Not even WW2 stopped the folks of Yarramalong Valley and Wyong enjoying a day at the races. Even in those highly regulated wartime days they staged race days and did so with all the trimmings punters expect.
Bill BOTTOMLEY’s book Back Then carries a quote from Keith FERNANCE:
Keith: I should tell you about the horse races we used to have at Yarramalong in the war years – the Patriotic Race Meetings. You know where the bottom (Yarramalong) cemetery is? Well the racecourse was beside that long straight. It was about three and a half furlongs. It started off with saddle horses and anyone’s horse around the place, then, when they started betting they were bringing in old racehorses and all sorts of things … It was a pretty good track. They had a bookmaker there, and they had a licence to sell grog, and an eating house.
Bottomley: And this name – “Patriotic Race Meeting”… ?
Keith: It was the only way they could get a licence. The money went to the war effort or something.
Then as now, regulations or not, life and the races went on.
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SOURCES: These history notes are contributed to Valley Ventures by one of our members, Max Farley.
Wyong District Pioneers Association 