Gems from Washington State

Frank Parriott, from Prosser, Washington State, USA, recently contacted us:

“While scanning pictures of my Father’s and Grandfather’s photographs I came across a few that were of Australians and taken in Australia. There are six or seven taken at Rowville and Windsor race tracks, Bert Martin’s 61” Harley Sidecar, and one of Rex Tilbrook, Frank Sinclair, Clarry Rial, and Fergus Anderson. There are no dates on any of them nor credit for who took them. I know that neither my father nor grandfather went to Australia and I don’t recognise any of the names. I did a search on Rex Tilbrook’s name and found your publication.”

What Frank uncovered is a collection of photos possibly taken by Clarrie Rial in the late 1940s. Clarrie and his business partner Rex Tingate operated a garage business on the Nepean Highway at Gardenvale, Melbourne and put together a number of racing outfits, the Clarex Specials. Their premises were the Melbourne base for visiting English racer Fergus

Anderson during his Australian tour of 1948/49 which was organised by Rex Tilbrook from Adelaide. There are also a number of photos of sidecar racer Bert Martin. Just how these photos ended up in

USA is anyone’s guess, but many thanks to Frank for sending them to share with our readers.