Respected broadcaster calls time on career

By Jordan Gerrans

If not for Miriam Gittins’ penmanship several decades ago, one of the great race calling careers in the Sunshine State might never have been launched.

Gittins is not a household name in the racing industry across Queensland outside of the local Somerset region around Kilcoy.

Gittins was secretary of the Kilcoy Race Club in the early 1970s.

Back in those years, the club secretary fielded a letter from a prospective teenage race caller that was keen to get a leg-up in the caper.

The young bloke wrote to almost every club in Queensland asking to meet their callers and gain experience in the industry as he dreamed of being behind the binoculars.

Gittins and her Kilcoy club were one of only two letters that were returned to a 19-year-old Paul Dolan from numerous attempts, with the other one being the greyhound club at Tweed Heads.

And, from there, Gittins helped fuel a race calling career that spanned the globe, broadcasting different codes of racing for more than 50 years.

So, when Dolan – who is known as ‘Dogsy’ to his mates – decided to retire from the calling booth, he ensured he did so at the Kilcoy club.

He was the voice of his final race meeting late last month which put a full stop on a celebrated career in the industry.

“I was told that I was welcome to come up and meet Barry Green, the club caller, in a lovely letter, which I did,” Dolan recalls of Gittins’ letter.

“That took me on to Gayndah where I called my first meeting not long after. 

“Kilcoy kick-started me and if they had not written me, I am not sure what I would have done (laughs).

“I have always been thankful for the great introduction Kilcoy gave me. Miriam Gittins and so many other people have done so much for me over the years, there are so many people who have been friendly and helpful.

“I am forever indebted for what Kilcoy have done for me – not what I have done for Kilcoy.”

To underscore Dolan’s connection with the Kilcoy club, he wrote a book detailing the history of racing at the track, which took more than two years to compile.

Regarded as his spiritual home, he dubbed the track "the Moonee Valley of the north."

Dolan has worn many hats in the racing industry in Queensland, primarily as the premier caller in the greyhound code for a lengthy stint as well as holding the same title at Corbould Park.

He was proud to finally call time at Kilcoy on their five event non-TAB program on the last Sunday of January.

Former Kilcoy Race Club president Con Searle has worked hand-in-hand with Dolan over the years and was overcome with emotion during a presentation on the day.

“Paul is part of history in racing in Queensland,” Searle said.

“He has given more than 50 years to racing and he is undeniably one of the leading race callers in Australia.

“It has been such a wonderful venture to be associated with Paul as he started and finished here at Kilcoy over a period of 50 years.

“What he has done for us, he has provided solidarity and had a keenness to work with us. The book he wrote, that was something phenomenal.

“He has given so much time to Kilcoy and racing, not just at our club, but in Queensland. We are proud to be associated with Paul.”

After Kilcoy gave Dolan a foot in the door, he officially called his maiden race program in late March of 1973 at Gayndah as he was taken under the wing of regular caller Green who was in search of an apprentice.

From that day at Gayndah in the North Burnett region of Queensland, the statistics and wide range of Dolan’s career are genuinely mind-boggling.

He started keeping official records in the 1990s after a chat with a greyhound trainer prompted his interest in his own history.

Dolan believes he has called around 85,000 races at 116 tracks across the world, getting behind the microphone in seven different countries.

For those playing at home they are Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Canada, USA, England and Ireland.

“My fellow colleagues do not think anyone could beat that figure,” he said of his races and tracks he called at.

Dolan will also always have Caloundra’s Corbould Park as one of his treasured memories in his career.

He called at the facility for a touch over two decades before finishing up in 2018.

The Sunshine Coast track provided him one of his great highlights. 

Dolan tipped the entire card of a Caloundra meeting in early 2016, selecting all seven winners on the Sunday afternoon program.

“It was very satisfying – not monetary wise,” he said.

“It made national coverage everywhere at the time. That is one of my proudest memories for sure.”

Alongside his Caloundra tipping effort, Dolan also regards being invited to call at Hong Kong alongside his contemporaries for an international race day as a feather in his cap he will always cherish.

The Queensland callers of today – including Josh Fleming and Anthony Collins – were on hand to celebrate Dolan’s last meeting at Kilcoy last month.

American caller Michael Wrona was also on hand at Kilcoy after Dolan handed him his first public race call in 1983.

“We had a gathering here at the races to celebrate Paul,” Searle said.

“We decided to give Paul a memento for his wonderful service he has given to the club.”

Wrona called the penultimate event on the program before handing the reins to his old mate to finish the job.

Dolan hang up the binoculars as a professional caller in September of 2018 after the Pat O’Shea Plate meeting at Toowoomba and the Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club card at Albion Park on the Thursday night prior.

He has called a meeting here or there since or filling in when asked.

As his roots were in the bush at Gayndah and Kilcoy, it was only fitting that was where he finished up.

Dolan called Esk in November as well as Gayndah and Eidsvold in October of last year.

While he will not be standing in the caller's position anymore, he is keen to get the races socially in 2025 and enjoy a cold drink or two.

“I called at around half the tracks in Queensland and I always admired the dedication the jockeys and trainers had as they travelled so far,” the former caller said.

“I admired their work ethics."