A History of ‘The Round’ by Darren McAullay

The Round
By Darren McAullay

‘The Round’ Kalgoorlie Boulder Annual Race Meeting.

It is, without doubt, one of the biggest, most colourful, and successful racing carnivals to be staged anywhere in Australia. It is steeped in history, has been the scene of some of the most incredible events both on and off the track and for many, it has etched memories that have lasted a lifetime. But it’s much more than just a racing carnival. It is a social pilgrimage where friendships are made, bonded, and often rekindled by people from all walks of life.

It is a carnival in the true sense of the word It is the annual Kalgoorlie-Boulder Race Round.  A document written at the turn of the century revealed the important role racing and its social aspect meant to those who blazed the rugged Goldfields trail.

“The struggles of the pioneers against drought, fever, and all the ills that attend the men who ‘blaze’ the track could not kill their sporting instinct, and even back in the days when their weekly bath was measured in a pannikin and fever was claiming its scores of victims every week, racing thankfully took place periodically.”

The Kalgoorlie-Boulder Racing Club is one of the oldest registered racing associations in Western Australia having been formed in 1896.  When Mr. J A ‘Jack’ Wilson convened a special meeting at the Exchange Hotel in April of that year, to start the club, neither he nor any of those attending could have predicted the important role the Kalgoorlie Boulder Racing Club was to play in the history of WA racing.  Over the years, arguably some of the best gallopers that have ever looked through a bridle in Australia have graced the turf of the now-famous Kalgoorlie race track. The 1905 Melbourne Cup winner ‘Blue Spec’ is probably the most notable by first winning the 1904 Kalgoorlie Cup and then the Perth Cup, Moonee Valley Cup, and the Melbourne Cup all in the following year.

Some of the other great thoroughbreds of yesteryear that helped make the Kalgoorlie-Boulder race track a course of history include Sport Royal, May King, Jolly Beggar, Dyed Garments, and Lilyveil.  While in more recent years names like Fairetha, Blue Spring, Special Test, and Moss Kingdom to name but a few. The round of course is not just the hustle and bustle of racing. Many social activities are conducted during the week-long program as well as the Golden Mile Trotting Club’s annual pacing carnival, Which attracts hundreds of visitors and tourists to the city every year.  For some people, and my guess is a mere few, the Round means little. For the majority of residents, punters, and those who simply enjoy a fun day at the races, the annual racing carnival always will be one of the highlights of the sporting calendar. From The Kalgoorlie Boulder Racing Club, ‘A Course History’ 1989′.

To end the Race Round on a sartorial note. These smart ladies were the winners of the 1938 ‘Fashion of the Fields’. They look as lovely as today’s fashionistas!!

The Round – A History of the First Century of Racing on the Western Australian Goldfields

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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History

My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

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