Forthcoming Publications and Presentations
Sydney Racing in the 1970s Volume II
'Death on the Racecourse Flat: the Outre Demise of Bookmaker "Big Mick" McLeod Flemington 1906'
The Jockeys V Trainers Cricket Match and Other Stories, TBA
Australian Dictionary of Biography, 'Don Scott' (submitted)
Latest News
On 12 June 2024, a guest on ABC Radio Canberra 'Afternoons' with Alice Matthews discussing some of the more unusual Olympic sports and events over the years.
At a function at the Oaks Hotel, Neutral Bay, on 27 May 2024, Sydney Racing in the 1970s Vol. I received the Silver Medal in the Bill Whittaker Award. The Whittaker Award is awarded to the book judged to best the best work on horseracing history published in Australia or new Zealand in the preceding two years.
Publication and launch of Sydney Racing in the 1970s: an Illustrated Companion,
Vol. I October 2023. Interview with race caller Luke Marlow on Sky Racing HQ re
Sydney Racing in the 1970s, 21 October 2023.
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/racing-hq-saturday/id1563105011
Represented the Peake family at the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Hurstville
War Memorial on 27 May 1922. Received from the Governor of NSW two plaques commemorating the deaths on the Western Front in 1917 of Walter Edward Peake and Walter Leslie Peake.
https://www.theleader.com.au/story/7756698/centenary-of-hurstville-war-memorial/
Unveiling of Georges River Council History Marker 'Isaac Peake's Farm', Old's Park, May 2021
Albert John (Bert) Lillye, Australian Dictionary of Biography (online), published 14 December 2020
Attended launch of On a Winner: a biography of City Tattersall's Club by Marea Donnelly,
at City Tattersalls Club, 8 December 2020
https://www.facebook.com/CityTatts/
Around the World with Robert Louis Stevenson in under one hour (reading of passage from Ebb Tide). My bit is at about 52 minutes 55 seconds but I urge you to watch the whole production, especially if you are a fan of RLS. Most of the other contributors are much better than I am!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M86INuFOXy4
Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Death of Isaac Peake, Peakhurst pioneer, Olds Park Sports Club, 29 November 2020
Sydney's Pony Racecourses is featured in article on City Tattersall's Club published in the Sydney Daily Telegraph historical feature, 23 October 2020
The location of the farm of Isaac Peake in Olds Park Penshurst has been chosen for commemoration in one of the five Georges River history markers of 2020, September 2020
'Rosehill Gardens: Racing's Oasis of the West', The Races (Australian Turf Club Members' Magazine), February 2018
'A Love Letter to the Slipper',The Races (Australian Turf Club Members' Magazine), February 2018
'Historian recounts three fatal shark attacks in Georges River', Canterbury-Bankstown Express, 5 December 2017
Centenary of the death of Pvte WE Peake Battle of Menin Road, Husrtville War Memorial, 20 September 2017
Western Sydney University stall, Centenary of Milperra Celebrations, Newland Reserve Milperra 11am 9 April 2017
Central Coast Historical Society: 'From Methodism to Hedonism: The Peake family of the Georges River District, and some notes on Horseracing in the Lake Macquarie District in the early Twentieth Century', Saturday 4 February 2017
'The race that stops the nation also holds many weird and wonderful stories', The Conversation, 1 November 2016
Guest speaker, launch of History of Moorefield Racecourse, by Anne Field, 20 October 2016
Canterbury Historical Society: 'The Moorefield and Canterbury racecourses and the Belmore greyhound and pony racing track', 23 August 2016
'Single Gaze' Racing Luncheon, Padstow Bowling Club, 19 August 2016
'From Methodism to Hedonism: The Peake family of the Georges River District', Hurstville Historical Society, April 2016
Launch of Wandrin' Star: Wild Jack Peake of Peakhurst, on the 85th anniversary of his birth, Picnic Point Bowling Club, 17 October 2016
Author & Luke Marlow, book launch
War Memorial 100th anniversary
Issac Peake history marker
Whittaker Award sponsor and judge Bob Charley with Sydney Racing in the 1970s