Maroubra Speedway was opened in 1925. It was a round 1mile concrete bowl circuit in South Maroubra built for motor racing. It’s name! Olympia Motor Speedway Nicknamed “killer track” a number of racing car drivers would die after flying over the top edge due to poor design. 5 were killed within the first 18 months of opening. Riddled with problems, local snakes would also cause a nuisance to motorists and spectators as they would bask in the sun on the track. The legendary speedster Reginald “Phil” Garlick could often be seen leading the pack on race days and smiling with trophies! Phil really was the Peter Brock of Maroubra. Phil did however die after going over the edge. Phil’s legend still lives on in historical speedway blogs on the internet. Phil is pictured accepting the ‘One lucky devil trophy’ which was the most prestigious Maroubra Speedway accolade of its day! By the 40’s the track was falling to bits as a result of a bad concrete mix done by the concreters and it’s flood prone location. So in 1947 they decided to knock it down and build roughly 1,100 housing commission homes which is more commonly referred to today as Lexo. The new area was given a park which was named after the recently fought The Battle Of The Coral Sea in WW2, with its surrounding streets being named after our Allied warships. Pictured is USS Lexington being blown up by the Japanese. Today, whilst no evidence of the former speedway remains, the area of South Maroubra is home to a variety of housing both public and private. And whilst Lexington Place has not provided a successful shopping strip, there is a thriving shopping village in South Maroubra where locals can safely pick up medicine, grab a chicken wrap or stock up on groceries! Stay tuned for more stories on the local area Billy Couldwell, your local specialist
