THE great Peter Brock continues to be a great ambassador for Bathurst – even nine years after his death.
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In life, Brock was famous for spruiking Bathurst – both the city and the circuit – at every opportunity.
His skill on the racetrack was matched only by his charisma off the track and, as an unabashed fan of Bathurst, he did more to promote the region than any marketing campaign could.
And Brock’s contribution to Bathurst is sure to live on following confirmation that a telemovie on his life will include scenes shot in Bathurst and around the famous Mount.
State Member Paul Toole yesterday announced the NSW Government was financially supporting the Brock telemovie – and a raft of other productions – “to ensure NSW’s reputation as the premier film-making destination in Australia continues to reap dividends for our economy”.
And, if past projects are any indication, the production by film company Shine will reap plenty of benefits for the Bathurst region.
Australian audiences have shown a real desire to see local stories on the small screen and recent biopics on INXS and Peter Allen have not only drawn huge ratings but also a resurgence of interest in the shows’ subjects.
The Peter Brock story will focus on his whole life, not just his deeds at Bathurst, but the two can hardly be separated.
And that can only be good for our city, with the telemovie likely to reach a much broader audience that goes well beyond motor racing fans.
It’s amazing that the Brock legacy remains such a powerful presence surrounding the Bathurst 1000 so many years after he last tackled the famous circuit, but it is a legacy that will never be forgotten.
Motor racing has never been more professional than it is today and the drivers have never been more articulate, nor better presented.
But there remains an aura surrounding the greats of the past like Moffat, Johnson, Grice and Brock – and we all remain in their debt.