Anne Field is seeking any additional information on Moorefield Racecourse 1888-1951, before she finalises her research at the end of 2015.
Anne started her research back in mid- 1993.Her busy teaching career, Council commitments, and other demands, considerably slowed her research. She always intended to finish her Moorefield research when she retired, in December 2011, from St George Girls High School, Kogarah, Sydney.
Anne has now written over 42,000 words, with more to come. She aims to have a draft completed by the end of the year, and plans to publish next year. The book will be published, both in a hard copy, and an electronic format.
Her initial research was prompted by the late Ray Cunningham from O’Connell Street, Monterey and I pay tribute to him for this project. Ray phoned her, in mid-1992, in her capacity as a Third Ward Councillor at Rockdale Council, to request a footpath near his home. The footpath was built in August 1992.In our numerous conversations, the subject of Moorefield Racecourse came up. Mr Cunningham worked on the course from 1946-1951, and as he had a good memory, he was able to prepare many notes for me.
Mr Cunningham said to me that” when I die, the history will die with me.” I immediately replied to him ‘no it won’t, I will do you a deal. I will write it. You are fortunate Mr Cunningham,that I love local history and I love horse racing.”
And so this is how my research project came about –all because of a footpath in O’Connell Street, Monterey. It may become “ the most famous footpath in the local area” ……
My Chapters will focus on the Moore Family; The Racecourse ; Jockeys and Apprentices ; Trainers ,Horses and Stables, Marshall Street ; Kogarah Golf Club on Moorefield Racecourse; The Sale of the Course ; and Moorefield Anecdotes. Local residents have already provided me with many anecdotal stories.
In the future, I may do an additional publication – a pictorial history of Moorefield Racecourse and the surrounding area.
I have two Moorefield speeches, with interesting photos included, on my web site annefield.net.au. One speech I gave to James Cook Boys High School in 2009, and the other I gave to the Benevolent Society, in Bexley in 2014.
I am pleased that I will soon be able to present the History of Moorefield Racecourse to our local community, and to our racing community.
I know that it will bring back many wonderful memories to so many people . It will also inform people in our local area, who did not know that Kogarah “ once had a racecourse.”
Anne can be contacted at Po Box 391 Kogarah 2217.
Anne Field
April 26 2015
