SYDNEY (NSW
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1938 - PARRAMATTA PARK. PARRAMATTA GRAND PRIX. 5th November 1938.On the 5th of November 1938 the Parramatta Grand Prix was to be held around a Parramatta Park street circuit, The event was organised by New South Wales Light Car Club and Empire Speedways, The race was to be part of the Parramatta 150th celebrations.
twenty five drivers were entered for the event, one of those being English driver Peter Whitehead fresh from his Australian Grand Prix win at the new Mount Panorama circuit at Bathurst.
Other drivers such as Frank Kleinig, Les Burrows, Hope Bartlett, Colin Dunne, Jack Saywell and John Snow all entered the event, it was expected that fifty thousand spectators would turn up for the event.
Leading up to raceday the safety of the track was tested by several drivers under the direction of police officers, However on the Friday prior to the Grand Prix, Police Commissioner Mr MacKay decided to ban the meeting.
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The Mayor of Parramatta, Alderman Irwin and the organisers re sub mitted another application for the following weekend with added safety barriers, The Commissioner
once again rejected the application stating that the track with its difficult corners would be too dangerous for both spectators and drivers.
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1938 - THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD NEWSPAPER REPORTED.
4th November 1938
1938 - SA 5 at the first Parramatta Park Grand Prix. Photographer: unknown.
1938 - Parramatta Park Grand Prix. Photographer: unknown.
1938 - Parramatta Park Grand Prix. Photographer: unknown.
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1951 - THE SUNDAY HERALD NEWSPAPER REPORTED.
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1952 - PARRAMATTA PARK. CAR RACES. 28th January 1952.In 1952 the Australian Sporting Car Club planned to hold a race meeting at Parramatta Park on the 28th of January, but as per 1938 the Police Commissioner stepped in and refused to grant permission for the event.
The organisers appealed the decision and the case went to court, On the 14th of January 1952 the Parramatta Court of Petty Sessions magistrate upheld the appeal on the condition that spectators were kept back forty feet from the race track.
Over 40,000 spectators attended causing major traffic problems throughout the Parramatta region.
John Crouch in a Cooper with a 1100cc Jap engine, won three of the seven races on the day.
The track closed at the end of 1955.
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1955 - JACK MURRAY & STAN JONES.
Old Motor Racing Photographs - Australia facebook photo feature
Photo: Geoff Collins collection.
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1955 - THE CUMBERLAND ARGUS NEWSPAPER REPORTED.
9th February 1955
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Old Motor Racing Photographs - Australia photo feature
1955 - Photo: Geoff Collins collection.
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1958 - PARRAMATTA PARK.
In November of 1958 the New South Wales Light Car Club planned to hold a race meeting at Parramatta Park to celebrate Parramatta's 150th Anniversary, The event did not proceed as once again a ban was put in place at the last moment.