Sport and Recreation

Written by Graham Wilson

Australian Themes- developing Australia’s cultural life.

NSW Theme- sport.

Local Themes- activities associated with organised sport.

Ovals, swimming pool, racecourse, bowling club, bowling green and tennis courts. 

Australian Themes- developing Australia’s cultural life.

NSW Theme- leisure.

Local Themes- Clubhouse, swimming pool, dance hall, passenger rail carriage, picnic place and swimming hole.

Sport was an essential part of the shire’s recreation life.  In time the shire using government grants provided recreation facilities but communities and sporting clubs had also provided facilities before the creation of local government in the region.  A number of properties throughout the district provided tennis courts for social and competition play.  Remnants of these early tennis courts can still be seen on pastoral communities and village parks.

Athletics Club, Warialda

The Warialda Athletics Club was revived at a public meeting held in September 1899.  A sports union was formed and all sporting clubs were invited to join.  In April 1936 some twenty-five residents met to reform an Athletic Club.  They decided to rent Mr G. Young’s garage opposite Bell’s fruit shop for the purpose of the club.

Race Club, Bingara

Bingara’s first Jockey Race Club was formed in 1889 with John Byrnes as President.  It was late in May that a meeting of subscribers was held to elect officers.

Showground and Racecourse, Bingara.

Initially this area was known as Gwydir Park.  In June 1898, the Bingara Telegraph announced that the tender of Mr E. Bates was accepted for erection of a pavilion at the Gwydir Park.

Twelve months later, the newspaper announced that Edward Bates carried out further work on the pavilion. It was early in July that a public meeting was held ‘for the purpose of … having the Gwydir Park and Racecourse grounds trust vested in the Municipal Council in lieu of the present private trustees’. A deputation was appointed to meet with the trustees to discuss the matter.  The Bingara Council took over the Recreation Ground and Racecourse as trustees in 1898.

The Bingara Race Club met in October 1906 to consider plans and specifications of proposed alterations and extension of the grandstand.  The first plane ‘The Canberra’ landed at Bingara at the racecourse in probably 1929.  Horrie Bridger remembers the plane, a de Haviland 61, was piloted by Captain Les Holden.

The Lands Department gazetted the site as the Bingara Showground, Racecourse and Public Recreation on 26 June 1931.   Three years later in June 1934, Bingara Council called tenders for the purchase and removal of a windmill, tower and pump at the racecourse and the erection of replacement equipment.  A meeting was held at Frank R. King’s Office in June 1935 to revive interest in racing.  At that stage, the Municipal Council had repaired the racing track and ring fence and registered the course.  The purpose of the meeting was to form a committee and call a further meeting to discuss the welfare of the club.

A special meeting of the Bingara Municipal Council was held on 27 August 1937 to consider ‘the advisability of obtaining an adequate water supply for the town’. It was also decided to seek a grant for the provision of water, sewerage and a grandstand for the showground.  In July 1938, ₤600 was made available by the government for preliminary expenses in respect of the proposed water supply but the Council decided to apply for a further grant of ₤600. A further special meeting held on Friday 8 October decided to accept the offer for the government to provide money for the three projects.  The cost was to involve ₤9500. Today the timber grandstand still stands.  

In August 1937 a special meeting of Bingara Municipal Council decided to seek a grant for construction of a grandstand at the showground.  Council discussed the question of a proposed grandstand at the racecourse in February 1938. It was decided to engage an architect and call for applications to erect the building. Delays were experienced and in November the Government Architect returned the plans for amendment by the council’s architect, Inverell architect Mr Madigan. However it was not until May 1939 that a tender was called by council for demolishing the existing grandstand at the Racecourse and Showground.  A tender for the work was accepted on 24 May. The P. and A. Association also supplied funds for erection of the grandstand.  

Mr E.S. Spooner officially opened the new grandstand costing ₤1200 on Friday 3 November 1939.  The Minister for Lands, C.A. Sinclair ‘referred to the splendid asset the grandstand would be to the P. and A. Association, as well as to the people of the district as a whole’. The P. and A. Association contributed ₤200 towards the coat of the grandstand.  The Gwydir Council undertook extensive repairs to the grandstand in November and December 2005.