ALBANY "ROUND THE HOUSES" RACE, THE FINISH LINE
c. 1938Black and white photograph taken at the start line of the Albany Tourist Trophy Grand Prix circuit and thought to be taken by photographer and artist Claude Batelier. The event year and date are uncertain. This image of race entrant Clem Dyer(?). in his 'Bartlett Special' car No 1 talking to the pit crew at the start/finish line of the 2.5-mile course. The exact year is difficult to pin as Dyer, in his Bartlett Special, competed in both the inaugural TT Grand Prix event in 1936 (failed to finish) and, subsequently, the 1937 running of the same event. The same car competed again in 1938 with G.B. Holmes driving. The presence of Grand Prix cyclist stopped for a chat suggests a pre-race scrutineering or practice day(?).
Albany's "Round The House" car race was a 50 Mile T.T. Grand Prix (Tourist Trophy) event, billed as a first for Western Australia. A twenty-lap car race on a 2 1/2 mile street circuit first ran on Sunday, the 8th of March 1936 and continued in Albany in subsequent years until 1940. The event was only part of a host of other events held to revitalise 'Back to Albany Week' run by the Back to Albany committee to promote the town and bring in tourist dollars (pounds). The same circuit was the venue for a 100-mile cycling Grand Prix held the same week. Other motor racing events held at Back to Albany in 1936 were car and motorcycle hill climbs on Mount Clarence.
The 1936 debut of 'Round The Houses' was not without controversy, with protests about the event made by local church leaders regarding the original Sunday date. The fallout was acrimonious enough for the then WA premier to vow the event would never be held again.
Details
Details
Since these are thought to be mid 1960s reprints by the photographer no marks.
Despite the ambiguity about the exact dates for some of Claude Batelier's photos of this ' Round The Houses' event, they form an essential record of the period. Batelier took these photographic images on the day and within a town streetscape he knew intimately. This image was captured either in 1937 or 1938, reprinted by him, and presented to the Albany Historical Society as a founding member in c1965. It highlights the difficulty of correctly attributing and describing this type of material even when provenance is good.
Western Australia
Australia
Start/Finish line of the late 1930s Albany Tourist Trophy Grand Prix.
Open in Google Maps
Nearest geotagged records:
- QUEENS PARK ROTUNDA, ALBANY (0.05km away)
- LOWER STIRLING TERRACE, C.E.BOLT BUILDING (0.11km away)
- World War 1, Middle East, 1581 GRIBBLE, 10 Australian Light Horse, 1916 (0.13km away)
- DREW'S - A BOAN'S STORE (0.17km away)
- ALBANY, CENTENARY PARADE (0.17km away)
- SOLDIERS MARCHING IN ALBANY'S CENTENARY PARADE (0.17km away)
- AWAS on Rottnest WF2918 WATERS (0.19km away)
- YORK STREET, ALBANY, BON MARCHE (0.2km away)
- LONDON HOTEL (0.22km away)
- World War 1, Australia, Western Australia, 3773 RALPH, 10 Light Horse (0.25km away)
View all geotagged records...
Albany Historical Society Inc
Albany Historical Society Inc
Other items by BATELIER, Claude James
- SS LOTHRINGEN {STEAMSHIP} AT ALBANY DEEP WATER JETTY
- HMS TAURANGA {WARSHIP} WITH STEAM TUG THE BRUCE {STEAM TUG}
- HM SHIPS POWERFUL, ENCOUNTER & CHALLENGER'S {WARSHIPS} SEARCHLIGHTS AT WORK
- MARINE DRIVE & KING GEORGE SOUND AT NIGHT
- ALBANY TOURIST TROPHY GRAND PRIX 1936, CAR COMING DOWN PARADE ST
- PENCIL SKETCH OF SHIP'S RUDDER UNDER REPAIR
- HMS PROMETHIUS {WARSHIP} & HMS PEGASUS {WARSHIP}
- JAPANESE WARSHIPS
- ROUND THE HOUSES RACE, UP ABERDEEN STREET
- SS GRANTALA {STEAMSHIP}
- SS FUSAN MARU {STEAMSHIP} - JAPANESE TROOP SHIP
- U.S. GREAT WHITE FLEET - SEARCHLIGHT DISPLAY
Other items from Albany Historical Society Inc
- ROUND THE HOUSES RACE, STIRLING TERRACE HEADING EAST
- ROUND THE HOUSES RACE, PARADE STREET INTO STIRLING TERRACE
- ROUND THE HOUSES RACE, ABERDEEN AND GREY HEADING NORTH
- ALBANY VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE, C1935
- ROUND THE HOUSES RACE, SPENCER STREET
- FREEMASONS HOTEL SALOON BAR, ALBANY 1971
- ALBANY, OLD GAOL
- OCTAGON CHURCH, ALBANY C1870
- OCTAGONAL CHURCH, ALBANY 1870
- SHEEP SKINS DRYING - C.E.BOLTS STORE, ALBANY
- DREW'S - A BOAN'S STORE
- KATANNING DAY, 1922