Taree-Wingham Race Club will mark 40 years of racing at the track with a dinner at the Winning Post Function Centre on Saturday October 4. On Monday the Turfcare NSW Bushland Drive Racecourse 40th Anniversary Cup will be the feature event on the club's TAB meeting.

It's a world away from the former headquarters of racing in the Manning Valley situated near where Rotary Park is now at Taree Recreation Centre.

Robbery Park, as it was known, was an eyesore, and that's probably being kind. Taree Race Club had a parcel of land off Bushland Drive where there were plans to build a new, modern track. The club's tenure at the recreation centre site was drawing to a close and Taree Municipal Council was keen to establish more playing fields there.

There was a major problem with the land at Bushland Drive. It was a swamp. And there was no money forthcoming from the then controlling body of racing, the Australian Jockey Club (AJC) to assist with the project.

Fred Atkins ran an earthmoving company in Taree at the time and was keen to help the club out.

"Racing's always been in my blood,'' he explained.

"My dad built the old racetrack at Lansdowne. And while I've never owned horses I was mates with blokes like Bruce Lang and others who were involved with racing here at that time.''

He also had an association with the Sport of Kings through surf lifesaving, where he's a life member of the Crowdy Head club.

"The Horsburghs used to do the catering at the races and all the proceeds went to our surf club,'' he explained.

The race club approached Fred about clearing the land for the the initial stages of building a new track. From there it hoped to attract funding from the AJC. There was yet another problem. The race club wasn't particularly fiscal. So any work Fred did would have to be gratis.

For the greater good Fred took on the challenge.

"I used to get work from people involved in the club, so there was a bit of a spin off that way,'' Fred explained.

So on May 28, 1971 Fred started work. Fred was also interested in purchasing what was known as a swamp dozer, at the time a relatively new machine. This, he believed, would be invaluable for the project, given the terrain. A demonstration was arranged on-site and this attracted considerable interest.

"No-one had ever seen one before,'' Fred said.

So a crowd - including the mayor and several aldermen, turned out to watch the swamp dozer in action. An operator came from Sydney especially for the demonstration. But it didn't go to plan. The swamp dozer bogged and Fred had to drag it out.

But despite that hiccup Fred remembers the work took about three weeks to complete. Merv Fairhurst from Kew and Reg Swan from Kendall were among others who also helped out.

"The area there's all wetlands,'' Fred said.

"They'd never be allowed to do it these days because of environmental regulations.''

The club was then in a position to seek further funding. However, Fred remains disappointed that he wasn't ever given a chance to tender for the job of building the track. He claims that went to a contractor from Port Macquarie who had ties with Port race club.

Still, Fred remembers it being a proud day in 1974 when the track was finally unveiled.

"I was there for the first meeting,'' he said.

The then biggest crowd to attend a race meeting in Taree turned out on Tuesday September 10, 1974 for Taree's first meeting at the club's new home. (Krambach Race Club conducted the first meeting on September 7).

Fred was eventually made a life member of the race club and says he attends meetings occasionally.

Fred marvels at what has been achieved there in the last 40 years.

"It was just swamp...look what they have there now,'' he says.

o Doug Ryan previews Monday's TAB meeting on page 35.