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60-469: Cluden Racecourse is a heritage-listed racecourse at 1 Racecourse Road, Cluden , City of Townsville , Queensland , Australia. It was designed by Walter Howard Tunbridge and built in 1896 by Mr Reid. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. Townsville was founded in 1864 by partners John Melton Black and Robert Towns as a port and commercial centre for

120-422: A decimal currency, the dollar of one hundred cents , was introduced. Under the implementation conversion rate, £A1 was set as the equivalent of $ 2. Thus, ten shillings became $ 1 and one shilling became 10¢. As a shilling was equal to twelve pence, a new cent was worth slightly more than a penny. In 1855, gold full and half sovereigns (worth, respectively, £1  and 10/– sterling) were first minted by

180-502: A racecourse , is a nonpermanent track for sports, particularly road running , water sports , road racing , or rallying . Many sports usually held on race tracks also can occur on temporary tracks, such as the Monaco and Singapore Grands Prix in Formula One . Some evidence remains of racetracks being developed in several ancient civilizations. The most developed ancient race tracks were

240-540: A Decimal Currency Committee to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of a decimal currency, and, if a decimal currency was favoured, the unit of account and denominations of subsidiary currency most appropriate for Australia, the method of introduction and the cost involved. The committee presented its report in August 1960. It recommended the introduction of the new system on the second Monday in February 1963. In July 1961

300-455: A collection of specimen banknotes . This uncirculated Australian pound note, with the serial number (red-ink) P000001, was the first piece of currency to carry the coat of arms of Australia . The Australian currency was fixed in value to sterling. As such Australia was on the gold standard so long as Britain was. In 1914, the British government removed sterling from the gold standard. When it

360-534: A devaluation relative to sterling. A variety of pegs to sterling applied until December 1931, when the government devalued the local unit by 20%, making one Australian pound equal to 16 shillings sterling and one pound sterling equal to 25 Australian shillings. Coins of the Australian pound also circulated freely in New Zealand, although they were never legal tender. By 1931, Australian coins made up approximately 30% of

420-467: A hundred years. The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history. The grandstand, totalisator building and gates are major works of the important North Queensland architectural firm of Tunbridge and Tunbridge, especially Walter Howard Tunbridge, who did the actual design. [REDACTED] This Misplaced Pages article

480-523: A large number of clerks to make the necessary calculations. The system works on the principle of totalling the bets made on a particular race and then dividing this sum, less a percentage for the operator, amongst those selecting the winning horse in proportion to the amount of their wager. Bets are registered and dividends displayed on a special board. In 1887 a partially automated system was in use in Australia and may have been in use at Cluden, there having been

540-407: A large section at the back has been glassed in, diminishing its original airy, pavilion-like appearance. It still has flagpoles at ridge and roof corners. It has a hipped roof with a concave profile clad in corrugated iron and supported on timber posts with cast iron brackets between the posts. Brackets to the interior are formed from wrought iron into tendril-like spirals. The seating is tiered and

600-529: A particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. The structures are important for their association with the Townsville Turf Club, the first sporting institution in Townsville and one of the oldest in the state. The buildings, in spite of assaults by the cyclones which are part of the region's weather patterns, have survived in regular use on this important course for over

660-585: A proper track on a reserve of 64 acres (26 ha) on the Dalrymple Road. The discovery of gold gave great impetus to the development of Townsville and by 1880 it was serving several major goldfields in the north. The Great Northern railway was proposed to link Townsville with the important goldfield at Charters Towers in the late 1870s. The line from Townsville opened to Mingela in late 1881 and to Charters Towers in December 1882. Dr Frost and Mr A.H. Rourke of

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720-427: A short course and a longer course which uses part of the shorter one, usually the main straight, such as Brands Hatch . The Le Mans road race venue is centred on a smaller permanent circuit within its complex. Surfaces include: Race tracks are primarily designed for road racing competition through speed, featuring defined start-finish lines or posts, and sometimes even a series of defined timing points that divide

780-539: A sloping lawn. Major repairs were needed to the grandstand following Cyclone Leonta which struck Townsville with devastating effect in 1903 and a new members bar was added in 1923 by Charles Venden Rees . He also added a new stewards' stand and such improvements as new lavatories to the grandstand in 1927. During the Second World War , the racecourse was used as a military camp by the Australian Army . However,

840-460: A temporary stand erected for the first meeting. In spite of reservations about the move from members and patrons, the vastly improved accessibility of the new course made it successful from the start. Improvements consisting of a grandstand, stewards and press stand, booths and totalisator were constructed in 1883 at a cost of £ 2500. On January 26, 1896 Cyclone Sigma swept through Townsville, causing considerable damage. At Cluden railway station,

900-494: A totalisator on the course before the 1896 rebuild. A Totalisator Tax Act was introduced in 1892 in which the government deducted sixpence in the pound of stake receipts. In 1913 an Australian, George (later Sir) Julius , invented a fully automated system which was introduced at Randwick in September 1917 and was soon widely in use in Australia and overseas. By the next meeting of the Townsville Turf Club, work had been completed on

960-407: A two-storey hip roofed section set at right angles to a single storey gable roofed section. The roofs of both are clad with corrugated iron of the same profile as the grandstand and the hipped roof retains finials at each end of its ridge pole, though the flagpole at the end of the single storey gable has gone. A wide verandah with a concave corrugated iron roof supported on timber posts surrounds

1020-558: Is Nardò where high-speed manufacturer testing often takes place, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway . Some oval tracks are variations on an oval shape, for practical reasons or to introduce varying difficulties such as Talladega (a tri-oval). Most race tracks have meandering circuits with many curves, chicanes and changes in height, to allow for a challenge in skill to the competitors, notably motocross and touring car racing – these tend to predominate throughout most of

1080-630: Is a permanent facility or building. Racecourse is an alternate term for a horse racing track, found in countries such as the United Kingdom, India, Australia, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates. Race tracks built for bicycles are known as velodromes . Circuit is a common alternate term for race track, given the circuit configuration of most race tracks, allowing races to occur over several laps. Some race tracks may also be known as speedways , or raceways . A race course , as opposed to

1140-452: Is important because of its aesthetic significance. These buildings were designed by Walter Howard Tunbridge, one of North Queensland's most notable architects, and the aesthetic qualities of the grandstand in particular have been generally admired by the public. It has a light, airy quality less evident in grandstands in the Southern states. The place has a strong or special association with

1200-406: Is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places. The grandstand is a good example of its type and its visual appeal and amenity were much praised when it was constructed. This, together with the totalisator building and entrance gates form a suite of original public racecourse buildings at one of the most important courses in the state The place

1260-527: Is spanned by a corrugated iron roof matching that of the other Tunbridge buildings on site. This has retained its flagpoles and traces of a red and white striped paint scheme. The outer side has the words "Townsville Turf Club" over the entrance and each ticket office has two grilled windows to the street and a door to the rear. The entrance when closed is protected by a modern security screen of vertical metal rods. The grandstand, former totalisator building and main entrance gates at Cluden Racecourse were listed on

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1320-862: The Earl of Derby created a horse-racing course on his estate at Epsom; the English Derby continues to be held there today. Racecourses in the British Isles are based on grass, known as turf tracks. In the United States, the race tracks are soil. With the advent of the automobile in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, race tracks were designed to suit the nature of powered machines. The earliest tracks were modified horse-racing courses. Racing automobiles in such facilities began in September 1896, at Narragansett Park in Cranston, Rhode Island . The Indianapolis Motor Speedway

1380-764: The Governor-General . The first coins were issued in 1910, produced by the Royal Mint in London. The Fisher Government 's Australian Notes Act 1910 gave the Governor-General the power to authorise the Treasurer to issue "Australian notes" as legal tender, "payable in gold coin on demand at the Commonwealth Treasury ". It also prohibited the circulation of state notes and withdrew their status as legal tender. In

1440-692: The Monaco GP , and the Circuit de la Sarthe circuit in Le Mans , France. These are not permanent facilities built for racing (although parts of the Circuit de la Sarthe are purpose-built, and closed to the public). After World War II , many wartime airfields, particularly in Great Britain, were left without further use. This coincided with a post-war boom in motorsport, and many airfields were converted to race tracks, where

1500-412: The Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history. The 1896 structures at Cluden racecourse in Townsville illustrate the importance of horse racing in Queensland, which was the earliest organised sport in the colony and was the first sporting institution in Townsville. In

1560-674: The hippodromes of the Ancient Greeks and the circuses ( circi ) of the Roman Empire . Both of these structures were designed for horse and chariot racing. The stadium of the Circus Maximus in Ancient Rome could hold 200,000 spectators. Racing facilities existed during the Middle Ages , and records exist of a public racecourse being opened at Newmarket , in London, in 1174. In 1780,

1620-574: The Commanding Officer understood the value of the races to the morale of the troops and public and so the whole troop concentration moved out every Saturday so that the races could be held. After Cyclone Althea in 1972 repairs were again needed and a toilet block and car park were added at this time. In 1983, a substantial upgrade of facilities was carried out by architects Martin Dillon and Associates. New toilets and drink serving areas were provided to

1680-513: The Commonwealth Government confirmed its support of a decimal currency system, but considered it undesirable to make final decisions on the detailed arrangement that would be necessary to effect the change. On 7 April 1963 the Commonwealth Government announced that a system of decimal currency was to be introduced into Australia at the earliest practicable date, and gave February 1966, as the tentative change-over date. On 14 February 1966,

1740-477: The Minister for Racing. The three buildings which form components of Tunbridge's suite of buildings for the site have generally retained their character and much of their original form. In spite of upgrades to facilities made over the years and repairs following at least two cyclones, the grandstand has retained its character and has a continuity of usage. Its appearance has not changed greatly since opening, although

1800-567: The Sydney Mint. These coins were the only non-Imperial denominations issued by any of the Australian mints until after Federation (the Sydney Mint struck Imperial gold sovereigns and half sovereigns starting in 1871, and the Melbourne Mint starting in 1872). In 1910, .925 fineness sterling silver coins were minted in denominations of 3d, 6d, 1/– and 2/– (known as a Trey, Zac, Deena, and Florin respectively). Unusually no half crown (worth 2/6)

1860-463: The Townsville Turf Club proposed a change of site for the course so that advantage could be taken of this rail service. Cluden Park had been established on the south side of Ross River in the early years of settlement and was about three miles from Townsville by rail. The site selected for the new course was only a few minutes walk from the Cluden railway station . A race track was cleared and marked out and

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1920-471: The building and has been partially built in on two sides. This verandah is not shown on early pictures, though its date is unknown. Skylights have been added to the single storey roof on one side. The building has been used as offices for some time and the interior was not inspected. One of the 1896 entrance gates remains as the main entrance to the course. It is timber and consists of a pair of ticket offices on either side of an entry and turnstiles. The whole

1980-560: The circuit layout usually combined parts of the runways and the surrounding perimeter taxiways. The famous British track at Silverstone is a former Class A airfield , as are Castle Combe and Goodwood . The long runways were perfect for drag strips such as at Santa Pod Raceway . This type of track also appears on the popular motoring show Top Gear , which is filmed at Dunsfold Aerodrome , in Surrey, United kingdom Australian pound The pound ( sign : £ , £A for distinction)

2040-414: The city, was inundated with work at this time, Walter Howard Tunbridge designed a new set of buildings for the course. They consisted of a grandstand to seat 700 with a lunchroom beneath at a cost of £ 1600, plus a totalisator building, judge's box, gates and stables. The existing damaged grandstand was recycled with more comfortable seating as a St Leger stand, which has since been removed. The whole project

2100-567: The first Commonwealth notes. Some of these banknotes were overprinted by the Treasury, and circulated as Australian banknotes until new designs were ready for Australia's first federal government-issued banknotes, which commenced in 1913. In May 2015, the National Library of Australia announced that it had discovered the first £A 1 banknote printed by the Commonwealth of Australia, among

2160-411: The ground floor of the grandstand and new totalisator facilities, a glassed-in viewing area and catering facilities on the first floor. The roof sheeting was replaced, but the original seating was retained and materials were chosen to be sympathetic to the structure. Additional covered areas and a kiosk replaced sheds adjacent to the grandstand at this time. The refurbished facilities were opened in 1984 by

2220-463: The light of the opinion of the racing press that levels of female attendance had a strong effect on the success or otherwise of a race meeting. A totalisator was constructed to the rear of the grandstand and the building is still present, though now used as offices. The totalisator system has been in use since the 1860s, though the earliest system, the Pari-Mutuel , was cumbersome and expensive, needing

2280-474: The new buildings and the grandstand roof was painted in broad stripes and topped with flagpoles at each end of the ridge and roof corners, giving the building a distinctly carnival air. Similar stripes were also applied to the shallow concave roof lines of the totalisator building and two sets of entrance gates. A lower tier of seating, which was not undercover, was originally at the front of the grandstand, but seems to have been removed at an early stage in favour of

2340-463: The nineteenth century, horses were the main form of transport and were used in warfare, police work and many industries. Racing them was thought to improve the general quality of the breed as well as being an entertainment and was officially encouraged. The breeding, training and racing of horses has been important in Queensland as an industry in its own right and the quality of facilities on an early racecourse such as Cluden demonstrates this. The place

2400-403: The original slatted timber seats remain. Beneath the grandstand are refreshment and bar facilities. These are now modern, but reflect the original type of facilities, if not their form. The totalisator is a timber-framed building clad with weatherboard and fibro set behind and to one side of the grandstand and can be clearly recognised from early photographs. It is a narrow T-shape in plan, with

2460-637: The pastoral industry north of the Burdekin . The Port of Townsville was gazetted as a port of entry in 1865 and grew quickly. The first sporting institution formed was the Burdekin and Flinders Turf Club in May 1866. The patron was the Governor of Queensland , Sir George Ferguson Bowen , who supported horse racing as a means of improving breeding and with an eye to the development of a Queensland cavalry. The inaugural president

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2520-422: The rails were six feet under water and the racecourse buildings were devastated. The grandstand had collapsed and the stables, training sheds and a number of local houses had been swept away. The Annual Townsville Turf Club Race Meeting was scheduled for 14 July and the committee decided that it would attempt to rebuild the course in time for this. Although Tunbridge & Tunbridge , as a major architectural firm in

2580-469: The right to legislate with respect to "currency, coinage, and legal tender". The Deakin government 's Coinage Act 1909 distinguished between "British coin" and "Australian coin", giving both status as legal tender of equal value. The Act gave the Treasurer the power to issue silver, bronze and nickel coins, with the dimensions, size, denominations, weight and fineness to be determined by proclamation of

2640-426: The same track, or incorporating many tracks in one venue. Commonly, running tracks are incorporated within general use or soccer stadiums, either permanently visible or covered by stands or pitches. Many horse and motorsport tracks are configurable, allowing different routes or sections. Some venues contain smaller tracks inside larger ones, with access tunnels and bridges for spectators. Some racetracks incorporate

2700-525: The same year the Bank Notes Tax Act 1910 was passed imposing a prohibitive tax of 10% per annum on "all bank notes issued or re-issued by any bank in the Commonwealth after the commencement of this Act, and not redeemed", which effectively ended the use of private currency in Australia. As a transitional measure lasting three years, blank note forms of 16 banks were supplied to the government in 1911 to be overprinted as redeemable in gold and issued as

2760-481: The time. As one pound sterling went from US$ 4.03 to US$ 2.80, the Australian pound went from US$ 3.224 to US$ 2.24. Decimalisation had been proposed for Australian currency since 1902, when a select committee of the House of Representatives , chaired by George Edwards , had recommended that Australia adopt a decimal currency with the florin (two shillings) as its base. In February 1959 the Commonwealth Government appointed

2820-583: The total circulation in New Zealand. The devaluation of Australian and New Zealand exchange rates relative to the pound sterling led to New Zealand's Coinage Act 1933 and the issuing of the first coinage of the New Zealand pound . During World War II, the Empire of Japan produced currency notes denominated in the Australian pound for use in Pacific island countries intended for occupation. Since mainland Australia

2880-604: The totalisator over the two days, setting a new record. Prize money totalled £ 840. The new facilities, especially the grandstand and the well-ventilated and commodious lunch room and bar underneath it were much appreciated by the public and highly praised in the press. Even "Feminine" who provided social notes for the North Queensland Herald , commented approvingly on the wide aisles and more spacious seating, because "in this age of large sleeves and full skirts, we require rather more than elbow room"; an interesting comment in

2940-574: The track into time sectors. A racetrack for cars (i.e. a car track) is a closed circuit, instead of a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads . Race tracks can host individual or team sports. Racetracks can feature rolling starts , or fixed starts, with associated equipment (starting blocks, cages, wheel traps etc.) They invariably feature a pit lane , and usually timing equipment. Some car tracks are of an oval shape, and can be banked, which allows almost universal spectator views or high speed racing (cycling, stock cars). A famous one

3000-548: The way of permanent infrastructure other than the track; others incorporate spectator facilities such as grandstands , hospitality or facilities for competitors, such as pit lanes and garages, paddocks and stables. Several racetracks are incorporated into larger venues or complexes, incorporating golf courses, museums, hotels, and conference centres. Some racetracks are small enough to be contained indoors, for sports such as motocross , track cycling , and athletics . Many racetracks are multi-use, allowing different types of sport on

3060-688: The world, but especially in Europe. Flatter meandering motorsport courses are sometimes called 'road circuits', originating in the fact that the earliest road racing circuits were simply closed-off public roads. Some car racetracks are specifically configured in a long straight, namely drag racing . True road circuits are still in use, e.g. the Australian GP has been run in Adelaide and continues to be in Melbourne on regular city streets. The most famous of these are

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3120-471: Was Robert Towns. The first race meeting was a three-day event held in mid-August 1866 with substantial prizes being offered. Early meetings were held in several locations, including Cleveland Park in the Garbutt area and Hermit Park . In 1874 the government granted the club a reserve for a racecourse and the name was changed about this time to the Townsville Turf Club, which name it has retained. Work soon began on

3180-462: Was estimated to cost over £ 2000. Thanks to strenuous efforts on the part of the architect, the Club Secretary, Mr James Simpson Love, and the contractor, Mr Reid, the new amenities were ready for use on time, although the final details, like painting, had to wait until after the meeting. This was an immense success with 923 people arriving by rail alone. £ 370 was taken at the gate and £ 8107 at

3240-432: Was ever issued. Bronze ½d and 1d coins followed in 1911. Production of half sovereigns ceased in 1916, followed by that of sovereigns in 1931. In 1937 a crown (5/– piece, known as a Dollar) was issued to commemorate the coronation of King George VI . This coin proved unpopular in circulation and was discontinued shortly after being reissued in 1938. In 1946, the fineness of Australian silver sixpences, shillings, and florins

3300-522: Was never occupied or intended to be occupied , the occupation currency was not used there, but it was used in the captured parts of the then-Australian territories of Papua and New Guinea . In 1949, when the United Kingdom devalued sterling against the US dollar , Australian Prime Minister and Treasurer Ben Chifley followed suit so the Australian pound would not become over-valued in sterling zone countries with which Australia did most of its external trade at

3360-562: Was opened in August 1909. Beginning in the early 1900s, motorcycle races were run on high, banked, wooden race tracks called board tracks . During the 1920s, many of the races on the AAA Championship circuit were run on such board tracks. Modern racetracks are designed with spectator safety being paramount, following incidents of spectator and track marshals fatalities. These often involve run-off areas, barriers, and high fencing. Racetracks are used for: Some racetracks offer little in

3420-578: Was originally based on "The Queensland heritage register" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 7 July 2014, archived on 8 October 2014). The geo-coordinates were originally computed from the "Queensland heritage register boundaries" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 5 September 2014, archived on 15 October 2014). [REDACTED] Media related to Cluden Racecourse at Wikimedia Commons Racecourse A racetrack

3480-873: Was reduced to .500, a quarter of a century after the same change had been made in Britain. In New Zealand and the United Kingdom, silver was soon abandoned completely in everyday coinage, but Australian .500 silver coins continued to be minted until after decimalisation. Examples of private issue paper currency in New South Wales, denominated in sterling, exist from 1814 (and may date back to the 1790s). Denominated in sterling (and in some cases Spanish dollars ), these private banker and merchant scrip notes were used in Sydney and Hobart through 1829. Private issue banknotes were issued between 1817 and 1910 in denominations ranging from £1 to £100. In 1910, superscribed banknotes were used as

3540-541: Was returned to the gold standard in 1925, the sudden increase in its value (imposed by the nominal gold price) unleashed crushing deflationary pressures. Both the initial 1914 inflation and the subsequent 1926 deflation had far-reaching economic effects throughout the British Empire , Australia and the world. In 1929, as an emergency measure during the Great Depression , Australia left the gold standard, resulting in

3600-532: Was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 14 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar . Like other £sd currencies, it was subdivided into 20 shillings (denoted by the symbol s or /– ), each of 12 pence (denoted by the symbol d ). The establishment of a separate Australian currency was contemplated by section 51(xii) of the Constitution of Australia , which gave Federal Parliament

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