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All that and more is described in this
substantial book. It measures 36 centimetres
wide by 25.5 centimetres and has almost 500
gilt edged pages in faux leather binding inside
a colourful dust jacket. A thousand
illustrations help tell the story of this
remarkable venue that drew large crowds even
though it was so far from the capital and main
population centre, Perth.
In the mid-1930s a new challenge for Perkolilli arose in the form of round the houses
racing, with Albany on the south coast starting the ball rolling in 1936. Other country towns
could see the benefit of having competitors and spectators descend on them with money to
spend on food and accommodation. Spectators saw the advantage of venues closer to Perth
or in holiday centres like Albany and they began to stay away from the primitive facilities of
Perkolilli.
In 1939 Australia became involved in World War II and racing virtually stopped with the
exception of the Patriotic Grand Prix meeting
held on the streets of the Perth suburb of
Applecross in 1940.
The Perkolilli story should have stopped
there, but as Graeme discovered, there was
still activity at the lake.
Postwar racing was almost entirely for
motorcycles although local TQ (three-quarter
midget) racers used the lake for testing their
cars. Other users were parachutists and hang-gliders and the lake even formed part of a rally
special stage. There was also a runway marked out to be used as an emergency airstrip.
Graeme became obsessed (his wife’s description) with Silverwings, the old Chrysler special
and, when extensive research failed to discover any sign of the car’s survival, he decided to
build a replica that we have all seen running in VSCCWA events. The obvious thing to do
then was to take Silverwings II back to the lake that saw the original car’s great success. The
gathering at Perkolilli in 1997 to celebrate the seventieth
anniversary of the original’s record breaking run is described in
the book, as is a second gathering in 2014 to celebrate the
centenary of racing at the lake.
That’s where the book ends, with the centenary celebration and
the downpour that interrupted the proceedings and showed the
participants why it is called Lake Perkolilli.
It is a book that is irresistible to anyone interested in the history
of motor sport. It tells a story that is very much a sidebar to the
mainline history of motor sport, but what a fascinating sidebar…
Red Dust Racers is published in a limited edition of 1000,
available from author/publisher Graeme Cocks on the web site
at $149.50 plus shipping. The first 500
buyers will receive a reproduction Goldfields Motor Club metal
car badge.
Bob Campbell
Eric Armstrong’s Auburn Straight Eight that
won the 1929 20-mile State Car Championship
Scenes from the 1925 Perkolilli Carnival
meeting