SYDNEY (NSW)
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1858 - SIR JAMES JOYNTON SMITH
This early pioneer to the district was the owner of this site, Nothing more than an unusable lagoon and swamplands, which he drained in the early 1900's to create a racecourse, The racecourse was privately owned and developed by Sir James from 1858 through to 1943.
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1908 - SPEEDWAY CONSTRUCTION
A one mile Clay-and-cinder track was built around the horse racing track in 1908 for speedway racing by both cars and motorcycles until the early 1920's.
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1919 - AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP
On the 28th of June 1919, the promoters at the time presented the first post World War 1 race meeting in Australia, A crowd of 20,000 people attended and guarrenteed the financial success of the meeting.
The Australasian Motorcycle Championship was won by Bill Thomas on a Harley Davidson, in all sixteen races were concluded during the afternoon.
A V Turner driving a Lexton Car won the feature event, he also won heat races prior to the final, The open free for all, run in two events and a final was won by C E McIntosh in a Buick car. The speedway would eventually close and with the outbreak of World War 2 the site was converted into a aircraft manufacturing plant.
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1923 - GRASSTRACK RACING FATALITY
It has been reported that during a motorcycle grass track racing event and unnamed rider was killed when he crashed his machine.
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1947 - LORD NUFFIELD
In 1947 the racecourse was bought by British businessman Lord Nuffield and from 1950 the site was utilized for a motor vehicle assembly production line.
Vehicle production was continued by Nuffield Australia and its successors BMC Australia and Leyland Australia until the factory was closed in 1975, The ill-fated Leyland P76, Australia designed and built were assembled in this plant until it was considered a financial burden and production ceased, The site was later acquired by the Commonwealth Government for a Navel stores depot which operated until the mid 1990's.
(Editorials Allan Baker)
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2013 - VICTORIA PARK RACECOURSE. Walkabout.
The site is currently under going redevelopment into a high density housing complex, the racecourse is also remembered on a plaque in Tote Park, a small park on the site.