Tasmanian Racing Club

The Tasmanian Racing Club (TRC) was formed on 29 June, 1874 at the Rock Hotel 71 Elizabeth St, Hobart. Sir James Wilson was elected chair and it was moved “that it be desirable to form a club in Hobart Town to be called the Southern Tasmanian Turf Club”. The motion was carried; however, the name was only to survive until the next week. His Excellency the Governor (Sir Charles du Cane) was requested to become patron, with Sir James Wilson his deputy.So there was an organisation and that was all. No racecourse, no bank account, no float. Conducting race meetings in Tasmania had always been a risky business because of the small population and generations of racing administrators since then have no reason to think otherwise. The committee met no less than six times in August 1874, nearly all of those meetings being given over to the question of the location of the course. There was no room for faint hearts. With determination and single-mindedness on part of the committee, the minutes record that, at a meeting on the 24 August, and still with no racecourse, “a two-day schedule was approved accounting £925” for the Summer Meeting.It took them a while to find Elwick. The old course at New Town was first inspected, and found to be quite impractical. Then there were other possible options considered before Elwick was eventually seen as a viable option for a racecourse.