QMSC - Qld Motor Sporting Club

Can anyone assist with the history of this club - it was still around in the 1980's, but seems to be gone now ?.

Thanks

Bill Westerman

This is the QMSC write up in the 1950-51 AMR Yearbook #1. Giving a brief insight to the early days.

The Queensland Motor Sporting Club was formed in 1937 from a nucleus of 10 members which in a matter of two years had increased rather astonishingly to 60. Various sporting and social events were conducted until the commencement of war when every club member joined the forces.

After the war the Club was re-formed and conducted a series of hill climbs and airstrip race meetings. In 1949 the A.A.A competitions committee allotted the Australian Grand Prix, Australia's classic annual event, to Queensland, and it was successfully conducted at the Leyburn Aerodrome on the Darling Dpwns, before a crowd of 40,000 people. A more recent venture was the Queensland Road Racing Championship, held at Lowood, this event attracting entries from New South Wales and Victoria.

The Club now has an establishment in Wickham Terrace where monthly lectures on technical subjects are delivered to members in their own club rooms.

Stephen

I gather that the Wickham Terrace property was purchased with profits from Leyburn...

Apart from Bill Westerman, Don Thallon probably has some details.

Anyone else have any information on the club's history?  I was a member from the late sixties to mid seventies but lost contact after that, would like to get some of the history written down before it is lost forever.  After the Leyburn AGP the club organised drag racing then sprints and races at Strathpine (early fifties until 1960) before starting construction of Lakeside.  Clubrooms in the sixties and seventies were at Bowen Hills, Cintra House.  In the early 70's Lakeside became a money pit for the club, lots of dollars had to be spent on safety fencing and resurfacing, and the club was heavily in debt to cover this.  Some bad weather and poor attendances at meetings made the situation worse and the banks foreclosed and took possession of the clubrooms and other assets.  Club meetings were held at Perry Park soccer club for a few years, but the club slowly disintegrated from there.  Any further info would be appreciated. 

Graham, I have to repeat, "Bill Westerman"...

He was only young, but his father was right amongst it all.

If you send me an e-mail I'll put you in touch with him.

I have a number of early magazines for the QMSC and very interested to find out more about there events they also had quite a nice winged badge never been lucky enough to win one of EBAY when they come up for sale

Anyone else have any information on the club's history?  I was a member from the late sixties to mid seventies but lost contact after that, would like to get some of the history written down before it is lost forever.  After the Leyburn AGP the club organised drag racing then sprints and races at Strathpine (early fifties until 1960) before starting construction of Lakeside.  Clubrooms in the sixties and seventies were at Bowen Hills, Cintra House.  In the early 70's Lakeside became a money pit for the club, lots of dollars had to be spent on safety fencing and resurfacing, and the club was heavily in debt to cover this.  Some bad weather and poor attendances at meetings made the situation worse and the banks foreclosed and took possession of the clubrooms and other assets.  Club meetings were held at Perry Park soccer club for a few years, but the club slowly disintegrated from there.  Any further info would be appreciated. 

 

Graham, I would think seeking out David Harding would also be a good starting point to gather QMSC history since the 1960s. if you visit your newsagent the latest Australian Muscle Car (#86( has a feature on Lakeside, with some information gathered from David.

 

Stephen

It always struck me as odd, that when Keith Williams took over the bankrupt Lakeside & merged it with his Surfers Paradise operations, he employed someone from the bankrupt QMSC to manage it for him.

 

Never before or since have I heard of someone "following on" after a failed business in this way.

 

But maybe my memory is failing, and it didn't happen like that ?.

Remember that Sid still owned Lakeside and took a close interest in it...