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Former horse racing track in Victoria, Australia. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Williamstown Racecourse was a horse racing track located at Altona, Victoria, Australia.
Located south of Kororoit Creek, the racecourse was opened in 1869,[1] following the establishment of the Williamstown Racing Club the previous year.
In 1885, the Williamstown Racecourse railway station was opened as the terminus of a branch line from the main Geelong line, providing passenger services on race days.[1]
In 1931, Phar Lap won the Underwood Stakes at the venue.[2]
The last recorded horse race at Williamstown was on 10 February 1940, after which the army commandeered the racecourse for the remainder of World War II.[1] In 1947, fire destroyed both the public and members grandstands.[3]
The following year, the Williamstown Racing Club was forced to merge with the Victorian Trotting & Racing Association to form the new Melbourne Racing Club. In 1949 Williamstown Racecourse was sold for “surplus building materials” and became home to displaced World War II veterans.[4]
A 4-metre sculpture called Requiem for a Champion, created by the artist Yvonne George, featuring a bronze stint perched on top of a galloping horse, was installed to commemorate the location of the former Williamstown racecourse.[5][6]
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