Gloucester Park
Although trotting has been organised in Western Australia since 1910, the home of the sport, Gloucester Park, dates from 1929. The WA Cricket Association offered to sell 17 acres of land on the northern side of their ground, a mosquito-ridden swamp which was used as the Perth City Council’s rubbish tip. Even so, the WA Trotting Association bought it in 1921.
Reclamation of the site began in 1925 but two years later it became clear it was a much more expensive project than had been estimated. Some £50,000 had been, and a similar amount would be required to erect totalisators, grandstand, offices and fences. As a result, plans for a magnificent grandstand were replaced with a less elaborate one, and work pressed ahead.
The first race meeting at Gloucester Park was held on 26 December 1929 and a crowd of some 17,000 people saw Alween win the opening event. Finally costing £200,000 at the time of the Depression, the track was described as one of the best in the world.
The track changed dramatically in 1985, when the old circuit was torn up and a new half-mile oval put in its place. With its magnificent entrance, today Gloucester Park is a firm part of Perth’s sporting landscape and culture.
Prior to the formation of the Western Australian Trotting Association (WATA) in 1910, the only organised trotting events had been run by the Royal Agricultural Society at the Royal Show. The trotting events at the 1910 Show were organised jointly by the WATA, run by James Brennan, and the Royal Agricultural Society using the rules of the Victorian Trotting Association until local rules could be put in place.
In 1914, James Brennan reported to the WATA Committee that the WA Cricket Association (WACA) was prepared to sell 17 acres of land on the northern side of their ground. However, it took the WATA a further six years before they could purchase the last of the blocks to give them sufficient land to build the course. Even so, the bulk of the land was a mosquito ridden swamp and the site was used as the Perth City Council’s rubbish tip. Architects Powell and Cameron were appointed in 1920 while AT Brine & Sons began work on the drainage.
Work finally began in 1925 but by the end of 1927 a series of inaccurate estimates were began to affect progress. Some £50,000 had been spent on the course, and it was estimated that a similar amount would be required to complete the construction of essential facilities, such as totalisators, grandstand, offices and fences. Twelve months later the bill had risen to £100,000 and the track had still not been completed. A magnificent planned grandstand was replaced with a less elaborate model, like that at Kings Park Tennis Club.
The first race meeting at the track was held on 26 December 1929 and a crowd of some 17,000 people saw Alween, with F. Mackander at the reins, win the opening event at the track. The ground was named Brennan Park, in honour of the man to whom Western Australian trotting owed its existence. It was later renamed Gloucester Park after the Duke of Gloucester.
Completed at a cost of £200,000 at the time of The Great Depression, the track was described as one of the best in the world. Its facilities included the latest Julius ‘Premier’ totalisator, capable of handling £3000 pounds per minute and providing 86 windows for punters.
Photo finish facilities were introduced to Gloucester Park in August 1949, and used for the first time to decide the outcome of a race on 20 August 1949. A mobile barrier was first used at Gloucester Park in May 1958, however, it was abandoned after a short period of use and not re-introduced until January 1972. On 4 November 1960 the £5000 Anniversary Cup was the first event at Gloucester Park to be shown on Perth televisions.
The track changed dramatically in 1985, when the old circuit was torn up and a new half-mile oval put in its place. With its magnificent entrance, today Gloucester Park is a firm part of Perth’s sporting landscape and culture.