Australian Motorsports - A Photographic Collection

Competitive motorsport is almost as old as cars and motorcycles themselves – and so is motorsport photography.

By National Motor Museum, Australia

Harry Hinton speeds around Lobethal Circuit (1938) by unknownNational Motor Museum, Australia

Highlights from the collection

The carnival atmosphere that accompanies racing has always attracted amateur and professional photographers. In fact, the Paris-Rouen race of 1894, which is often described as the first motorsport competition in history, was organized by newspaper Le Petit Journal and photographed extensively. The National Motor Museum’s ‘George Brooks Library and Learning Centre’ is one of the best motoring libraries in the southern hemisphere and houses an extensive archive of photographs relating to Australian motorsport.

Allan Tomlinson at Lobethal Circuit (1939)National Motor Museum, Australia

Sometimes these can be extensive collections amassed by a single enthusiast (like the motorcycling images spanning several decades collected by former Harley Davidson dealer Wally Woollatt) or collections relating to a single event (like the 1939 Australian Grand Prix at Lobethal, in the Adelaide Hills right near the National Motor Museum).

These selection of images profile just some of the Australian motorsports highlights from within our collection.

Brentwood Corner at Minlaton Motorcycle Races (1916) by unknownNational Motor Museum, Australia

Junior TT Race on the Isle of Man (1924) by unknownNational Motor Museum, Australia

Stunt Riders (1925) by unknownNational Motor Museum, Australia

Lawrie Boulter in Action (1948-01-26) by unknownNational Motor Museum, Australia

Minlaton Motorcycle Races (1915) by unknownNational Motor Museum, Australia

Motorcycle Polo (c. 1925) by unknownNational Motor Museum, Australia

Port Wakefield Circuit Pits (c. 1953) by unknownNational Motor Museum, Australia

Les Francis on his Triumph Thunderbird (1950)National Motor Museum, Australia

Fishermen's Bend Aerodrome (1959-02)National Motor Museum, Australia

John Newman racing in Port Wakefield by unknownNational Motor Museum, Australia

Credits: Story

All photographs from the National Motor Museum Collection.

Credits: All media

The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

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