The Forgotten Centenary: Brisbane Showgrounds Speedway Demolished

BRISBANE, QLD 

A century of Australian motorsport heritage faces complete physical erasure. As the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA) proceeds with its multi-million-dollar redevelopment of the Brisbane Showgrounds, community members, motorsport historians and fans are raising urgent questions over the total omission of speedway history ahead of its 1926–2026 centenary this October.

For nearly 100 years, the Ekka grounds served as a premier arena for Australian speedway. Since 1926, the track hosted world champions, international legends from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan and generations of grassroots competitors.

Corporate Vision vs. Community Reality

In official promotional broadcasts detailing the precinct's future, RNA CEO Brendan Christou declared that the redevelopment will transform the site into "Queensland's premier sporting events and leisure precinct," emphasizing that "the RNA and Brisbane Showgrounds is very special in the hearts and minds of Queenslanders... We're so excited to be able to do that for the next 150 years." Additionally, Beef and Cattle Committee Chairman Gary Noller highlighted that upgrades to "both the ring, the horse stalls, [and] the large animal pavilion creates a legacy."

Yet, critics and historians point out that this official narrative completely excludes the venue's century-old motorsport legacy—effectively erasing the motorsport culture that formed a core pillar of the precinct's sporting identity.

Sacred Ground and Unhonoured History

The site holds profound emotional and historical weight for Queensland families. Historical records and community accounts document that approximately 12 competitors lost their lives on the track over its operational history. Furthermore, generations of racing families held deep personal ties to the venue, with many having spread the ashes of fallen racers across the dirt track over the decades to honour their lifelong devotion to the sport.

Despite this deep heritage, current redevelopment plans contain no visible memorial plaque or structural tribute honouring the fallen riders, the racing families or the historic pits.

Preserving the Legacy: Archival Evidence

Newly surfaced photographic evidence from the Jocelyn Dare Archives captures legendary rider Ron Johnson staged under the historic Machinery Hill pit area—a stark visual record of the physical structures now being dismantled without heritage retention.

While official RNA promotional materials detail future upgrades for agricultural pavilions and livestock infrastructure, speedway advocates point out that one of Queensland's founding sporting cultures has been quietly excluded from the precinct's future vision.

Systemic Failure of Press and Governance

"History should be respected, not selected," states a spokesperson from Nomad Dirt Culture, an independent media powerhouse investigating the site's redevelopment. "This loss highlights a decades-long systemic issue: legacy press operating as passive observers rather than investigative watchdogs, while institutional gatekeepers systematically sidelined the independent historians who documented Machinery Hill's true heritage."

Public Outrage and Community Sentiment

Public commentary across social media platforms reflects deep heartbreak over the destruction of the historic track and pit infrastructure:

• "The home of Grassroots Motorsport 🏁🏁🏁🏁 SPEEDWAY FROM 1926 til 2026 💔💔" — Jocelyn Johnson-Dare

• "Heartbreaking as that was home to watch the speedway" 

• "How can they do that to an icon" 

• "RIP speedway heritage." 

• "Great memories as a kid on the overpass above the pits when the Solo bikes were on." 

• "Wankers destroyed the ekka years ago now destroying history" 

No Replacement Track: The Queensland Government's Accountability

Grassroots Motorsport is a culture born on Australian soil in 1901. With the destruction of the Ekka track, the Greater Brisbane region has been left without a single replacement venue for grassroots motorsport.

As machinery clears the historic grounds, community members and independent press are directly calling on the Queensland State Government to take responsibility for this infrastructure void. With state planners approving the removal of a century-old sporting asset, the duty falls on state leadership to fund, permit and deliver a dedicated replacement venue, ensuring Brisbane’s founding motorsport culture is not permanently pushed out of its own capital city.

To ensure Queensland's speedway legacy is never forgotten or rewritten, Nomad Dirt Culture is establishing a permanent community archive. Former racers, racing families, collectors and spectators who hold historical photographs, race programs, ticket stubs or personal stories from the Brisbane Showgrounds are urged to submit them for preservation to:

📧 info@nomaddirtculture.com

Archival Visuals: Courtesy of the Jocelyn Dare Archives (Featured: Ron Johnson, Machinery Hill Pits) around 1980s. Ron Johnson started racing at the Ekka around early 1950s.

Source:

Growing Queensland Facebook Page 

Video of Pits being demolished