Annual Beech Forest race meeting

Annual Beech Forest race meeting

Beech Forest (Vic.) -- History.

Members of the Beech Forest race meeting on the stump of a mountain ash used as a grandstand for the annual Beech Forest race meeting. This photo was of the meeting in 1904. There is a sketch of the grandstand in Norm Houghton's book titled “Beech Forest – Capital on the Ridge”. According to Houghton, dances were held on the stump as part of the raceday festivities! The title of the sketch (page 93) is as follows: Bushfires regularly destroyed the steps, railings and roof of the stand and they had to be repeatedly renewed. The racecourse was set out in 1893 on fairly flat land at Ditchley (not far from the existing football oval. There was a railway stopping place there to offload spectators from Colac and the train also had carriages for visiting racehorses.

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Forests Commission, Victoria

1904

unknown

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2x2 glass slide

Still image

1403s