In 1924, a small group of motorcyclists decided that a club was needed to cater to the needs of riders in the Port Pirie area. The group approached Mr. Frank Lock, who owned a motorcycle repair shop, to ask if he could organize a gathering to form a club. He agreed, and a public meeting was held in a shop owned by Mr. Whittard on Alexander Street.
This meeting resulted in the formation of one of the first motorcycle clubs in South Australia. It is believed that 15 members were present at the inauguration, though few records remain due to the passage of time and an early fire that destroyed valuable materials. Despite this, several founding names are known, including Bill Cunningham, Cyril Richards, Charlie Berry, Bill Bayley, Frank Lock, Tom Keast, Reg Keast, and Cec Warren.
The group became known as "The Gentleman's Club of the North." Looking at photographs collected from those early days, it is easy to see why: many of the riders were dressed formally in hats, coats, and ties.
Over the years, the club arranged many types of events for its members, including road trials, speed trials, observed trials, lagoon racing, 1.5-mile speed racing, enduros, night rides, club runs, wet weather runs, beach meetings, weekend camps, courtesy trials, and safety tests.
The social side of the club, involving member families, was equally important. Regular dances were held and proved to be a great success—often, you had to arrive early or risk being turned away. During the Depression in the early 1930s and the war years, when members could not afford to own or register their bikes, revenue from these dances helped alleviate financial difficulties and pay membership fees. Since its formation, the club has donated thousands of dollars to charity and other fundraising appeals.
To find the start of speed racing on the "Lagoon Track," we go back to 1924. Fun and games took place at the lagoon long before the club decided to push forward with the new sport of speed racing.
The first public gathering at the Lagoon Track was held on a Sunday afternoon. Initially, the club relied on collections among the spectators to fund the prize money. However, the public was more interested in the speed than the contributions, and as the saying went, "the spiders wove their webs in the cash boxes." Consequently, in 1927, a fence was built along the eastern frontage and an admission fee was charged. The response was favorable, and the Club reported a gate taking of £50.
The Lagoon Track was situated about two miles west of Port Pirie on saltbush-covered claypans. The track was handmade, as there was little equipment available for construction at the time; rakes, shovels, and picks were the order of the day to bring the track up to a racing standard. Between 1927 and 1935, the track was used only about four times, as rain, floods, and high tides frequently caused race cancellations.
Top riders of the day included: Bill Bayley, Charlie Bayley, Mick Hill, Les Berry, Roy Hardy, Harry Catchpool, Colin Bottrall, Cyril Richards, Ivan Mortess, Tom Keast, and Max Niedorfer Snr.
The skill of these riders had to be seen to be believed, and accidents were common in the early days. A serious mishap occurred involving Cyril Richards, who was acting as the starter. After flagging off the limit rider, he was about to send off the last rider when he was struck by the footrest of the leading bike. His ankle was almost severed through, and only the quick action of several people on the spot helped save it. After a long recovery, Cyril returned to the club to serve in many official positions until his retirement from the sport.
Between 1929 and 1935, Memorial Oval was also used as a race circuit, with several members forming a company to promote racing there. A safety fence had to be built inside the spectator picket fence for extra security. The track, made of black cinder, was abandoned around 1935. (This is the same location where photographs of my personal collection of Jack Young bikes were later taken).
During the period of 1935 to 1945, which included World War II, the club was not very mobile due to restrictions such as petrol rationing. Records from this period are almost non-existent, and it was another 10 years before the club became active again.
Thanks to some conscientious members, it was decided in 1946 to promote speed meetings once again. The question was: where?
In 1947, a lease was signed with the Port Pirie Council for the former Civil Aerodrome on Port Germien Road. The cost was 11 pounds, 16 shillings for 10 years. However, a major issue arose when the Department of Defence, which had taken over most of the area, indicated they might construct a new track. After club members identified discrepancies in the maps, a deputation was sent to Adelaide. As a result, a surveyor from the Department of Defence laid out a new one-mile track.
This circuit was built in 1947 and used for the first time on Easter Saturday of that year. It proved to be a massive success with both riders and spectators. The era between 1948 and 1966 is remembered as one of the golden periods for speed racing in Australia.
Local Legends: Names such as Bill Drinnan, Max Niedorfer, Graham Rohshiem, Mel Scarman, Bob Daws, Laurie Davies, Allen Williamson, Ross Hall, and Max Allchurch held their own, often defeating riders racing on special machines in State and Australian titles.
Notable Champions:
As time progressed, modern motorcycles—specifically Japanese and JAWA Speedway/Longtrack bikes—offered greater speed but different reliability profiles. The older bikes were struggling to last the full 5-mile race distances. Consequently, in 1966, the club decided to build a half-mile track inside the original one-mile circuit.
The new track plans were drawn up by Don Prettejon, a top Adelaide rider. With the assistance of a bulldozer and voluntary labor from the Broken Hill Associated Smelters (BHAS), club members spent months digging post holes, relocating fences, and shifting the finishing tower.
The "Strike" and the Motocross Shift The new circuit was ready for the 1967 Easter meeting. However, when entries went out announcing a new 10-lap format, the major riders refused to participate, claiming it would be too physically demanding and the prize money was insufficient. After failed negotiations, the club decided to run the meeting for top Motocross (MX) riders instead. The day was a financial success, and the competitors went home with significantly more prize money than expected. Following this, Adelaide and interstate riders returned the next year, and the half-mile track went from strength to strength.
The Sidecar Revolution (1972) In 1972, Jeff Grocott from NSW appeared with the first two-stroke sidecar machine (a Kawasaki). While it had been unsuccessful at Rowley Park, it took the Port Pirie crowd and riders by surprise with its lightness and handling. Grocott won both the Junior and Senior titles on the same machine that day—a rare achievement.
Stars of the Half-Mile Spectators witnessed many track records broken over the years.
Sadly, the half-mile circuit also witnessed tragedy, with two fatal accidents in the 1980s claiming the lives of sidecar passenger Brian O'Neill and rider Brian Schultz.
Lights were installed in 1996 to allow for night meetings, and two Australian Title meetings were run. However, due to new fencing requirements, the Port Pirie Motorcycle Club (PPMCC) decided not to promote further speedway meetings. The club continued to run the popular Easter Saturday meetings until 1999.
A "Stadium X" track was later built on the main straight and infield, but it was used only a few times. The entire complex eventually fell silent, sitting neglected for several years.
Recently, a 5-year lease agreement was signed between the Port Pirie Council and myself, representing the SA Longtrack Speedway Supporters Association, to take over the track and its surrounds.
Work has already begun to re-establish the track for racing, but we need funding to help bring back one of the most famous longtracks in the world. We have set up a GoFundMe page where you can donate to help us achieve racing at this iconic venue once again.
If you can afford to contribute a few dollars, it would be greatly appreciated. Your support will help save a track, rather than losing another one to history—a fate all too common these days. We are planning two or three events per year (initially daytime, moving to night racing once lighting is improved).
Please join us in bringing the roar back to Port Pirie.
