The area occupied by the Caulfield Racecourse, operated by the Victorian Amateur Turf Club (VATC) (1), has been the subject of on-going disputes regarding public access to the land for well over 120 years. The land had been used for racing since 1859 (2) and that same year Trustees were appointed to the site, which had been set aside for racing and other purposes of public recreation.
This post is not a detailed history of the alienation of this public land by a private organisation but these three excerpts from the newspapers tell the story.
The few individuals who have laid marauding hands on public property, who have deliberately filched a public recreation ground, have not only done a grave wrong to the district in monopolising public lands, but they have become a downright nuisance.
There is no need to point out how the powers of the V.A.T.C. have extended until they have established virtual ownership of a public recreation ground. Not withstanding the fifteen days as the limit of the club's occupancy, it fenced off a large area for lawn and stands, betting ring, bird cage and saddling paddock, and forbade the public to trespass on these illegally acquired reserves on pain of expulsion. The area so absorbed in defiance of the original grant is being constantly extended. Land is set apart for training tracks. While training is going on the public cannot use the training ground, which is necessarily an extensive territory. The club charges fees for training horses, and imposes regulations on jockeys and trainers using the course that would be considered harsh in the German army. Some of the oldest stagers of the Heath have been brought before the V.A.T.C. committee and fined for offences such as crossing the course on horseback during training hours. Fancy fining a member of the public for going on to public land! What kind of a public spirit is it that calmly yields to such treatment? What influences were at work that bulldozed local bodies and progress associations, and made them submissive tools of the V.A.T.C. in respect of action which under any Government jealous of public rights would have led to prosecution, and in England would have aroused one of those stirring and historic demonstrations against the local land grabber for the maintenance of the right of way. (6).
"(1) The deepening of the lake and the using of the excavated material to level the depressions formed by the promontories and mounds.
"(2) Facing in the margin of the lake with stone, forming little points, bluff, etc., so that the subsidence of the water within the lake in summer time would not mean a reduction of the area of the lake, etc.
"(3) Forming paths, draining, and gravelling them, the path round the lake being the main feature, and the area between the path and the rocks on the water's edge being covered with buffalo grass.
"(4) Formation of land for sports and gatherings.
"(5) Water supply for grass, and stand pipes for drinking taps for the public.
"(6) Formation of flowering beds; also plantation of flowering shrubs, so as to maintain a succession of blooms.
"The financial arrangement, at present arrived at, is that the club should supply the necessary funds for the improvements at the rate of L500 per annum for five years, and that the trustees should do the necessary works and keep them in order. It seemed, however, that it would be in the interests
of all parties to effect substantial improvements at once, so as to have the place made sightly and available for recreation purposes, and to this end I would suggest that the club be requested to advance at once L1125, and to pay in the future on the reduced contribution of L275 per annum. The total
would be the same at the end of five years. If the proposal were adopted I would suggest that the following be carried out at once:—
1. Deepening lake and filling depressions — L350.
2. Facing margin of lake with stone — L300.
3. Forming paths, gravelling, and planting buffalo grass— L250.
4. Forming and planting lawn — L75.
5. Water supply and seats— L100.
6. Clearing and planting south end — L50.
Total outlay — L1125. (8).
In spite of these clear suggestions from Carlo the VATC decided they would rather spend £500 per annum for five years (9). In December 1911, the Trustees of the land wrote to the Caulfield Council that it was proposed to carry out, as far as practicable, the scheme propounded by Mr. Catani to beautify the lake, and form the surrounding paths. In 1910, £390 6s 7d., had been expended on improvements, and in 1911, £359 19s 10d. (10). However, four years later, in July 1914 it was reported that the trustees were endeavouring to carry out Carlo's scheme of improvements (11). By then, of course, the project should have been nearly complete. The reality was that the VATC simply didn't care about improving public access and public amenities for the local people, even with pressure from community groups. In September 1914, for instance -
The Glenhuntly branch of the A.N.A. is strongly in accord with the motion carried on August 14 by the Caulfield City Progress Association regarding the encroachments on the rights of the public by the trustees of the Caulfield Recreation Reserve, Public Park and Racecourse, and further, the branch desires to support the request to the Minister of Lands asking for an increase in the number of trustees by the election of three public spirited citizens who reside in immediate vicinity of the reserve.(12)
In 1922, due to the demand for greater public use of the racecourse, the Minister for Lands decided that 10 acres to be permanently reserved on the Neerim road side for use as a public park and gardens. The high fence at present enclosing this area will be removed and re-erected on a line to be defined by the Minister, adjoining the racecourse. The new outer fence adjoining the public road will be sufficient only to protect the hedges and ornamental shrubs (13). This is what is now called Glenhuntly Park (14). At the same time, another four acres was also set aside for recreation. The areas are both shown in the map below.
Fast forward 100 or so years and what has changed? A 2014 Auditor's General report which examined the effectiveness of the management of the reserve by the trustees found that conflicts of interest have not been adequately managed and preference has been afforded to racing interests with insufficient attention given to use of the reserve for recreational pursuits and as a public park (15).
In April 2021, a glowing press release from Andrews Labor Government announced that they had launched a plan to transform the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve into a people-friendly community recreation space....Over the next 15 years the reserve will become an increasingly accessible and activated space, supporting diverse uses and events. Access into all reserve areas will be improved and parts of the reserve that currently are not accessible will be opened to the public (16). It appears that progress still moves at a glacial pace when it comes to the public's right to access their own land on the Caulfield Racecourse site. Children who were just starting school in 2021, can look forward to better access to the Reserve in 2036, when they will be half way through University.
Trove list - I have created a short list of articles on Carlo's report and public access issues to the Caulfield Racecourse. Access the list here.
Footnotes(2) Murray, John R and Wells, John C From sand, swamp and heath...a history of Caulfield (City of Caulfield, 1980), p. 170.
(3) The Argus, January 18, 1906, see here.
(4) Ibid
(5) The Age, November 4, 1911, see here.
