prompted a change in thinking.
The introduction of golf croquet, a faster variation of the original model, has brought back members in droves.
"The situation for us was quite dire with barely any members but the introduction of golf croquet brought in some new players," Dupree said.
"The format is quicker and there isn't a possibility of standing on the sidelines for half an hour because all four balls are in play."
Today KCC have a majority of golf croquet players, but they still have a growing - albeit small - interest in association croquet.
With just 10 years to go to hit the century mark, and a revitalisation of the sport with the new format, Kensington Croquet Club is in great stead to continue being a staple of the Kensington community.
