THIS week’s image is of Arthur Rizzo, who was the winner of the 1949 Grand Prix at Bathurst, with his racing car. The image was taken at Mount Panorama by Gwen Ratcliff, who lived at 187 William Street.
Racing of cars and motorbikes has taken place in the Bathurst area for over a century. The Vale circuit was opened in 1930, though there had been another track near Yetholme some two decades earlier.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
There was one supporter waiting in the wings with an idea to have a track that went around Mount Panorama – the Bathurst mayor Martin Griffin.
The mayor arranged for Minister for Works Eric Sydney Spooner to visit Bathurst to inspect a proposed scenic tourist drive idea. If approved, the construction would be done with money set aside to give work to those unemployed due to the Depression. As it happened, Mr Spooner agreed and work started late in 1936.
It involved the expenditure of some £33,000 on the road and other buildings at McPhillamy Park, the latter named after Walter McPhillamy, who donated some 15 acres of “parkland” to the city of Bathurst.
The dirt track was almost finished early in 1938 and basically ready to be sealed, but there was no money.
Not to hold things up, the new Mount Panorama Scenic Road had its official opening on March 17, 1938.
There was an immediate fascination to hold a “race meeting”, with interest from bikes and cars. It seems little time was wasted as the first races were conducted about a month later, on April 16.
The NSW Light Car Club and the Auto Cycle Union organised the event, which Mayor Griffin proudly opened.
Plans quickly progressed for the inaugural Bathurst Grand Prix to be held. Various bike and sidecar races were held, including a 100-mile bike race. Two days after, the 147-mile Australian Grand Prix took place.
Some cars reached 60 miles per hour on the dirt track. By November, some £1200 had been found to seal the track with tar, much of the latter coming from Bathurst City Council’s Gas Works. Racing was disrupted by the Second World War and recommenced in October 1946.
The drivers often made their own cars in many of the early car races and this was the case with Arthur Rizzo. Born in 1917 during World War One, he developed an interest in automobiles from an early age with some encouragement from his father Joseph, who would take his family to the Olympia Motor Speedway.
Arthur grew up in Sydney after his parents emigrated from Malta to make a better life. His dad purchased a pool hall in Maroubra and his mother used her fine hands as a seamstress.
It wasn’t surprising that young Arthur soon decided he wanted to become a motor mechanic and maybe race cars.
Young Arthur was just 21 when the Second World War was declared. Despite wanting to join up, he found his job declared an essential occupation that was needed by the Federal Government.
He worked hard and played in a band some nights for a little extra income and relaxation. Like his father, Arthur played the piano accordion. He was playing one such night when he met his future first wife Valerie.
He and Valerie (nee Forrester) took their vows in 1944.
Arthur gained a good deal of experience working on other racing cars before deciding to start on one for himself in 1945 with the war almost over. He was taken with the Riley automobiles, so he decided to get together parts to construct his very own “Riley Special”.
It was actually made up of all sorts of parts from various brands of cars and what he couldn’t scavenge he had made one way or another. In fact, he even used a piece of an aircraft as well as petrol drums in its construction.
