Ross Garrigan

Alan Rivett was spectacular on the very narrow Brisbane Exhibition Grounds track here in Brisbane. I have many fine memories of Alan's racing. One night at the Ekka he took exception to a ruling in one of his races by the Referee and promptly stopped his bike in the main straight, dismounted, scaled the safety fence, and made his way to where the Referee was seated. This really had the crowd entertained. The fine Alan received didn't help his disposition any. Alan was quite a striking figure in his young days with his blond hair and suntan. The hair is now fast disappearing and he is paying for all the hours he spent in the sun as a youngster. He was quite a favourite at a number of clubs in the UK and still makes the odd pilgrimage back there to catch up with old friends. Alan did race in a meeting in Queensland recently, but his appearances on the track have been very few in recent years. Someone mentioned Alan looked good on a small circuit, small circuits are not new to him. During the short life of the VERY small Chandler Speedway here in Brisbane, Alan, together with Tony Rose, were the stars. Alan also raced a sidecar on that track. He and Tony were the mainstays of the Brisbane team in the Queensland State League. Alan accomplished an unusual feat one season when based in the UK, he represented BOTH New Zealand AND Australia in International competition.

An update on Jack Scott following his surgery: - He's now up and about and doing some light work (and also some NOT so light I hear!!!) around his yard.

There is one "loose end" Dave and I couldn't tie up re Wilkinson's arrival in England in 1929. I have the address at which both Bluey and Bill stated they would be staying on arrival. I was looking for a connection between this address and either the Hibberd family or someone tied up with Dirt Track Speedways. Dave Ireland, a Scottish-based friend of mine whose contribution to the research for the story was so important, was terrific in his quest to try to solve that question for me but he kept coming up against brick walls. The address was in Wiltshire.

Hoping once and for all to lay some of the Wilkinson speedway myths to rest, I have researched and written the story of Bluey's debut season in England. The story starts with his final racing appearance in Australia before leaving for England in 1929, I give the true facts concerning just how and when Bluey arrived in England in 1929, and then mention some of the highlights and lowlights of his half-season on the race track. Anyone interested can find the story at the link below. http://www.ausm.info/aus_history/1920-30/bluey_wilk1929.htm

For the information of anyone who has been following former multiple World Finalist Eric Williams' stories, I have placed the fourth collection on the Speedway History Forum. Jim Blanchard has kindly agreed to open this members only Forum to visitors for a period of ten days so non-members can read Eric's marvelous stories. Just click on the link below, then go to the third section on the menu (Post War) and there you'll find Eric's four collections of stories. The Fourth Collection covers the period from when Eric left school until the end of the war. He calls this period his "Army Life". The Eric Williams wit shines through once again in this interesting collection. The next collection Eric and I have put together features Eric's first foray into motor cycle competition, and also an account of a visit to see the Isle of Man racing in 1946. That will appear on the site next month. Ross. http://speedwayhistory.proboards67.com/index.cgi

Jack has been discharged from hospital and is back at home. The surgery knocked him around quite a lot and he isn't feeling 100%.

Jack's sister has informed me that the surgery is scheduled for tomorrow Australian time - September 8. Let's hope all goes well for him.

Jack hasn't been well for quite some time. Other medical complications have caused the heart surgery to be delayed for some months. I know his sister and will try to find some information. Jack is a very private person and may not want a fuss made though.

Yes, John was an Australian. I remember watching him race at the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds when I was a teenager. I ran into his sister a couple of times some years ago but haven't seen John for ages. I seem to recall he had a bad racing crash and broke a leg which didn't heal all that well.

The third collection of Eric Williams' stories is now on the Speedway History Forum. This offering is dedicated to Eric's "Mam" and his two uncles who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country in time of war. Eric is in no doubt of the role his parents played in the success on the race track of the "three Williams boys". In this offering he says: - "....we are all aware that the grit and determination required to succeed in the demanding sport of motor cycle racing was more than likely inherited from the fiercely protective little bantam of a woman (all four foot ten inches of her) - our Mam." The "guest" link on the site for the third in the series is http://speedwayhistory.proboards67.com/ind...&thread=341

Wasn't Larry Boulton English? Spencer Stratton was a New Zealander who did a lot of racing in Australia. He also raced in America in the 1920s. I think you'll find Jack Sweeney was also a New Zealander. I found an article in a Bathurst newspaper during the 1928-29 Australian season which mentioned this. It said he was a New Zealander who had travelled extensively and then settled in Australia.

Multiple World Finalist Eric Williams' first collection of stories now appears on The Speedway History Forum. He speaks of his paternal grandparents, his parents and the war years. Those who enjoy reading of the lives of former riders should find Eric's tales most amusing and informative. http://speedwayhistory.proboards67.com/ind...&thread=305

Les was indeed an Australian. He went pretty well around the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds.

With the 80th Anniversary of the commencement of speedway in the UK just around the corner, some may be interested in a first hand report of A. J. Hunting's riders' experiences both on the way to England in 1928 and when they got there. The person who describes what happend was the spokesman for Hunting's riders, Frank Pearce. The details of the two articles are below: - A two-part story titled "The Great Speedway Adventure of 1928" has been added to the Australian Speedway History Page on Craig Fordham's website. Part One contains an introduction, Pearce's account of the time the ISL group spent in Naples and Toulon when the Oronsay stopped at these ports, their journey across Europe, their arrival in England, and how they filled in the two weeks in London prior to the opening of the ISL tracks. http://www.ausm.info/aus_history/1920-30/gsa1928_pt1.htm Part Two contains Pearce's most absorbing account of what happened when racing commenced on the ISL tracks. He tells of the problems experienced by both the promotion and the riders. In conclusion, I have paid a brief tribute to one of A.J. Hunting's Oronsay party, Norman Pritchard. There is also some information on the Oronsay and its sad fate. http://www.ausm.info/aus_history/1920-30/gsa1928_pt2.htm

I can't give you his real name as I don't know it. He was NOT an Australian. I think you'll find he was killed performing the Wall of Death act in a midget car at the Poole Fair. speedyguy - I know of two riders by the name of Sticpewich (that's how I spell it anyway) who raced during the pioneering years in Australia.

Phil, are you aware that chariot races (proper horse-drawn ones) were once staged as a gimmick at a small track motorcycle race meeting in Australia? It was way back at the time the silent version of the film Ben Hur was released in Australia.

Phil, that is an interesting question. Once again the answer will depend on the interpretation of the word "speedway". Do we get a clue here? How about a "yes" or "no" to "was the track in the USA?"

Anyone who still thinks Johnnie Hoskins was the first to stage motorcycle racing on an oval need only look at the history of Thebarton Oval in South Australia. What Hoskins took credit for starting had been going on at Thebarton for some time. Motorcycles even raced on cinders at Thebarton Oval before Hoskins programmed them for the first time at Maitland (which was on grass). Hence, motorcycles had raced on cinders in Australia BEFORE Hoskins's well-documented Maitland meeting. The motorcycle racing at Thebarton in 1923 was organised by the group you mention Rod. However, unlike what took place at Smithfield, the track at Thebarton was not "club-owned." Should anyone be interested in this pre-Maitland motorcycle racing at Thebarton, there is some detail here http://www.ausm.info/aus_history/1920-30/thebarton.htm As for your question, "What is the definition of Speedway?", well that would have changed over the years between the 1920s and today. What was regarded as speedway in the 1920s would not qualify to be termed as that today in many peoples' view. I don't think there is a definitive answer to the question Rod. Everyone who has a knowledge of the sport has his/her own take on that matter.

There was one I know of in Australia which pre-dates November 30, 1929. The owner of the property on which this track was built stipulated the club inform him whenever members were going to turn up for a practice session - he had to shift his cows out of the paddock. If my memory hasn't let me down, the date of the first meeting at this track was the same date as the first ever meeting held at a famous Brisbane venue.

I wasn't going to comment on the expressions "generally acknowledged" / "generally accepted" / "widely accepted / "widely recognised" etc, but have decided to do so. I have been guilty of using such an expression myself (as I was reminded in an email from a member of this Forum yesterday). My take on the term is that the point in question is accepted as fact my the masses. I used the term when writing of Johnnie Hoskins and the first Maitland Showground season. I wrote (and the article is still on the site): - " Regular Carnivals were staged at that time on the Maitland Showground by various bodies as a source of revenue raising. Working in his capacity as Secretary to the H.R.A.& H.A., Hoskins organized a Sports Carnival which was staged on the Showground on Saturday evening December 15th., 1923. This Carnival was a charity event staged to benefit the local orphanages and the H.R.A.& H.A. The programme staged on the night consisted of cycling events, horse events, trotting, athletics and motorcycle racing.This was the first occasion motorcycle racing had been staged at the venue.This date is widely recognized as the day on which speedway as we know it was born." That last sentence is the one in question. What I wrote is fact - the date is still accepted by the masses as seeing the "start of speedway". That doesn't mean the masses are correct - which they aren't. But how does one convince them. What I didn't write was that "speedway as we know it was born on that day". There is a difference between that and what I wrote in the last sentence. I used the term in question very carefully and deliberately to avoid a confrontation with another writer who was at the same time writing for the magazine in which my article appeared. In hindsight, I wish I had finished that paragraph differently.

I thought that was familiar when I started reading it. It ought to have been... I wrote it. I won't give it away on you Phil.

Hello shazzybird; we have spoken previously about your interest in Johnnie Hoskins. Were you aware of his role in the first tour of Australia by an team of English speedway riders? The item is on the site - the link is below. http://www.ausm.info/aus_history/eng_tour/part1.htm

Re Trackman's posting of the item from the Newcastle site: - From the site: - "In 1923, Johnnie was the secretary of the West Maitland (New South Wales) Agricultural Show. As a "side attraction" to the agricultural show, he introduced motorcycle racing on an oval dirt track under floodlights. Speedway had just been born! From West Maitland it spread across Australia like wildfire. Hoskins the entrepreneur was so keen on promoting the sport he had helped to invent that he soon had ambitions that lay outside Australia. Pound signs were flashing, the UK was beckoning......." In that short extract there are errors. The first time motorcycles raced on the Maitland Showground was NOT as a "side attraction" to the show. That is just another myth. Also, the racing surface was NOT dirt, it was GRASS. What Hoskins staged was a Carnival at which motorcycle racing was just one of the attractions. What took place on that occasion had been happening at other venues in Australia for years - it was nothing new.

Re Trackman's posting on this Forum of the article written by Ian Hoskins which appears on a New Zealand site: - This article is far from historically accurate. The continued displaying of material such as this only serves to perpetuate inaccuracies. Recently a similar item appeared on the Edinburgh site. Just when will people learn to question this sort of material? The one on the Edinburgh site contains one of the worst errors I have ever seen.

What may have been regarded as a "dirt track meeting" in the UK in 1927 and 1928 might not be regarded as one today. It all depends on one's interpretation of the term "dirt track". Today the term may mean something completely different to what it meant to those who competed in, or followed, motorcycle racing in Britain in 1927 and 1928. What the term "speedway" means to people today would rule out a lot of pre-1928 small track meetings in Australia. Does that mean they were incorrectly called "speedway meetings" and now should no longer be referred to as such? One point which makes me smile sometimes in regard to comments on what constitutes a "speedway" racing surface is the mention of "a loose" surface. Most people have seen meetings in recent times on surfaces which are far from "loose". Does that mean they weren't "speedway" meetings?