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Prior to 1926 the Quirindi race course was situated on William Pollock’s property ‘The Ranch” which is east of the area where the TAFE college now stands. The course was considered not very suitable for racing and was maintained by the Quirindi Municipal Council even though the course was in Tamarang Shire. White’s paddock of approximately 140 acres was purchased in 1926 for ₤1350 (pounds) and remains the present race course area.
Five two day race meetings were planned, starting 8th & 9th February, 1927 followed by meetings in April, July, September (cup meeting) and November. The committee in 1927 consisted of Messrs HL Macdonald (President) RL Macdonald, BJ Perkins, DH Howell, RJ Upton, AH Niell, H Savage, JK Cudmore & TJ Bowen. Leo Curtis was Secretary. The late Bernie Perkins father of BJ Perkins was the Judge for many years.
The club continued to race until WWII, when racing was abandoned. During this period the club suffered financial problems and was sold to the Quirindi Council and formed into a Trust.
The first race meeting was held on the new course on the 8th and 9th February 1927. The survey of the new course was carried out by Messrs Linton Palmer & Turner of Newcastle, the track, being nine furlongs in circumference with a strait of two furlongs all dirt surface.
The grandstand was designed by Messrs Denly & Chaplin of Newcastle and erected by Messrs Hoyle & Ryan of Hamilton at a cost of ₤2000 pounds with a capacity of 500 people. Underneath the grandstand a refreshment room, kitchen, ladies retirement room and Bar were constructed. The gentlemen’s was housed in a separate building. The committee enclosure contained the secretary’s office, Jockeys, stewards and committee room.
The Quirindi Show was moved from the Pavilion area to the racecourse in the early 1950’s. Upon the cessation of WWII the club was reformed in 1947 with Mr. FH Moses taking the chair for one year followed by Mr. GA Hill in 1948 who remained chairman until 1965 when succeeded by Mr. Jim Rowe. Mr. Pat Lowe was the club secretary until succeeded by Mr. Bob Austin in 1965.
At the 1963 AGM Mr. Bob Austin and the writer JC Murray were elected to the committee comprising Messrs GA Hill (president) JA Rowe, JR Sheaffe, BA Perkins, FH Moses, G Saddington, A O’Donnell, E Radcliffe, G Brownhill, JML Macdonald, W McDougall, JS Lavender, JA Traill and Pat Lowe secretary.
The first mobile starting stalls were purchased by the Quirindi Picnic Race Club about 1964 and rented to the Jockey Club, later being transferred to them. These stalls were built locally by the late Ray Fletcher’s Engineering works and were used until replaced by new stalls built by Denman Engineering in January 1999 at a cost of $46,856. A further set of small starting stalls used by trainers was donated by Ellerston Station (Packer Family) in 1980.
IN 1965 a year of severe drought, the dirt track proper from the 1200 metres to the wining post was planted with Kikuyu runners obtained from Mr. Gordon Crossing’s “Carinya” property, the whole project was carried out voluntarily by the committee and members.
Under the guidance of Mr. Bob Austin, the track was watered with hand moved irrigation pipes and hoses; fortunately the turf thrived.
1965/6 saw the erection of the photo finish tower and mirror which was financed by debentures. The photo finish and later track timing equipment was rented from Brook Totalisators of Gosford. This period also saw a new running rail and irrigation installed which has been updated over the years. The Cup meetings were a two day affair drawing up to 32 bookmakers and a TOTE turnover of approximately $200,000.
John Sinclair who was to take such a prominent role with the club and local racing was elected Secretary in 1974.
1975 saw the construction of the Bob Austin stand by the Quirindi Municipal Council under the RED scheme, introduced by the Whitlman government. The old building (Secretary, jockeys etc) was moved and renovated to serve as the current tote building. The Bob Austin stand downstairs contains a Secretary’s office, Stewards and Jockey’s rooms with showers and toilets. Upstairs there is a viewing deck, members and committee bar and toilets.
The cost of the building although not officially detailed was in the vicinity of $70,000. The building was opened by John C Fletcher Chairman of the Totalizator Agency Board and Racecourse Development committee on the 16th February, 1976 and named in honour of the secretary Mr. Bob Austin who was instrumental in the erection and planning of the building assisted by Mr. JA Rowe the President.
A loan from the Racecourse Development Fund of $82,000 in 1984 allowed the erection of a raised dining room, kitchen, viewing verandah with broadcasters and judges complex on a third level. The building was designed by architects Herron and Todd of Sydney, unfortunately it was feared the cost of the building would exceed the loan provided and the planned toilets proposed for the North West corner were deleted. The balance of the loan $55,730 was liquidated as a grant on the 10th October, 1990.
Between 1970 and 1990 the number of tie up horse stalls was increased to 100 with a new swabbing box and horse washing facilities completed. An RDF grant of $130,000 enabled the erection of a new semaphore board, timer, earthworks including reforming the track around the 800metres and completed in March 1993. The club contributed $26,000 towards this grant. The dining room complex and bar in the Bob Austin stand were airconditioned in 1996 and a new underground irrigation ring with larger pipes were installed in 1997 at a cost of $55,200.
Sky Channel's first TV transmission from the Quirindi racecourse was the Willow Tree Cup meeting held on the 18thJune, 1990. In 1990/91 the club raced on 16 days and achieved the 4th biggest country TAB sales of $8,204,000.
John Sinclair resigned as Secretary after 28 years in February 2002 after succeeding Bob Austin in 1974.
New surveillance towers complying with OH&S standards were erected in 2003 and in 2007 portable fence panels were provided for leading horses from their stalls to the saddling paddock.
The Club has enjoyed the services of three curators since the Council took over the maintenance of the grass track. They are the late Don Cotton, John Clark and Alan Hyder, prior to this the dirt track was maintained by Cyril O’Rourke.
John Lane retired as the club’s caterer at the 2004 cup meeting after 31 years.
Since the Quirindi Jockey Club was reformed after WWII there have been 12 presidents:
Club Secretaries have been:
Prior to 1926 the Quirindi race course was situated on William Pollock’s property ‘The Ranch” which is east of the area where the TAFE college now stands
The first race meeting was held on the new course. The survey of the new course was carried out by Messrs Linton Palmer & Turner of Newcastle, the track, being nine furlongs in circumference with a strait of two furlongs all dirt surface.
The Quirindi Show was moved from the Pavilion area to the racecourse in the early
The first mobile starting stalls were purchased by the Quirindi Picnic Race Club about 1964 and rented to the Jockey Club, later being transferred to them.
IN 1965 a year of severe drought, the dirt track proper from the 1200 metres to the wining post was planted with Kikuyu runners obtained from Mr. Gordon Crossing’s “Carinya” property, the whole project was carried out voluntarily by the committee and members.
1975 saw the construction of the Bob Austin stand by the Quirindi Municipal Council under the RED scheme, introduced by the Whitlman government.
A loan from the Racecourse Development Fund of $82,000 in 1984 allowed the erection of a raised dining room, kitchen, viewing verandah with broadcasters and judges complex on a third level.
An RDF grant of $130,000 enabled the erection of a new semaphore board, timer, earthworks including reforming the track around the 800metres and completed in March 1993.
The dining room complex and bar in the Bob Austin stand were air conditioned in 1996 and a new underground irrigation ring with larger pipes were installed in 1997 at a cost of $55,200.
John Lane retired as the Club’s caterer at the 2004 cup meeting after 31 years.
Since the Quirindi Jockey Club was reformed after WWII until mid 2008 there have been eight presidents
J Galbraith 2011- Current.Club Secretaries have been Pat Lowe, Bob Austin, John Sinclair, Mrs. Pat Perkins, Kathy McGreal , Nardi Beresford, and Ted Wilkinson (current)
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