History of Goulburn Paceway

The Olympic Sports Ground Company formed in 1885, negotiating the purchase of 10 acres of land to develop a sporting complex from a gentleman named Charles Thomas.

A resolution of the Goulburn Racing Club in 1904 was “to commence negotiations for the purchase of the “Olympic grounds”, and a temporary lease was taken out. A great number of improvements and additions were affected and the Goulburn Racing Club eventually purchased the old Olympic Grounds. The Olympic Grounds were between the present ground and Garoorigang. By the late 1920’s and early 1930’s there were four clubs in Goulburn conducting trotting races.

The Olympic Sports Ground Company formed in 1885, negotiating the purchase of 10 acres of land to develop a sporting complex from a gentleman named Charles Thomas. A resolution of the Goulburn Racing Club in 1904 was “to commence negotiations for the purchase of the “Olympic grounds”, and a temporary lease was taken out. A great number of improvements and additions were affected and the Goulburn Racing Club eventually purchased the old Olympic Grounds. The Olympic Grounds were between the present ground and Garoorigang. By the late 1920’s and early 1930’s there were four clubs in Goulburn conducting trotting races.

Gordon Millsom was a volatile man but looked to the future and was not afraid to express his views, no matter in what company. He was a man the trotting industry at that time looked up to as a saviour of the country trotting industry in depression times when the industry was sadly depleted by a move of trotting personnel to the Metro areas. He even put forward a proposal for the 1940 Interdominion Trotting Championships to be run at Goulburn. Goulburn was for many years the hub of country trotting in the depression years, and since then has gone on to produce such horses as Friendly Footman, Gundary Flyer and in more recent times Amanda Woodward, Burling Game, Camlach, Haydaze, Trudee, Magic Operative and Lot of Style.

Champion Goulburn pacer Gundary Flyer races for home in trackwork for the 1982 Australian Derby in Perth
Trainer-driver Mick Day later guided him to victory in the race (Western Australian Newspaper)
Photo courtesy “Goulburn & Beyond a photographic essay, Gitta Seidel.1981: WA Total prize money $50,000, Driver M Day, Distance 2625m, Rate: 1:16:1 (2:02:5)