Bacchus Marsh Soap Box Derby

Bacchus Marsh & District Historical Society Inc.

Billy Cart Racing 1950s – Slack’s Hill Parwan Road.

These races were held to raise funds towards the new hospital.

Speeds of up to 30 mph were reached and Valaria Van Alkemade was the only girl competitor in 1950.

An article in The Argus 24 July 1950 – Soapbox triumph – tragedy:

Fourteen-year-old Neil Williams, of Castlemaine, was the hero of the crowd and the envy of all other boys at Bacchus Marsh Soap Box Derby yesterday. Neil had a day that most boys dream about. In his speedy Shooting Star racer he won the Victorian open championship section of the derby.

Then, as he was moving into line to race in the final of the junior championship, a passing motorist grazed a back wheel of the Shooting Star and knocked it out of alignment.

The motorist drove on, leaving behind him a little boy faced with a tragic situation. “I was days getting the Shooting Star ready,” Neil said, “but I can’t win with it now!”

Neil’s father and brother patched the wheel with fencing wire, and the Shooting Star moved up to the starting line again.

Neil was first across the finishing line, and he got a great ovation from the 2,000 spectators. But a protest went in. Austin Walter, another 14-year-old Castlemaine boy, claimed that he had been delayed by the starter.

The race was re-run. Austin Walter, Barry Coutts, of Brighton, and Neil, all finished within a few inches of each other, but spectators had crowded the course and officials ordered yet another re-run.

Neil knew his changes were vanishing. “Shooting Star is getting slower all the time,” he said; but he gamely went back to the starters.

Austin Walter won the race with Barry Coutts second, and Neil, three lengths behind the winner, third.

But Neil finished the day happily enough. He got a new bike for winning the open championship, and a tennis racket for his third place in the junior event.

The Bacchus Marsh championship went to Neil Van Alkemade, 12 years, who got a year’s free pass to the local picture theatre as his prize.

The derby, organised by Bacchus Marsh R.S.L. to raise funds toward building a local hospital attracted entries from Castlemaine, Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong and Melbourne.