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Australian Speedway History 1940's -
1950's |
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Ronnie Moore |
The installation of lights at the
Kilburn speedway in South Australia enabled the promoters to change from
daylight to night racing. The first of the night programmes took place on Friday
March 21, 1947. There would have been a larger attendance than the 5,000
spectators who were present for this occasion had it not been for another event
taking place in Adelaide that evening - the opening night of the 1947 Royal
Adelaide Exhibition. One of the feature attractions of this Exhibition was a
motorcycle stunt act. The group performing this act, the Wall of Death, called
themselves the Dare Devil Moorsons. The advertisement appearing in the local
press announcing the staging of the act contains mention of one member of that
family, a 14 year-old lad:-
"See also Ronnie Moorson, the wonder boy rider...".
In the advertisement, this boy is referred to as "the youngest stunt rider in
Australia". If you haven't guessed already, Moorson wasn't the real name of the
family - it was Moore. Ronnie Moorson was actually Ronnie Moore - he would win
two individual World Speedway Championships.
The head of the performing troupe
was Les Moore, Ronnie's father. Les was already an accomplished speedway racer.
He had appeared on the programme at the first speedway meeting staged at the
Speedway Royal, Northall Park, Hobart (Tasmania), on Saturday November 16, 1929.
Riding a 3 1/2 h.p. Rudge, Les won his heat of the 4 laps (approx 2 miles) A
Grade Handicap.
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Dare Devil Moorsons - father and son. |
The story of Ronnie Moore's meteoric
rise into the top ranks of world speedway is a truly fascinating one. During the
1948/49 New Zealand season, a company called Christchurch Speedways Ltd built a
speedway track at Aranui. This new track had a clay and sand base which was
covered with cinders. 10,000 spectators attended the opening meeting at the new
venue on Saturday, January 29, 1949. A reporter, who attended the meeting, was
greatly impressed by a 15 year old competitor on the programme. He wrote the
following about this young man: -
" ..... needs to be told very little on how to handle a machine."
Of course the youngster was Ronnie Moore.
English rider Norman Parker had spent his "working holiday down under" in
Australia during both the 1947/48 and 1948/49 seasons. In 1949/50, he went to
New Zealand where he was signed by the Aranui management to ride for their
Canterbury team in the inter-track competition. Parker took a great interest in
young Ronnie Moore and was a great help to him during the season. In fact,
Parker was so taken with the youngster that he sent a message to his English
club Wimbledon in which he suggested the club offer a contract to the promising
young rider. Parker received a return cable instructing him to bring Moore back
to England with him.
During his first season in England in 1950, Ronnie Moore represented Australia
in Test Match action and also rode in that season's World Final at the age of
just 17. There was controversy in England in some circles regarding the
eligibility of Moore to ride for Australia. During June of 1951, his mother
wrote a wonderful letter in which she set the record straight. Section of that
letter follows: -
" .. I, as the person most entitled to know, settle for good, the argument
whether Ronnie Moore is an Australian or a New Zealander. Ron was born 18 years
ago in Hobart, Tasmania, which, though a separate island, is part of the
mainland of Australia. Three years ago Ron accompanied his Dad and myself to New
Zealand with a Wall of Death act for a nine months contract. But we stayed in
Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand when my husband became one of
the directors of the new speedway there. Therein, of course, lies the confusion.
But, although Ron started his speedway career in Christchurch, New Zealand, the
fact remains, he is still an Aussie - for that is where his home is."
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This
photograph, taken shortly after his arrival in England in 1950, shows young
Ronnie Moore on the bike.
He had been brought to England on the recommendation of Norman Parker (on the
left) to ride for Wimbledon.
On the right is Ronnie's father Les.
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Thanks to Ross Garrigan for this report. |
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