Unlocking the Past: Heddon Greta's forgotten race course

The Heddon Greta race course opened on February 17, 1906. A huge crowd of approximately 1250 attended. They had come on dedicated Race Special trains which ran from both Newcastle and West Maitland. This service would go on to operate on a regular basis, bringing race goers and horses to a specially constructed racecourse platform. A typical train had passenger cars with large horse boxes attached at the back. The racecourse platform was described as being "within a few paces of the saddling paddock when they leave the train".

The Heddon Greta track was 10 furlongs long, just over two kilometres. A grandstand was built for the comfort of race fans, but it didn't protect them from the dense clouds of dust which plagued the track and became a much-complained about issue for riders and spectators alike. A luncheon room was constructed so that visitors could eat their food with some degree of respectability.

This new race course was a site for the whole community. Three years after opening the Kurri Kurri Church of England moved its annual picnic day, a popular day in the town's social calendar, to the race course. It appears the church was able to use its moral authority, or the guilt of the racing owners over the sin of gambling, because the ground was offered to the church free of charge.

The last race at the course was 1932. It sat idle, then closed officially in 1936. Despite sometimes attracting huge crowds the ground wasn't financially viable, with four different racing clubs having lost money there.

The race course's main grandstand was dismantled and taken to the Kurri Kurri football ground for use, another stand was taken to the Cessnock Agricultural Ground. Despite claims over the years that the course was going to re-open, most notably in 1940 by Ernest Garratt, publican of the Chelmsford Hotel, its glory days were over.

In 1959 the track roared into life again, as the Heddon Greta speedway was born. The original race track was shortened and altered to better accommodate the bikes and cars. The speedway closed in 2002, the land sold and was later developed for housing.