Dunedin Street Races - revival meeting January 1984

[Roger Dowding]

The Scott - Given archive photo's - apparently the negatives were with Kenny Smith who gave them to Myles Hicks as he has the " Ruddspeed 3000 " Austin Healey, which was the Austin 4000 Healey by the time of the Matamata events. Car #34 in an entry list I have and #28 in the photographs

Here are the first set. #31 - #37 [ #34 missing ? ]

Saloon Cars - the Start
Front row - Anglia #44, #71 Mini, #85 Anglia
Second row - Mini and Mini
Then Anglia Mini A40 and at the back, Mini and A40 ?


Sports cars - the Start - under the Bardahl Banner.


Ford Consul 315 - Classic #36 D Jurie


Zephyr, De Soto Colin Lumsden and a couple of Anglias - Cleaver Motors corner - where Alan Boyle took his photos - photos to follow


Small capacity Saloons the start A40 Devon and VW in front - under the Bardahl Banner - 1965 as look like new plates Aluminium letters Black background !


Humber 80, Fiat 1500, Anglia and Mini - Cleaver Motors corner [ says Hillman on the photo now corrected on the original scan ].


Photos may be from different years as Start Line is different - see first two photos.
The Daimler in photo 2 stated as Trevor Sheffield - I need to verify this.

Will add details later as cars are identified from entry lists and note the year of the race(s) - have added some detail today 22/08/2020

More to come [ around another dozen - plus a couple more pages of entry lists from Keiron Guinness - who still lives in Matamata. He and his family were neighbours of my nephew who now lives in Brisbane - that small world again.

Reposting the Alan Boyle photos too - Alan was in the Showroom of Cleaver Motors.

Details added from comments recently by Rhys " Oldfart " and Kevin Hirst - whose Uncle took the photos as we have now discovered.

[Oldfart]

My memory is playing games, the first photo is in Broadway, and I don't remember a start line there at all. As usual could be wrong, but perhaps a dummy grid, as it's not too far from the pits exit?
Colin Lumsden in the often mentioned De Soto behind the #35 Zephyr?

[Milan Fistonic]

The start finish line in 1964 was in Hohaia Street just before the Tawa Street intersection. In 1965 it was still in Hohaia Street but was moved to just past Tawa Street.

In 1964 the pits were in a corner of the Domain opposite the Brethren Church in Meura Street. In 1965 they were moved to the opposite corner of the Domain bordered by Hohaia and Huia Streets.

[Kwaussie]

WOW Great new photos!

[Oldfart]

The photo with a front row of Anglia, Mini, Anglia is absolutely Broadway, the 2 story building showing above the 4 men on the right is the "Wesley Building" where most Friday nights was what would later be a disco. It was where most teenagers in town spent Friday evenings. Being Wesley, it was obviously non drinking. The building is on the corner of Tainui and Broadway.
Obviously Broadway didn't have the median centre islands which were already in the middle of town as far as Tainui St intersection.
Likewise my memory says that going to the start was along the "non track" part of Meura Street while finished cars returned via the driveway about where the tennis courts are now. As always, memory caveat.

[Roger Dowding]

" Oldfart " - Rhys and Milan,
- Thanks for your notes. It helps with identifying the locations, the cars and their drivers. It will enable me to better date the photos.
I put " 1964 " on many of them - which may be incorrect.

Programme Covers from 1964 - Keiron Guinness archives, and 1965 Myle Hicks [ from the McLaughlin brothers ] archives.

1964


1965


More photos to come later - they were initially posted by Ross Cammick in three sets of 5 or 6 photos on " Old New Zealand Motor Racing " Facebook page - Have been in touch with Ross about " borrowing " them.

Will be repeating some photos that have been on other threads.
This will get them together in a group fairly close to each other.

Roger

[Roger Dowding]

The start finish line in 1964 was in Hohaia Street just before the Tawa Street intersection. In 1965 it was still in Hohaia Street but was moved to just past Tawa Street.

In 1964 the pits were in a corner of the Domain opposite the Brethren Church in Meura Street. In 1965 they were moved to the opposite corner of the Domain bordered by Hohaia and Huia Streets.

Milan, Thanks for this information - you had previously posted this Map which will help with locations - this show the pits in Huia Street so 1965.
From your previous comments track was the same layout and direction



Angled for North


Current Map [ per Google 2020 ] angled for North

[Roger Dowding]

More photos from the Scott - Given archives - thanks to Ross Cammick - via Myles Hicks and Ken Smith.

Again date may be incorrect - having issues definatively sorting out Race Numbers and Cars with events.
Need the full programmes from all years - Can anyone assist with that.
Jaguar 3.8 MK II C Keegan #55 , Chev Coupe, Ford B V8 Garth Souness, De Soto Colin Lumsden [ had race #61 and #63 according to entry lists - different years ? ]


Kato Special Race #18


Sports cars Daimlers and a Lotus 7 style car others ;


Willys Corvette I W "Red Dawson #59, and Humber 80 - followed Ford Zephyr and Ford Consul 315 D Jurie has Race #36 in another photo.
- Alan Boyle and Ron Brown with others are in the Car Dealers Building - the big window - you can just see the people.


Sports Car R Smith Austin Healey 100 Race #27


Sports cars Steve Oxton Daimler #24, AH Pat McLaughlin #28, TR3 M Lucas #94 and a Daimler #26 ! [ T Sheffield ]
The McLaughlin AH 4000 has Race #34 in the entry lists I have


More to come - including a couple of extras from Bob Homewood and Ross Cammick that were not part of the original post.

[Roger Dowding]

More of the Scott - Given archives - They were a photographic Studio in Matamata at the time.

Steve Oxton in the Daimler


1964 Saloons Fiat 1500 #34 and Mini Cooper #109 - 1961 - 64 Number Plates


1964 Saloons - Souness Ford B V8 Coupe #155, Humber 80 [ not Hillman] Zephyr and Fiat 1500 - 1961 - 64 Number Plates.


Mistral !


1964 Saloons - Ford Zephyr Mk2 #30, Anglia #33, Humber 80 , Mini - 1961 -64 Number Plates


Sports cars TR3, Daimler


That is the rest of the sets of photos - a couple of the late Kerry Grant in a Triumph to follow

[Roger Dowding]

Ross Cammick archives from the Scott - Given photos.
Kerry Grant #31 Triumph Spitfire - features in an Alan Boyle photo in a group 1964 races


A Bob Homewood photo of the Spitfire #31 - 1961 -64 Number Plates



The 1964 Report - results from Graham Woods archives - probably from Motorman.



The 1965 Report - again results from Graham Woods archives.



To follow - The Alan Boyle photos - taken from that Car Dealers Showroom - some from inside some from outside.

[Roger Dowding]

Posted before [ I think ] - puts them all together.

Zephyr MK1 2553cc #144 J Armstrong and Chev 6 Coupe 3700cc #54 P Clarkson


Plymouth Coupe


Sports cars - Kerry Grant Spitfire, an Austin Healey, Daimler and TR3


Coupes having an..Oops ! Ford Coupe #141 Chev Coupe Rod Coppins


Ford Zephyr that #30 Mark 2


Reposting the first photo as have lightened it - enabled me to see the car Race numbers

[Roger Dowding]

The Single Seaters - These from Keiron Guinness archives - unsure who was the photographer !.

Race #7


Race #4


Race #18


Front engined - an older car can't see the Race number


Keiron also had this a handwritten list of entries for race #13 The Matamata Festival Road Race;


Unsure if the same event /year
Experts on the single seaters - please comment

[Oldfart]

The front engine car is, I believe, the Lola FJ car, according to Keiron Spencer Black (Spinner), although I thought it was Histed at the time. I have no documents to confirm or deny.
I would say these photos of Keiron's are taken from a little further down Tui St from where Alan Boyle's ones were taken, the building opposite almost on the corner, was originally a car sales, according to Google Earth now the Pancake House.
Now I'll make a guess, I know Milan will correct me.
18 Dawson? 7 is a Lotus, maybe 4 is a Lola?
If Boyd is in the Lycoming, that list is 65, the previous year the results in post 230 say he was in the Valour.

[Kevin Hirst]

More of the Scott - Given archives - They were a photographic Studio in Matamata at the time.

Steve Oxton in the Daimler


Saloons Fiat 1500 and Mini


Saloons - Souness Ford Coupe, Humber 80 [ not Hillman] and others


Mistral !


Saloons Zephyr Mk2, Anglia, Hillman/Humber, Mini


Sports cars TR3, Daimler


That is the rest of the sets of photos - a couple of the late Kerry Grant in a Triumph to follow

Morrie Given photographer was my uncle

[Roger Dowding]

Kevin Hirst - what a small world mate. Good you get to see the photos
" Oldfart " Thanks for the information on the streets, and helping with the year.
I am actually at Te Poi at the moment only 15 minutes from Town - may have to visit tomorrow and take photos of the streets and corners.
Staying on a farm that was owned by Cyril Tuffey, now with his son Jeff, Cyril has lived around Matamata for many years and now lives in " Town ". As well as dairy farming, Cyril was also a Spraying Contractor in the Hauraki Plains [ Kerepehi ] and Matamata area.
He may well remember the Races.

[Roger Dowding]

Small Saloons Race 1,
and Sports Cars Race 2,
March 1965 - same field of Sports Cars as Race 10 below


Saloons Heats 1 and 2


Saloons heat 1 - The same entry lists from Milan Fistonic


Saloons heat 2 - The same entry lists from Milan Fistonic again.


Sports Cars - Race 10
The Austin Healey 4000 #34 1965 I believe as the number is in the following Lap Charts


Lap Charts 1965 meeting Race 10


1st R McNair, 2nd W " Bill " Dunster AH 3000 #28 3rd B. C. " Charlie " Conway AH 100 #40 ? , 4th Pat McLaughlin #34 AH 4000
Can't see McNair in the entry list 1965 - late entry perhaps ?

[Roger Dowding]

Had a bit of a drive today coming from the West - Kaimai - Tauranga Road, along Broadway, past Hohaia Street, Meura Street and Tanui Street - used in the course before turning into Arawa Street and heading North-ish.
No photos as the Navigator was in the car and it was raining.

At the time of the Race Meetings the "Town " was a " borough " - as noted in this Wiki.. post

" In 1865 Josiah Firth negotiated with Ngāti Hauā leader Wiremu Tamihana and leased a large area of land, including the future site of the town which he named after the pā.
Firth constructed a dray road to Cambridge and cleared the Waihou River so that it was navigable by his (small) boats.
Peria, on the outskirts of Matamata, was the scene of the Kīngitanga meeting of 1863.
Firth's estate later failed and by 1904 had been wholly obtained by the Crown and was subdivided into dairy farm units to take advantage of the new technology of refrigeration.
It became a dependent Town District in 1917, an independent Town District in 1919 and was constituted a borough in 1935. With the re-organisation of territorial authorities in New Zealand in 1989, Matamata became part of the Matamata-Piako District.
"

I notice in the photos by Alan Boyle of the Ford Zephyr Mark 2 Race #30 which is on the corner by the Library and Memorial Hall building [ must have been just across from Cleaver Motors as can see the Morris sign reflecting in the window ] - in the background is the Regent Theatre which is / was on Broadway on the North Side.



The Regent Theatre and the AA Direction signs from this circa 1950 of Broadway shows a central median with the signs.

Photo from Richard Armstrong archives - Richard is a Motoring guy who took many photos in the 1960's 70's 80's of Rally and Racing meetings particularly in the Waikato area.
Checked and the image is Photo Stock when you Google " Matamata " - there are many images of the town in the 1950's 60's.




Based on the current map the Regent Theatre building is still there, but not as a Theatre at Number 90 Broadway.
It closed in 1988.



Another photo of the Theatre and a photo of the Memorial Hall which I first thought was the Council Chamber being next to the Library and where the current Matamata Piako Council Building is in Tainui Street.





Looking for any more photos and information on the Matamata Race Meetings, Programme pages - entry lists, Newspaper cuttings etc..
Please post on here or PM me
Thanks

Roger

[Roger Dowding]

Newspaper or magazine article from the 1965 meeting Glen Ducey archives.
Head Photo - Johnny Riley #17 2.5 Lotus #17 Graeme Park Plymouth Coupe #92 spinning
Middle photos - D Jeffries Cooper Norton #6, Brian Innes Morris Cooper #85 and a Zephyr
Bottom Row - Jim Boyd Lycoming #41, Andy Buchanan 1.4 Cooper #8, Cortina GT spinning R Elmiger [ spelling ] Cortina GT #76



A photo of Johnny Riley #17 Lotus at Matamata from Graham Woods archives

[khyndart in CA]

Spinner stated that the Lola he drove at Matamata was one that he got from Johnny Riley in a deal for a boat !
The car a (Lola Mk2 / Ford) was first brought into the country by John Histed so it could be ready for the 1962 NZGP at Ardmore meet.
The car was then sold to Ken Smith and then onto John Riley before reaching Spinner.


Ken Smith about 1963 in the Lola that S. Black drove at Matamata in 1965.



(Ken H)

[Oldfart]

Roger, my Dad was the Town Clerk of the Borough Council when the races were run. He was appointed the day the DC3 crashed on the Kaimais.
In the pic you have in post #231 of the coupes in a cloud of dust, you can see the Council offices (where locals booked their appointments for driver licence tests etc). Dad's office was right on the corner diagonally across from Cleaver motors. Next building following the race course was the little Public library, clad in fibrolite, then the Memorial Hall.
Ivan Toomey, one of the organising committee was on the council and perhaps Doug Turner too. Ken Gouk was the Mayor (Owner of Gouk Motors which were on Broadway.