In the New Introduction Thread I mentioned that I was a bit of a old motor racing circuit archeologist, and this has been inspited mainly by Terry Walker's book "Fast Tracks" and the articles that Ray Bell has written for MRA called "Closed Circuits." Before I talk about my WA sojourn I'll mention that the closed circuits I've visited in NSW include Marsden Park and Mt Druitt, where predictably there isn't much to see, plus circuits I've sprinted (not raced) around including Amaroo Park and Catalina (where I've also walked the rally-cross circuit which is overgrown like a jungle
) I've driven around Gnoo Blas may years ago and also walked Hume Weir before dam earthworks dramatically altered the geography.Back to Western Australia. I was there on business for a week and then planned a weeks holiday to catch up with relatives (both my parents are from WA.) There were three things I had to so: 1) visit Albany whre my Father was from and a place I ahdn't seen for 25 years, 2) visit the famous York Motor Museum and 3) visit my aunt and uncle in Geraldton. To give some of our foriegn TNFrs an idea, Albany is 400km south of Perth, whilst Geraldton is over 400km noth of Perth. All in all I covered about 3000km in the little Mitsubishi Lancer Coupe often at highly illegal speeds especially in the north where there is no traffic. All in one week!
My plan was always to visit the may "round the houses" racing circuits that were a feature of WA racing up until 1966 and the advent of stricter safety regulations. I took with me the aforementioned "Fast Tracks" plus Terry's other book "Around the Houses" as well as Ray Bell's Closed Circuit articles on Albany, Narrogin and Geraldton. My trip to Albany, predictably included a detout through the Margaret River and its wineries and caves (recommended) plus the pretty little hamlet of Denmark.
I will mention those towns where circuits once existed and my attempts to retrace the actual track with the benefit of Terry and Ray's maps.
Bunbury
There were two circuits at Bunbury, the first being through the town centre consisting mainly of 90 degree turns. This looked a bit dull and the part where the start finish line seems to have been realigned and couldn't be followed. The second was a variation of the first with a bit of a kink in Russell Street.
Carey Park
This is now a suburb of Bunbury and was only used once in 1963. At over 4km the track was quite long and in places quite fast especially along Forrest Ave and Spencer Street, but there were some fiddly little intersections where I got lost - but it all survives intact.
Bussleton
I stayed overnight at this tourist town. The circuit still exists, but as it also serves as the locat Airport I didn't get the opportunity to drive this one
Albany
The original Albany circuit of 1936 looked like an exciting circuit. Changes of elevation and adverse cambers were a real test for drivers. Interestingly Hell Corner was just down the road from where my Father grew up in Festing Street (I never asked him about racing in Albany but knew he attended the AGP at Narrogin in 1951.) Alas the circuit can't be driven in the correct direction as Grey St is now one way and the roundabouts up the top of York street change things considerably.
I didn't really spend much time exploring the more modern circuit (last used in 1963) that took in Middleton Beach Road that did spend some time in the old cemetery that it passes looking for my great-grand parents grave (which I eventually found.)
Narrogin
This circuit took two goes to circumnavigate correctly, wrong turns and lack of street signs thwarted me. The circuit as used for the 51 AGP was over 7km long and very fast with the main straight over 2.4km long. I visited the tourist centre inquiring as to whether there was a commemorative plaque celebrating the 50th anniversary of the great race - the Narrogin Commemorative Australian Jubilee Grand Prix in November 2001. I was told one had been made but the stone blocks it was to be place on had been stolen and the plaque sitting in the office of town engineer Dan Turner, one of the organisers, who I was told would be delighted to show it to me. So I went up to the Town Centre to be told by reception that they couldn't find Messrs Turner despite being paged numerous times. I waited 20 minutes but to no avail. A pity.
Pingelly
Another tiny town (population 300) in the wheat belt, this circuit being easily the msot difficult to navigate due to almost a complete lack of street signs. Infact I think some of the streets have changed names, but I thinkI got it right in the end. Fairly non-descript, to be honest.
Beverley
This happens to be the town my great-grandparents first settled in having migrated from England, they moved to Albany soon after. Again, like Bussleton, another airstrip circuit that I was unable to visit.
Northam
I've got to be honest here. I drove through the main street having forgotten it was once a circuit - so I didn't drive around it. Mind you, the main street which happened to be the main straight of the circuit was a bit hairy and narrow, as I believe the rest of the circuit was as well.
Toodyay
According to Terry Walker, major changes to the railway line has made this circuit impossible to lap - so I didn't bother.
Geraldton
The last of the "round the houses" circuits and only used once in 1965. Ray Bell's article was a great help here and the circuit was indeed an interesting one. What can't be deduced from the photos in Ray's article was the large elevation changes, seemingly up and down old sand dunes. The right hander from Johnston St to Eastern Road looked quick and tricky. Unfortunately you cannot turn fron Ainsworth St into Phelps St so I was unable to do a complete lap.
Having seen the circuit I can understand why it was seen as a dangerous place and why it marked the end of an era of round the house racing in Western Australia.
Just a short mention about the York Motor Museum. As luck would have it, the morning I arrived also happened to be the morning where most of the cars were shifted to their new Fremantle Motor Museum. I had been told by relatives that this was going to happen and actually visited Fremantle and their impressive new Maritime Museum the week before. Their was very little to see in York, lots of posters on the wall and a few sports cars remained. The Fremantle museum opended the following weekend and I just had time to visit before returning to Sydney. All the cars were there but a lot of work remained with posters, displays and the like. Still, the resident mechanic, exhausted from many a sleepless night, was able to show me around some of the more intersting exhibits, like the Taruffi "Twin Tubalare" record breaker with seized Dino V6! (s.b a Maserati A6CM motor IIRC.)
There endeth this long(ish) tale
I my introduction to TNF Ray thought I might know of more "hidden" racing circuits around Australia. Unfortunately I don't have access to too much in the way of original research but am happy to follow in the footsteps of others and discover a little more about our racing heritage. 
Indeed in my copy of Alleggerita (mentioned in the Horst Kwech thread) there is a photo of the Mildren Alfa Giulia GTA at Mount Brown.
