Giddy up: Marchmont racecourse gets a new lease of life

The future of the historic Marchmont Racecourse at Yass is looking bright thanks to a significant $242,000 investment from the NSW Government.

Crown Lands provided the grant via the Crown Reserves Improvement Fund (CRIF) to help facilitate important and necessary clean-up work at the site, to help revitalise the 34-hectare reserve.

The Marchmont Racecourse was gazetted in 1913 and is one of NSW’s oldest racing venues. Unfortunately, the reserve had fallen into disrepair over the past 40 years, with the site becoming overgrown and strewn with solid waste, including hunks of metal and building materials that were dumped in the centre of the track. 

The Crown Lands grant funded removal of tonnes of scrap metal and over 4,000 car and truck tyres previously used as barricades for car and motorcycle racing. 

The inside of the racecourse has now been levelled and sown with grass. Other upgrades include construction of a new entrance gateway and fence line, internal road repairs and removal of a derelict concrete canteen block. 

The Marchmont reserve hosts the much-loved Yass Picnic Races, an annual event now in its 123rd year. The clean-up and upgrades will improve safety and amenity at the site, encouraging more visitors to come through the gates to enjoy this spectacular community event, and increase opportunity for the reserve to host more events each year. 

The improvements are the first phase of what the Marchmont Trust hopes will be the ongoing development of the Marchmont reserve into a large, multi-purpose facility that will boost economic activity in the region.

Marchmont Racecourse Secretary Catherine Bennett says the reserve is returning to its former glory.

“This funding from the NSW Government has been critical in enabling us to commence work on improving the facilities at Marchmont. It’s taken a lot of work, but thanks to this grant the reserve is looking better than ever,” Ms Bennett said. 

“Marchmont and horse sports have strong historical links with our community.  As a fast-growing regional town, it is important to invest in spaces that can retain the best that rural life has to offer.   In addition to the annual Picnic Races, the development will allow the reserve to be used by more people more often.  Marchmont can bring the community together and it will be a welcome boost to our local businesses.”

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said Marchmont Reserve has a proud history of hosting event at Yass. 

“Generations of families have visited the racecourse and these upgrades will ensure many more generations can enjoy this local treasure,” Mr Kamper said.

“The NSW Government’s statewide investments in maintaining and improving Crown reserves help ensure they can continue to serve their communities for many years to come, while building strong and more resilient communities.”