EDITOR’S LETTER
EDITOR
Jim Scaysbrook
Email:[email protected]
Tel:(02) 9672 6899 (bh) Mbl:0411 443444
PO Box 95, Kellyville NSW 2155
CONTRIBUTORS
Alan Cathcart, Gaven Dall’Osto, Bob Dennis,
Stuart Francis, Peter Laverty, Peter Smith,
Nick Varta, Peter Whitaker, Ken Young.
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Michael Andrews, CMSNL, Stuart Francis, Robin Lewis,
Colin Rosewarne, Sue Scaysbrook, Keith Ward.
ART DIRECTOR
Mat Clancy
Emsee Publishing Design
NATIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER
Cameron Davis
Email:[email protected]
Ph: 02 9901 6177 Mb: 0401 547 112
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Sue Scaysbrook
Email:[email protected]
Ph: 02 9672 6899 Mb: 0418 174 558
CIRCULATION DIRECTOR
Carole Jones
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Hamish Bayliss
SUBSCRIPTIONS
http://www.mymagazines.com.au
Toll free:1300 361 146 or+61 2 9901 6111
Post to:Locked Bag 3355, St Leonards NSW 1590
CHEVRON PUBLISHING GROUP
a division of nextmedia Pty Ltd.
Level 8, 205 Pacific Hwy,
St Leonards, NSW 2065
Locked Bag 5555, St Leonards, NSW 1590
Ph: (02) 9901 6100 Fax:(02) 9901 6116
EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN
David Gardiner
COMPANY SECRETARY
Bruce DuncanOLD BIKE AUSTRALASIAis published by nextmedia Pty Ltd
ACN: 128 805 970, Level 8, 205 Pacific Hwy, St Leonards NSW
2065 © 2019. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may
be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the prior permission
of the publisher. Printed by Bluestar WEB Sydney, distributed in
Australia and New Zealand by Ovato Distribution Services. ISSN
1833-3249. The publisher will not accept responsibility or any
liability for the correctness of information or opinions expressed
in the publication. All material submitted is at the owner’s risk
and, while every care will be taken nextmedia does not accept
liability for loss or damage.
DISCLAIMER The views expressed in this publication by
correspondents or in the form of letters are those of the
individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of the
publishers or editorial staff.
PRIVACY POLICYWe value the integrity of your personal
information. If you provide personal information through your
participation in any competitions, surveys or offers featured in this
issue of Old Bike Australasia, this will be used to provide the
products or services that you have requested and to improve the
content of our magazines. Your details may be provided to third
parties who assist us in this purpose. In the event of organisations
providing prizes or offers to our readers, we may pass your details
on to them. From time to time, we may use the information you
provide us to inform you of other products, services and events
our company has to offer. We may also give your information to
other organisations which may use it to inform you about their
products, services and events, unless you tell us not to do so. You
are welcome to access the information that we hold about you by
getting in touch with our privacy officer, who can be contacted at
nextmedia, Locked Bag 5555, St Leonards, NSW 1590.
NUMBER 81TMhttp://www.oldbikemag.com.auTracks in Time
Without doubtthe most consistently
popular regular feature of this magazine is
the Tracks in Timesegment. When this was
first envisaged for issue number 1, I figured
that there might be a couple of dozen,
thirty maximum, of these stories to be told.
Here we are 13 years and 81 issues later,
and we’re still going.
This incredible run is thanks to the assistance of countless people, some prominent in the
sporting field, others just keen spectators or amateur photographers. The suggestions for these
tracks come from far and wide, and in many cases the tracks themselves have been lost for
generations, buried under housing estates or shopping centres.
A good case in point is the story from issue 80 – The Big D, or the Morgan Mile to give it its
official title. This began as a welcome submission from Geoff Nuske, with recollections,
information, and some photos. It wasn’t enough for a full story, but it was a good start. By
casting the net wider and contacting a few friends such as Charlie Edwards, the story grew, but
it really came to life when Barry Sweetman rummaged through his photo collection and came
up with some real gems, such as the aerial shots of the site. There were also other shots of
race action and pit scenes, absolute classics and exactly what was needed to take this story
from concept to reality.
Since the publication of the Morgan Mile story I have received a stack of correspondence by
letter or email from former competitors, spectators and officials, most of whom never expected
to see anything about the venue again. It just goes to show what’s possible with a little effort.
It also shows there is more out there. Some former tracks, such as, say, Oran Park, or one-off
venues like the Laverton TT, are obvious, but many, many others have slipped off the radar
completely. Or almost completely. In photo albums, boxes of old programmes, or scrap books
are traces of such tracks. For example, Sydney was littered with dirt tracks such as Vineyards,
Arcadia, and Glenorie – that’s three for a start. And following on from the Morgan Mile, there is
certainly a story in the similar Port Pirie Long Track just waiting to be told.
It’s all down to archives and enthusiasm, so we encourage everyone out there to help us
continue this feature for quite a while yet. Dig out that nostalgic material, however insignificant
it may seem, and let us know about it. It may not always be usable, but you never know, from
little acorns big trees grow.JIM SCAYSBROOK
EditorOUR COVER
Bruce Hollow’s Magni
Moto Guzzi 1000 Arturo.
oldbikeaustralasia See feature story on P58.oldbikemag.com.auoldbikemagThe opening spread of Tracks in Timefrom Issue 1.