{{Short description|19th-to-mid-20th century Australian horse and motor racetrack}}{{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox motorsport venue |name = Aspendale Racecourse |location = Aspendale, Victoria, Australia |coordinates = {{coord|-38.025|145.108|type:landmark_region:AU-VIC|display=inline,title}} |opened = 1 March 1904 |closed = 1939 |surface = Gravel or Concrete |length_km = 1.6 |length_mi = 1.0 |turns = 4 |record_time = 84mph |record_driver = Peter Whitehead |record_car = ERA |record_year = 1938 |record_class = Voiturette |website = [https://www.hyperracer.com/history Aspendale Park Speedway] }} '''Aspendale Racecourse''' or '''Aspendale Park Racecourse''', located at Aspendale, Victoria, Australia, was a horse racing venue, and the world's first purpose-built motor racing track.<ref name=Hyper/>
Aspendale Racecourse opened on 14 April 1891. It was established by James Robert Crooke, a horse trainer, who named the course after Aspen, one of his best horses, which had won the Newmarket Handicap twice, in 1880 and 1881.<ref name="Kingston">{{cite web |url=https://localhistory.kingston.vic.gov.au/articles/93 |title=Aspendale Park Racecourse |publisher=Kingston Local History |access-date=25 August 2025}}</ref>
The track was situated east of the current Aspendale railway station and is believed to have been one mile (1.6 km) in length. Garden landscaping was designed by William Guilfoyle, who was the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne.<ref name="Kingston"/> thumb|Aspendale Speedway sign in 2025 Crooke was also a motoring enthusiast. In 1904, the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria held its first automobile demonstration at Aspendale Racecourse. In 1905, Crooke built a motor raceway, Australia's "first commercial track", inside the existing horse racing track. It was also the world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit, holding its first race meeting in January 1906.<ref name=Hyper>{{Cite web |url=https://www.hyperracer.com/history |title=Aspendale Park Speedway |access-date=25 August 2025}}</ref> The pear-shaped track was close to {{convert|1|mi|spell=in}} in length, with slightly banked curves and a surface of crushed cement. Two racing car meetings were held, in January and November 1906, before the circuit fell into disuse.<ref name=walker>{{cite book| title=Fast Tracks |last = Walker |first = Terry |publisher = Turton & Armstrong Pty Ltd Publishers |year=1995| isbn=0-908031-55-6 |pages=20 & 21}}</ref> A banked track was constructed in 1923 over the original saucer-shaped track,<ref>[https://localhistory.kingston.vic.gov.au/articles/370 Racing and Death at Aspendale] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070830051055/http://localhistory.kingston.vic.gov.au/htm/article/370.htm |date=30 August 2007 }} at Kingston Historical Website</ref> but it had fallen into disuse again by 1930.<ref name=walker/> The circuit was briefly revived after the Depression, but had ceased operating prior to World War II.
The last recorded horse race at Aspendale Park was on 29 July 1931. Motor racing continued until the late 1940s.<ref name="Kingston"/> The area is now residential housing.
==References== {{reflist}} * {{Cite web|url=http://www.hyperracer.com/history|title=The Aspendale Park Speedway Official Website.|website=www.HyperRacer.com|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}
{{MelbourneRacing}}
Category:Sports venues completed in 1891 Category:Sports venues in Victoria (state) Category:Defunct motorsport venues in Australia Category:1891 establishments in Australia Category:Defunct horse racing venues in Australia