Volume II: The Golden Years (1990) (continued)

The third is that it is structured around Harold Freedman’s History of Racing mural at Flemington – a sequence of seven enormous paintings based on the research which is the foundation of this book.

Scenes from the murals three, four and five are reproduced throughout this volume, supplemented by contemporary engravings, posters, photographs, advertisements, drawings and paintings such as Woodhouse, McSherry and Lambert.

It is a rich canvas: from Charters Towers to Kalgoorlie, from Birdsville to Elwick, from Randwick to the track at South Perth known as Robbery Park.

There are new insights into well known characters, such as John Wren who made his fortune from private racecourses around the country, and men such as LKS Mackinnon, W.S Cox, Adrian Knox, Alister Clark, Lee Steere, Orr, Clibborn, Standish, Bagot and Elder who gave their names to famous horse races.