They Once Raced Here Vol II LoddonCampaspeMallee

“They Once Raced Here: The Lost Racecourses of Victoria, Vol 11: Loddon Campaspe and Mallee” is a comprehensive guide to the hidden racecourses that once dotted the landscape of Victoria’s Barwon and central highlands region. Written by local author C.A Ganly, this 453-page book delves into the history and stories behind these forgotten racetracks.

This volume covers off on the Loddon Campaspe and Mallee regions. It’s bigger, at 480 pages, and better than Volume 1. There’s more courses, maps, plans and photographs.

The two regions are very different in their racing history. 

The Loddon Campaspe was quite similar to the regions in Volume I. As its settlement was older, it had a longer tradition in racing. The Mallee however is very different. As soldier settlement post-First World War drove a lot of the Mallee, it did so for racing there as well. A lot of the racing started around the same time and was very short-lived. In many locations we see the commencement of racing in the early 1900s and then curtailment happening in that region around a similar time, late 1920s to mid 1930s.

The trip from Pinnaroo in South Australia to Ouyen, Victoria on the Mallee Highway is fascinating. The distance from the state border to Ouyen is 130 kilometres. Over that distance there are ten racing locations on or very close to the highway. If you add the three more that are located in the vicinity of the highway, that’s thirteen locations, or on average, one every ten kilometres. A racecourse hunting bonanza!

What’s a bit sad about the journey is that not only are the racecourses are all gone, but in a lot of cases so are the towns. In many cases you see the town approaching, marked by the very prominent wheat silos that remain along the train line. A few of the racing locations became the local golf course, a common theme across the state, but even the golf courses are gone, or in the process of going.