Goulburn celebrated the 90th anniversary of Australia’s first Grand Prix for All Power Racing Cars on Sunday, January 15 at the Showground.
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The event to mark this anniversary, and the unveiling of the memorial to motor sports pioneers, was organised by the Celebrate Goulburn Group and drew on various other organisations including the Golden Era Auto Racing Club, Goulburn Mulwaree Council and Shannon’s Insurance for their assistance.
This anniversary might have gone unnoticed and the foundations of Goulburn’s strong motor racing connections unrecognised if not for historic research by local enthusiasts.
On Sunday about 200 people attended the plaque unveiling in the car park outside the Goulburn Showground.
Here, relatives of the winner of that historic event – Windellama grazier Geoffrey Charles Edwin Meredith –uncovered a bronze plaque and sign detailing this chapter in the city’s history.
Geoffrey Solomon, a second cousin of Meredith, unveiled the memorial, which was covered by crossed chequered flags. He had travelled from Queensland with his wife Mary.
Both were amazed at the detail of research that had gone into his relative’s history and honoured to be included in the occasion.
Dianne Ottley, whose grandfather also drove in the first Grand Prix, unveiled the story about the historic event.
A booklet on the life of Meredith was also launched and on sale at the celebration. The book highlighted Goulburn’s connections to speedway and motorcycle racing on a local and international stage.
In 1927 the Grand Prix was promoted by Country Speedways Ltd. On the same day Meredith drove a Type 30 Bugatti, previously owned by the late A.V. Turner. An estimated crowd of more than 3000 was reported in the Goulburn Evening Penny Post and via Sydney media channels.
Meredith was vice president of the Goulburn Motor Club at that time.
Besides winning Australia’s first Grand Prix on an oval grass track, he became known as a dirt track speedway motorcycle rider.
He was among the group of Australians who introduced dirt track speedway riding to England. Whilst there, after riding at the inaugural event at Celtic Park, he and others travelled to the Isle of Man to see the races.
There he died of pneumonia in hospital in June 1928.