Cairns Regional Council Mayor, Councillor Amy Eden; Cairns Amateurs Steering Committee Members, Patron, Mr Bart Sinclair OAM, and Life Members; CEO of Racing Queensland, Mr Jason Scott; sponsors; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you to the Minjil group for the warm Welcome to Country. May I also acknowledge the Original Custodians of the Cairns region and pay my respect to Elders past, present and emerging. I extend that respect to all First Nations people here this evening.
Graeme and I are delighted to be here this evening at the invitation of the President of the Cairns Amateurs for this wonderful traditional opening event.
Horse-racing has been part of life here ever since Sir William Cairns, one of my predecessors as Governor, gave his name to a small remote settlement in the far north of the colony of Queensland in 1876.
In fact, this year marks the 140th anniversary of the public meeting called to form the Cairns District Jockey Club.
That historic meeting was held in July 1884 at the Mining Exchange Hotel, and although the Cairns Post reported that there was “great unanimity of opinion” concerning the establishment of the club, internal disputes about the site for a new racecourse quickly became so bitter and divisive that there were accusations of despotism and calls for the President to resign.
While this dispute continued, the Cairns community began to wonder how long they would have to wait until the first race meeting, but against all odds, the Jockey Club was able to organise the very first races on its new course on the 14th of October 1884.
A public holiday was declared for the occasion and, according to the Cairns Post, “the day’s sport was got through without mishap” and, although “the clerk of the course might have exercised a little more strictness in keeping people off the track”, the detachment of police was not required at any stage during the day and the racing was “as good as could be seen anywhere”.
Today, horse-racing is as important to Cairns as it was in 1884, and as the Cairns Amateurs has grown to become one of Australia’s premier Spring racing carnivals, it has also become a major driver of the tourism industry and an important stimulus to the regional economy.
But it has not been without its challenges, and it is very pleasing to learn that the Cairns Jockey Club this year entered into an Intellectual Property License Agreement with Racing Queensland, bringing the Cairns Amateurs Carnival into the Cairns Jockey Club’s operational structure under the guidance of a Steering Committee.
It’s a great example of collaboration for mutual benefit that will not only preserve the Carnival’s heritage but bring fresh energy and vibrancy to racing here in Cairns, and I wish everyone concerned well as this transition progresses.
In closing, I take this opportunity to congratulate the Cairns Amateurs Committee and staff on putting together this year’s excellent program, and, on behalf of the Queensland racing community, I thank the Carnival sponsors and partners for their generous support. You make it all possible.
Graeme and I are very much looking forward to the excitement of the Ladies Race Day tomorrow, including the presentation of the Governor’s Trophy, but in the meantime, I once again thank the President for his invitation to join you tonight and wish you all an enjoyable evening.
