Ever since it was decided to form a race club at Garfield the residents of that district from near and far have met on Saturday afternoons and by steady work have transformed the old reserve into something like a decent place. The reserve consists of some 15 acres close to the station and adjoining the residence of Mr W. Ritchie. The situation is all that could be desired for the purpose and when the work is thoroughly finished it will be found that the course is one of the finest this side of the metropolis. The racing track will be 1 mile 3 furlongs long and this has been achieved by permission of a couple of landholders who have given the club the right to use the necessary additional ground. A grand stand and the usual appurtenances are to be erected and it is anticipated that the opening meeting of the club on March 12 will see the course in complete order. (2)
The Race Committee consisted of: President - Joseph Henry Walker; Vice President and Chairman of Stewards - Charles Pitt; Stewards - Messrs John Daly (the Garfield school teacher), J.T Kelly, Donald, Pitt, Fitzpatrick, William Ritchie and Captain A’Beckett; Clerk of Course - Mr. Shandley; Starter - Mr. Pitt; Judge - Mr. Walker; Saddle cloth steward - Thomas Hegney; Clerk of scales - Mr. Archer; Weigher – Mr. S. Walker; Pony measurer - Mr. Fitzpatrick; Handicapper - Mr. Smith and the Hon. Surgeon was Dr Cowen. (3)
Garfield Weights for the first race meeting
The first race meeting was held on Wednesday, March 12 1902 and it was very successful
-The opening meeting of this recently formed club was held on the course near the railway station yesterday, and considering the strong counter attractions in the Cranbourne races and the Warragul Show, was a great success. The day was a good one for the sport and the several events provided some good racing and finishes. The committee of the club were indefatigable in their efforts to provide comfort for their patrons and a great amount of praise is certainly due to the secretary, Mr Smith, for the manner in which the meeting resulted. (4)
The results at this first race meeting were: Handicap Trial Stakes over five furlongs - first Iolanthe, second Premier and third Fly; Handicap Novelty Pony race over four furlongs - Zoe, Palos then Woodbine; Garfield Handicap over 1¼ mile - Nemesis, second Millman (late Harkaway); Galloway Handicap over five furlongs - Palos, Miss Dive then Fairleigh; Handicap Flying Stakes over 5¼ furlongs - Iolanthe, Nemesis then Millman; District Maiden Hack race over four furlongs - Patamba, Bung Smith then Honesty. The last race of the day was the Consolation race over four furlongs won by Fairleigh, second Premier with Honesty third. (5)
I don’t have a record of the prize money for the first race meeting but the prizes for the November 10 1902 race included 5 sovereigns for the Novice Race, Garfield Handicap, Novelty Pony Race and the Handicap Flying Stakes and 3 sovereigns for the Time Handicap Trot. (6) To give some perspective a sovereign was worth £1 and the average weekly wage of a male factory worker at the time (for a 48 hour week) was around £2. (7)
The November 1902 race meeting was registered under the Victorian Racing Club Rules. (8). Other Race meetings held included a meeting in November 1903 with over 50 entries, some of them from the very best stables, and whose appearance will add lustre to what promises to be a brilliant gathering. (9).
In those early days the horses were transported by rail and in April 1904 the Garfield Club Secretary wrote to The Argus newspaper with the following complaint -
Mr. J.T. Kelly, hon secretary of the Garfield Race Club, writes:- "I desire to bring under your notice the manner in which our race club has been treated by the Railway department. It is a common occurrence for horses to be left behind at railway stations owing to no horse boxes being available. Several horses were left behind between Melbourne and Garfield and a like number from Warragul owing to no horse
boxes being available. It is a great loss to our country meetings when horses intending to race are left behind by the Railway department. The same loss must also apply to the Railway department. The common cry is "Why don't our railways pay?" The Garfield Club does not stand alone in this matter. Other country clubs are located in the same way. Considering the revenue the Railway department derive from racing people it seems only a fair thing to ask for a little more consideration. (10)
In spite of what sounded like a successful few years in December 1904 it was reported that the Garfield Race Club would be disbanded and was to reorganise on fresh lines. (11) There are very few reports of the Club over the next few years and then in February 1909 there was a report that - A meeting of gentlemen was held at the lona Hotel on Saturday evening last, when it was decided to form a race club. (12). The office bearers of the new Club were - President - Mr. E.J Hattersley; Vice President - Mr. M.J Walsh; Treasurer - Mr. H.A Hourigan; Secretary - Charles Cail and Stewards were John Daly, Charles Pitt (who was also Starter), M. Walsh, D. Danson, M.Doran (who was also Clerk of Course); Clerk of scales - Mr. R. McNamara; Starter - Charles Pitt and Judge was Mr. C. Pearson. (13).
It would be interesting to know why a new Club was formed in late 1904 and another in 1909 - did people just fall out with each other? Did it go broke and have to start again? It is hard to know 100 years down the track.
Garfield Race meeting, March 1909
In any event, the new Garfield Racing Club held a race meeting on March 5, 1909 with a prize of £12 for the one mile Garfield Handicap, £10 for the six furlong Welter Handicap and £6 for the Iona District Handicap over six furlongs (14).
Special train to the Garfield races
Race meetings were reported up to 1913, including one held in the December of that year when the Garfield Race Club held its spring meeting on Tuesday under delightful weather conditions. There was a large attendance, and the racing was splendid (15). There are fewer reports of race meetings during the First World War, although a patriotic race meeting was held on May 6, 1915 -
but unfortunately the attendance was not so large as anticipated. The president, Mr. T. J. Cryan, and the various officials were energetic in attending to their respective duties, whilst Mr. M. Reidy was thoroughly efficient as hon. secretary. In four out of six events on the programme good fields faced the starter, and three of the races furnished exciting finishes. (16)
After the War, attendances were booming, this is a report of a meeting held in November 1920 -
The programmes at the Garfield races yesterday was lengthened to such an extent by divisions, rendered necessary by the large number of acceptances in the various events, that the second division of the second last race, and the last race, had to be abandoned, as the special train was timed to leave on the return journey to Melbourne at 5.55 pm. The attendance was large. More than 70 horses and ponies went from Melbourne. (17).
In 1923 the track was upgraded. In February it was reported that -
The trustees of the Garfield recreation reserve have leased an adjoining property of 15 acres for three years, with the option of purchase. They have also leased for a term of 21 years an allotment, portion of which they intend to use as a birdcage for race meetings and the remainder as a public park. (18) In the October of the same year - Improvements to the race course are approaching completion, and a fine track had been prepared. Over £500 has been spent during the past few months. (19) Some of the works included - running track has been widened, and agricultural drain pipes have been put down to carry away all surplus water. (20)
In the 1920s and early 1930s there were regular reports of Pony races at Garfield, especially the St Patrick's Day meeting. This was the report from the 1929 event -
Probably the most successful racing fixture in Gippsland is the Iona St. Patrick's Day meeting, and the celebrations this year are likely to eclipse previous efforts. A pony race meeting will be held at the Garfield racecourse on Saturday, March 16, and other attractions are included. The Warragul Brass Band will be in attendance, and the catering and soft drink booth will be controlled by the usual and practically permanent ladies' committee, who have been canvassing and working hard for the past three weeks. (21)
Garfield wasn’t the only racecourse in the area. Racing at Nar Nar Goon had started in the 1889; Racecourse Road in the town is a reminder of the location of the racecourse. Bunyip, Iona, Cora Lynn and Koo Wee Rup also held race meetings.
However, in 1933 the Chief Secretary decided to curtail the number of race meetings in country areas, for the season which was to begin on August 1. Thus on July 10, 1933 he announced that Garfield had its races reduced from two to zero, Bunyip three to zero, Iona one to zero and the same for Cora Lynn and Koo Wee Rup.(22).
The Age newspaper supported this decision -
Although unable to reduce the number of race meetings in the country below the minimum number allotted in 1929, action taken by the Chief Secretary in allotting the race meetings to be held in the new racing year, which opens on 1st August, will result in the closing of ten racecourses situated within easy distance of Melbourne. The action will be warmly endorsed by all persons, who have a sincere wish to serve the welfare of the sport of horse racing. It has long been recognised in sporting circles, that some of the country courses easily accessible to Melbourne by motor car should be abolished. There is no legitimate need for them. The local attendance is generally very small. The clubs depend mainly on visitors from Melbourne, and as genuine lovers of the sport are otherwise sufficiently catered for the meetings in question have had to depend to a very large extent on the undesirable class of patron from the metropolitan area (23).
Racecourses to be closed
So it was all over for Garfield and the other courses close to Melbourne, as this effectively closed these Clubs. A race meeting was held at Pakenham to liquidate the liabilities of the Garfield and Bunyip Clubs in December 1933, and then again over the next few years. Garfield had a debt of £344 and Bunyip of £1133, and both Clubs still had debts in 1936 (24).
The Nar Nar Goon Race Club survived until 1942; but as they were only allowed one race meeting that year it was not worthwhile continuing. All the buildings on the site were sold at auction in November, 1942. (25).
Trove list
I have created a list of articles on the Garfield Racing Club, access it on Trove,
here.
Footnotes
(1)
South Bourke & Mornington Journal, December 25, 1901, see
here.
(2)
West Gippsland Gazette, February 18, 1902, see
here.
(3) Ibid. I found the given names of the men in the Electoral Rolls.
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