Glory Days – Albert Park 1953–58
By Barry Green
While Jack Brabham is an immense part of Australian motor racing, there is a vast amount more heritage of Down Under racing, which the rest of the world knows precious little. Thanks are due to the enthusiasm of Barry Green, not only for doing the research and writing this account of Melbourne’s Albert Park, but for also managing to publish it himself.
The author describes the 152-page volume as a “black and white book about a black and white period,” but he is too modest and it is much more colorful than that. Not only does it tell the tale of the hard struggle to overcome post-war apathy and lack of funds, but it details the Australian Grand Prix, the Moomba TT, the Tourist Trophy and a number of other seminal events over the course of a six-year period. It profiles the Australian pioneers—Lex Davison, Stan Jones, Alec Mildren—and tells many of the tales in the words of those who were there. It also marks the importance to Australian motorsport of people like Moss, Behra, Wharton, etc. coming there in the early days.
There is an argument for seeing the many previously unpublished photos on better quality paper, but I’m cautious with this comment because I am happy that Barry has got them published at all. There is a great Arnold Terdich shot of Maserati’s Guerino Bertocchi taking the Stirling Moss driven 300S back to a local garage. There’s also Jean Behra at the 1956 Tourist Trophy in a 300S and several of the 250Fs that went out to and stayed in Australian.
Available at: $36 (AUS), B.W. Green 24 Grandis Ct., Everton Hills Q 4053 Australia, E-mail: [email protected]
