![]() Henry participated in the 1904 events, but not as promotor and organizer. He then won the first motor race in Australia at the Sandown meeting and went on to build the world's first motor racing track at his Aspendale venue. JR Crooke, a founding member of the ACV, conceived, promoted and organised both the the first ACV event in January 1904, a car rally on his horse track at Aspendale for the ACV, and the first motor race in Australia, the February 1904 Sandown race for the Commercial Traveller's Association of Victoria. The facts are that Henry James, a pioneering motorcyclist, can possibly lay claim to being the 'Father' of Australian Motorcycle Racing, but played only a very small part in the first race car meetings. The offending journalists that ran with the story and the Brock connection, obviously believed that you shouldn't ruin a good story with the truth. This had no basis in historic reality, but was due mainly to the fact that he was the great great uncle of the late Peter Brock, a famous Australian racing driver. In recent years, some journalists have promoted a notable speedway rider, Henry James, as the 'Father' of Australian motor car racing. In Its place an up-to-date dirt speedivny : 1922 - 1954)įix this textof the carnivals were marred by wetįix this textnisphalt traok has been removed and The track facilities were extensive and 'state of the art' for the time, with an impressive grandstand and gardens designed by William Guilfoyle, the director of the Botanical Gardens in Melbourne, who has been described as ‘a landscape architect of genius’. James, an aggressive entrepreneur, had built at his own cost, his own railway station platform on government owned land beside the railway line that ran past his Aspendale property. " A History of Australian Speedway states that, "(Crooke) laid down a crushed white gravel circuit, a project which reportedly cost a then enormous 1700 pounds" (over 1 million dollars today). The path is in excellent condition and the motorists should be able to put some fast. ![]() On 28 October 1905, there was a report in the Moorabbin News that "the steam roller was at work on the motor cycle track on Mr Crooke’s prettily situated and popular race course. The new track was acknowledged as Australia’s “first commercial (race car) track”. Close to a mile in length, it had slightly banked curves and a gravel surface of crushed cement. In late 1905, James began construction the world's first motor racing track inside his pear shaped horse racing track at Aspendale Park, "with a view to promoting racing among motor cars," as The Advertiser newspaper reported. The platform was also used to load and unload the horses. At first the platform was a flag station where passengers could alight after informing the guard of their desire, or catch a train to Melbourne by waving a flag to indicate their wishes to the train driver. So Crooke built a timber platform on the railway's land at his own expense, as the railway commissioners were not interested in such an enterprise and refused to accept any financial commitment. ![]() There was a railway line close to the east side of the property, but no railway station. He implemented a drainage plan and deposited large amounts of filling to reclaim the land. The track is believed to have been one mile and eight furlongs in length.Ĭrooke built the track at considerable financial cost and risk by taking 130 acres of ti-tree covered, flood prone land, adjacent to the Frankston railway line, and gradually converted it into pleasant parkland relatively free from encroaching flood waters. JR Crooke, named the course after Aspen, one of his best horses who had won the Newmarket Handicap twice, in 18. The track opened on the 14 April 1891, on land previously purchased by his father, and continued to host horse race meetings until 1931. For some years after its closure to horse racing it was used as a horse training track. The horse racing track was created by successful racehorse trainer James Robert Crooke. Aspendale Racecourse or Aspendale Park Racecourse was a horse racing and motor racing track located at Aspendale, Victoria, Australia. ![]()
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