Joan Richmond (1905–1999) was an Australian pioneer in motorsport who competed internationally in seven Monte Carlo rallies and two Le Mans 24 Hours races.
Joan Richmond was born in Cooma in 1905 and grew up in Victoria. She was educated at St Catherine’s, Toorak, leaving at the end of 1923.[1]
Racing careeredit
As a young woman she trained and rode her own racehorses. In 1932, however, Victoria banned women from being horse trainers,[2] which caused her to take up motor racing instead.[1] She had competed in car trials from 1926 onwards. In the 1931 Australian Grand Prix, held at Phillip Island, she finished fifth in a Riley Brooklands in the male-dominated field. After this success, she and two friends set out to drive three Riley Nine motorcars overland from Melbourne to Italy in order to compete in the Monte Carlo Rally. The trip took five months and is considered to be the very first international overland tour to have begun in Australia.[1][3][4]
Travelling to England she accepted the opportunity to compete with Elsie Wisdom in the two-day 1,000 mile race at Brooklands. They won in a Riley Nine, at 84.41mph, taking 12 hours 23 minutes and 53 seconds to complete the distance.[1][5][3]
In 1933 she bought a 1921 Ballot that had previously been raced by Malcolm Campbell,[6][7] but its age and poor reliability gave her little success.
In the 1930s she was co-driver with Bill Bilney, to whom she became engaged in 1937.[8] He was killed during a motor race at Donington Park in July 1937.[9] She gave up motor racing following the outbreak of World War II and remained in England, where she worked in a de Havilland aircraft factory.[1][8]
Later lifeedit
Richmond returned to Australia in 1946 and became an advocate for animal welfare.[1]
In 1989 she wrote the introduction to David G. Styles' The Sporting Rileys: The Forgotten Champions. The book included details of her overland journey in the 1930s.[10]
She died in 1999.
Legacyedit
Richmond gave her collection of trophies, cups, photographs, letters and diaries to David Price, a friend who hoped to produce a biography. Included were number-plates from the Monte Carlo rally. When Price was unable to attract a publisher, he sold the collection at auction in Melbourne in 2007.[8] His book, Joan Richmond: The Remarkable, Previously Untold Story from Melbourne to Monte Carlo and Beyond, compiled from his research and taped interviews with his subject, was finally published in 2011.[11][12]
The National Museum of Australia held an exhibition on Richmond in 2014[13] and holds the 1932 Brooklands 1000 Miles Race trophy awarded to Joan Richmond and Elsie Wisdom in its collections as well as a one-piece racing suit, a pair of driving goggles, her Monte Carlo Rally car number plates, personal journal, letters, photographs and newspaper clippings.[14][4]
Referencesedit
^ abcdef"Joan Richmond". St Catherines School. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
^"Ban on Women Trainers". Herald (Melbourne, Victoria 1861–1954). 16 July 1932. p. 6. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
^ ab"The fair sex should race – a defence". Motor Sport Magazine. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
^ abNational Museum of Australia. "National Museum of Australia - Joan Richmond collection". www.nma.gov.au. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
^"Joan Richmond". Motor Sport Magazine. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
^"Jack Dunfee". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
^"Road, Track and Factory". Referee. No. 2417. New South Wales, Australia. 20 July 1933. p. 22. Retrieved 28 June 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^ abcMeacham, Steve (11 August 2007). "Memories of an unstoppable force". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
^"Racing Car Driver Killed in Crash". Argus (Melbourne, Victoria, 1848–1957). 26 July 1937. p. 10. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
^"This sporting life of Riley". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926–1995). 13 October 1989. p. 20. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
^"Joan Richmond". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
^"The Royal Daimler Project". The Royal Daimler Project. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
^Australia, National Museum of (1 January 1932). "1932 Brooklands 1000 Miles Race trophy awarded to Joan Richmond and Elsie Wisdom". National Museum of Australia. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
October 27, 2023
joan, richmond, 1905, 1999, australian, pioneer, motorsport, competed, internationally, seven, monte, carlo, rallies, mans, hours, races, c1930, contents, early, life, education, racing, career, later, life, legacy, referencesearly, life, education, edit, born. Joan Richmond 1905 1999 was an Australian pioneer in motorsport who competed internationally in seven Monte Carlo rallies and two Le Mans 24 Hours races Joan Richmond c1930 Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Racing career 3 Later life 4 Legacy 5 ReferencesEarly life and education editJoan Richmond was born in Cooma in 1905 and grew up in Victoria She was educated at St Catherine s Toorak leaving at the end of 1923 1 Racing career editAs a young woman she trained and rode her own racehorses In 1932 however Victoria banned women from being horse trainers 2 which caused her to take up motor racing instead 1 She had competed in car trials from 1926 onwards In the 1931 Australian Grand Prix held at Phillip Island she finished fifth in a Riley Brooklands in the male dominated field After this success she and two friends set out to drive three Riley Nine motorcars overland from Melbourne to Italy in order to compete in the Monte Carlo Rally The trip took five months and is considered to be the very first international overland tour to have begun in Australia 1 3 4 Travelling to England she accepted the opportunity to compete with Elsie Wisdom in the two day 1 000 mile race at Brooklands They won in a Riley Nine at 84 41mph taking 12 hours 23 minutes and 53 seconds to complete the distance 1 5 3 In 1933 she bought a 1921 Ballot that had previously been raced by Malcolm Campbell 6 7 but its age and poor reliability gave her little success In the 1930s she was co driver with Bill Bilney to whom she became engaged in 1937 8 He was killed during a motor race at Donington Park in July 1937 9 She gave up motor racing following the outbreak of World War II and remained in England where she worked in a de Havilland aircraft factory 1 8 Later life editRichmond returned to Australia in 1946 and became an advocate for animal welfare 1 In 1989 she wrote the introduction to David G Styles The Sporting Rileys The Forgotten Champions The book included details of her overland journey in the 1930s 10 She died in 1999 Legacy editRichmond gave her collection of trophies cups photographs letters and diaries to David Price a friend who hoped to produce a biography Included were number plates from the Monte Carlo rally When Price was unable to attract a publisher he sold the collection at auction in Melbourne in 2007 8 His book Joan Richmond The Remarkable Previously Untold Story from Melbourne to Monte Carlo and Beyond compiled from his research and taped interviews with his subject was finally published in 2011 11 12 The National Museum of Australia held an exhibition on Richmond in 2014 13 and holds the 1932 Brooklands 1000 Miles Race trophy awarded to Joan Richmond and Elsie Wisdom in its collections as well as a one piece racing suit a pair of driving goggles her Monte Carlo Rally car number plates personal journal letters photographs and newspaper clippings 14 4 References edit a b c d e f Joan Richmond St Catherines School Retrieved 3 July 2020 Ban on Women Trainers Herald Melbourne Victoria 1861 1954 16 July 1932 p 6 Retrieved 3 July 2020 a b The fair sex should race a defence Motor Sport Magazine Retrieved 3 July 2020 a b National Museum of Australia National Museum of Australia Joan Richmond collection www nma gov au Retrieved 22 January 2021 Joan Richmond Motor Sport Magazine Retrieved 3 July 2020 Jack Dunfee Motorsport Memorial Retrieved 27 June 2023 Road Track and Factory Referee No 2417 New South Wales Australia 20 July 1933 p 22 Retrieved 28 June 2023 via National Library of Australia a b c Meacham Steve 11 August 2007 Memories of an unstoppable force The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 3 July 2020 Racing Car Driver Killed in Crash Argus Melbourne Victoria 1848 1957 26 July 1937 p 10 Retrieved 3 July 2020 This sporting life of Riley Canberra Times ACT 1926 1995 13 October 1989 p 20 Retrieved 18 July 2020 Joan Richmond Mooroolbark JR Publishing February 2011 ISBN 978 0 646 55251 4 OCLC 764866941 Joan Richmond www goodreads com Retrieved 3 July 2020 The Royal Daimler Project The Royal Daimler Project Retrieved 3 July 2020 Australia National Museum of 1 January 1932 1932 Brooklands 1000 Miles Race trophy awarded to Joan Richmond and Elsie Wisdom National Museum of Australia Retrieved 22 January 2021 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Joan Richmond amp oldid 1177377265, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
