Racing hearts once thundered here at Canterbury Park. It is more than just a park. Canterbury Park Racecourse is a testament to Sydney’s rich history and love for horse racing.
Canterbury Park is located 11 km from Sydney’s Central Business District. You will find it in King Street, Canterbury. The Australian Turf Club operates the racecourse.
Let’s step back to 1852. Cornelius Proud cleared part of his property for a racecourse. Locals regularly used it. Then in 1871, Frederick Clissold and Thomas Austen Davis held a race meeting. It was on land Davis leased near the existing course.
In 1884, the site became the headquarters of the Canterbury Park Race Club. A racetrack was built with a grandstand for 700 people. The first meeting was held on January 19, 1884. In 1886, Davis bought 53 acres of the leased land for the club.
Up until World War I, Canterbury Park even had a zoo. Kangaroos, wallabies and emus lived here. Brolgas, curlews, pheasants and kookaburras were also residents. Imagine that a zoo right in the middle of a racecourse.
The Sydney Turf Club acquired Canterbury Park in 1945. In 2011, they merged with the Australian Jockey Club. This formed the Australian Turf Club. They are the current owners and operators of Canterbury Park Racecourse.
Horse racing in Canterbury may have started as early as 1842. The first official race meeting was in 1884. Canterbury Park also hosted motorcycle speedway events from 1910 to 1915. During World War II, the Australian Army used Canterbury Park. Races still continued.
In 1940, Canterbury Park Turf Club was the first sports club to offer full membership to women. In 1946, Australia’s first photo finish camera was installed here. 1948 saw Australia’s first electric mobile starting barriers. Jane Spence became the first female to ride a winner on a Metropolitan course in 1984.
Night racing commenced at Canterbury Park in September 1999. This was controversial. Locals feared noise, light pollution and late-night disturbances.
Canterbury Park has seen many changes. There were plans for a golf driving range in the early 2000s. It was never realised. In 2010, the Sydney Turf Club and Australian Jockey Club merged.
In 1893, a jockey named Death rode a horse called Despair. The horse fell in a hurdle race. The Bulletin newspaper found the combination gruesome.
For the first 11 years, George Monk cared for the racecourse and park. He was a talented gardener. His son Jim took over. He managed a zoo on the racecourse for 60 years.
Many trainers settled near Canterbury Park. By the 1890s, a network of stables flourished. You could find them in Minter, Church, King and Broughton streets. Remnants of these stables still exist.
During World War II, American fighter planes buzzed the course in 1942. It annoyed racegoers. One horse fell and had to be euthanized.
In 1943, the McKell Government formed the Sydney Turf Club. In 1944, the club purchased Canterbury Park Racecourse.
Canterbury Park has been the site of innovation. The first photo finish camera. The first mobile barrier stalls. The first metropolitan racing success for a woman trainer. Sydney’s first TAB meeting. The first night racing meeting.
Canterbury Park ceased being used for training in 1998. In 2011, the Sydney Turf Club merged with the Australian Jockey Club. Together, they formed the Australian Turf Club.
Canterbury Park stands as a reminder of racing history. It has evolved and adapted. Today, it continues to operate successfully. As you leave Canterbury Park, remember its legacy.