By Jordan Gerrans
To celebrate a century of racing at the picturesque Burrandowan track in the South Burnett region of Queensland, the history of the club is set to all come together as a book.
The Burrandowan Picnic Race Club will mark their 100th year of racing in 2022 – with their annual and popular race day to be held on May 7.
Leading into the celebration of the club’s history, committee members and volunteers have spent extensive time researching the history of racing in the area, with the aim for the book to be released on Cup Day later this year.
Judith Grimes, who is a local author and historian in the area, has been compiling information around the once-a-year racing club.
Current president Cameron Redman is looking forward to being able to sell the new book in May, with punters set to descend on Burrandowan from right across Australia, as they do every year when they race.
Eleven men started the Burrandowan Picnic Race Club when they met at Mullers Crossing on the 27th November 1921.
The first meeting was held on May 13, 1922.
Redman and his committee as well as others involved with the club have cast their mind back to when the club was born in the lead-up to their 2022 race day.
“The club, and the book that will be released, goes right back to the very beginning as the first race meeting was held at Mullers Crossing, which is around the corner from the race track we use today,” Redman said.
“We went there in October last year to have a meeting and celebrate the 100 years.
“It is pretty historical and we read all the names and the original families that started the races all those years ago.”
As the club explains on their own website, racing at Burrandowan means more to the locals than just the gallopers going around the track.
“The Burrandowan Picnic Races are part of our country heritage with both locals and visitors enjoying the days racing in the sticks, the evening barbecue in the pits and the nights dancing under the stars,” it reads.
“Surrounded by native bushland and unhindered wildlife, Burrandowan Race Track is in the picturesque, tranquil area of 'Chahpingah' in the beautiful South Burnett region.”
The track is based around 70kms from Kingaroy.
For Redman, he is dreaming of getting the club back to its glory days of over 2,000 patrons camping and staying at the track over the weekend.
He has only been in the role for a couple of years, losing their 2020 race day to the COVID-19 pandemic, and while they did race last year, it was not quite at the level they would usually expect with around half the anticipated crowd in attendance following confusion around protocols.