NEW INTERVIEW: WORKING CLASS CULTURE AND MECHANICAL HARE RACING IN SYDNEY - Max Solling speaks with Rex Walsh, 15/3/2015

Glebe Town Hall. This photograph is copyright Max Solling (used with permission).

Max Solling

WORKING CLASS CULTURE AND MECHANICAL HARE RACING IN SYDNEY

An Interview with historian and author Max Solling conducted by Rex Walsh

Max Solling is one of Australia’s leading urban and sports historians.

Born in Sydney, Max Solling has been a resident of Glebe since 1960. He was educated at Newington College (1955-1959) and the University of Sydney where he was awarded a University Sporting Blue in boxing and was Australian Universities boxing champion. In 1972 he completed his MA on the development of nineteenth-century Glebe and he was a founding editor of the Leichhardt Historical Journal. He is a qualified and practicing solicitor.

Publications

• Town and Country A Historical of the Manning Valley Halstead Press ISBN 9781920831561
• Grandeur and Grit: A History of Glebe (2007), Halstead Press, ISBN 1-920831-38-X
• The Boatshed on Blackwattle Bay (1993), Glebe Rowing Club, ISBN 0-646-14811-7
• Leichhardt: On the Margins of the City (1997) with Peter Reynolds, Allen & Unwin. (A social history of Leichhardt and the former municipalities of Annandale, Balmain and Glebe.)
• Contributor, Oxford Companion to Australian Sport
• Contributor, Oxford Companion to Australian Cricket

Awards

• Australian Sports Medal as a local sporting historian (2000) ^[3]
• Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the community, particularly through researching, recording and publishing the history of Glebe.

Max Solling is working on his latest book with a focus on: Working Class Culture and Mechanical Hare Racing in Sydney.  I spoke with Max regarding this latest project.

Rex Walsh: Max, what drew you to do a project on Mechanical Hare Racing?

Max Solling: It is closely connected to my passionate area of working class culture and this is why I decided to write my next book [on this topic]. Writing a history of mechanical hare racing is very much a cultural, social, economic and political enterprise. And it is closely connected with the circumstances and values of ordinary people during the inter-war years. The racing tracks were in inner city Sydney and offered a chance to win a wage from gambling and a night out for ordinary working class residents. These areas were occupied by residents, transients, boarding and lodging house populations. These years represented a time of militant trade union and working class mobilisation.

Working class men who breed greyhounds for racing were able to adopt an affordable hobby and way to earn a little more money.  Times were tough!

At the heart of the worker militancy and class consciousness lay a striving for order and predictability within a world that offered the working class very little. These activities helped to sustain close-knit communities amid the alienation of modern industrial society.

Mechanical Hare Racing represented an exciting and dramatic cheap form of entertainment that could easily be reached in the evening after work. “Going to the dogs” was distinctly working class. The high levels of unemployment (30 per cent in 1932) and a general fall in working hours only added to the popularity. The low and irregular wages of manual workers would ensure that people remained in their position in society.

The local rag, The Referee told readers that mechanical hare racing provides remarkable opportunities for small owners to achieve both fame and fortune on the track (4 March, 1931, p. 10). Greyhounds provided an opportunity for working class people to participate in a way that was not possible with other forms of racing such as horse racing. They could be breeders, owners, trainers and punters expressing their individuality and collective solidarity. Greyhounds became symbols of their owners' skill and ability and made those who raced and owned them sporting heroes.

[By Rex Walsh].

Rex Walsh

Rex Walsh Bio: 

Rex Walsh has qualifications in Business, Law and Education. He has been fortunate to work across many universities and has also taught in most units within his disciplines of Business and Law. He finds that this assists him greatly in his teaching of all units and in his ability to provide additional support to his students.

His particular areas of research interest involve ethics and contemporary issues in accounting particularly social and environmental reporting. He also works in industry and he is currently working for a community legal service and undertaking professional consultancy work.

As a very passionate teacher Rex Walsh has been fortunate enough to have his lecturing honored with several awards. He has been the recipient of the Curtin Excellence Award, CPA award, received several Commendations from Curtin for teaching excellence, and received commendations from Notre Dame University and nominations for excellence with CQU.

This photograph is copyrighted Max Solling (used with permission)

NEW INTERVIEW: My interview with Mark Whiting (East Fremantle supporter), 13/5/2015, by Kieran James

West Perth cheer squad at northern (city) end goals at Moss Street ground versus East Fremantle, 8 August 1981. Moss Street was always a hostile and intimidating place for away fans and West Perth fans put in a great effort to bring such numbers and passion to Moss Street this late in the 1981 season, a season when neither side made the final-four. The final score this day was: East Fremantle 21.17 (143) defeated West Perth 16.11 (107) and the attendance was 5,175 (source: WAFL Online). 

Kieran James: Thanks for agreeing to do this interview. I know you said to me modestly that "you are only a fan" but this is a website for the supporters and the view of a supporter is very important to us (although apparently not to the WAFL). First of all, can you tell me how you first became an East Fremantle supporter.

Mark Whiting ready for a beer

1) In 1992 I started following East Fremantle as my WAFL club for a few reasons. Main reason was the South African side of my family was mainly Natal Sharks (South African rugby) and that was the main sport I followed before Aussie Rules. East Fremantle also being nicknamed the Sharks and the closest ground I decided to have an interest in them.  However, it was only in 1997 that I decided to act on that interest and started attending matches and closely follow the Sharks.

KJ2: Do you also follow AFL and if yes do you have a favourite team?

2) Only a slight interest in the AFL.  I used to support Fremantle until they briefly aligned themselves with East Fremantle's port rival South Fremantle (around the turn of the millenium). I just couldn't support the Dockers at all, in fact gave away all my dockers gear. So I went looking for the club with the biggest East Freo contingent which at the time happened to be Hawthorn (6 players - Michael Collica, Craig Trelevan, Jonathon Hay, Brendan Krummel, Daniel Chick, Luke McPharlin,  plus the coach, Ken Judge). Remained Hawthorn ever since.

But my interest is only slight. WAFL has the true football feel. You feel like a part of a club, not just another bum on the seat. Go onto the ground at the breaks. No glorified prima donnas, just rough, old style football. And it's cheaper too.

KJ3: The East Fremantle culture of success (and gentlemanly success without rule-bending or excessive violence behind the play) has been an amazing constant factor for the past 100 years and it is remarkable how it still gets instilled in people in these days of the WAFL as a nursery for young players. Growing up in East Fremantle territory in the 1970s we were only too aware of the aura and power that surrounded the club. Even supporters of other clubs gave unconditional respect. In Jack Lee's East Fremantle history book years such as 1975 (when the club finished fifth) were regarded as terrible failures whereas at West Perth fifth spot was not seen as a disgrace or a catastrophe. What are your comments about this?

3) That statement is very true. I believe that amongst fans, officials, and players brought up in the district generally have the notion ingrained that anything less than finals is disappointing for the club. That and the huge investment of time and money put into East Fremantle's football district.

KJ4: What do you think of the move to return to the vertical panels or strips jersey similar to that worn in the 1977 and 1979 Grand Finals? It is now slightly confusing for outsiders at least as to whether the vertical or the horizontal stripes should be seen as the "classic" or "traditional" strip.

4) Going back to the three vertical stripes was a brilliant move. It was originally only intended for a clash strip in the Foxtel Cup. However it proved extremely popular with the fans, so much so that some were forking out $200 to buy one.

I believe that reintroducing it has started some of the younger fans into looking at the history of the club which is great as the more they read into the club's history the more passion they will feel for the club. In addition, the more of the younger generation passionately involved the more chance there is of long-term survival and not only that but the nostalgic feel for the older fans might rekindle some of their lost passion.

KJ5: What caused the current proposed move back to Fremantle Oval (a traditional home ground for Old Easts which is so traditional that no-one alive today can even remember them playing there)? I'm not an Old Easts supporter but I am a little worried that the literal fear that the Moss Street ground engendered in opposition players and fans will be lost. I always associate Moss Street with those bleak grey farm-style sheds at both ends of the ground, grey skies, cold and piercing ocean winds, and of course large defeats at the hands of the host club. What do you think of the move?

5) From what I hear both the City of Fremantle and the South Fremantle Football Club are both in favour of East Fremantle moving back. The City of Fremantle I believe is willing to invest money into the redevelopment of the oval and facilities should East Fremantle decide to move. At the moment there is a feasibility study being done and it should be out in May 2015. East Fremantle will look at it and then decide whether or not to progress. By progress meaning not accepting straight away, but looking further into it, possible vote on the matter, etc.

Personally, I am in favour of the move back to Fremantle Oval. Even though it will be sad to see us leave Moss Street, I believe there is not much of a future left there.

Scoreboard bank at Moss Street

Ground sharing will reduce maintainence costs, and I strongly believe the rivalry between the two port clubs will only get stronger.

Being in a busier area rather than stuck in the middle of an outer suburb will mean more exposure for East Fremantle to the general public, creating more interest and potentially better crowds and sales. Plus with the markets, pubs and restaurants nearby it will be more inviting for fans to attend the footy as a bigger day experience.

KJ6: Here is an important question which few people are asking. It is often said, usually cynically by AFL supporters online, that only the over-35s or over-40s are still passionate WAFL fans. How can we get more under-35s, such as yourself, to passionately support WAFL teams and regularly attend games?

6) I believe the key lies in the parents and other older family members of the under 35s telling them of who they barracked for in the WAFL, past WAFL memories, any family members playing for a team, showing any football memorabilia, but above all must show they have still have an interest in the WAFL and take the under 35s to games.

I am also a strong believer in leaving all public holidays for WAFL matches. That is no AFL matches in WA played on Good Friday, Anzac Day,  Foundation / WA Day. WAFL clubs have more to benefit from public holiday matches than either WA AFL club.

KJ7: What do you think explains East Fremantle's lack of success in the 21st century? Is it due to the suburban zone being trapped by South Fremantle in the south, Perth in the east, and the Swan River to the north plus an aging demographic in many areas in the East Fremantle zone? 

7) I believe it is partially to do with that reason. But as a whole, I am struggling to find an answer.

KJ8: Have you watched any of the premiership DVDs from the WAFL's Golden Era of the 1970s and 1980s?

8) No. I haven't watched any of the premiership DVDs. I might get around to it someday.

KJ9: What does the Fremantle Derby (the only real West Australian football derby) mean to you and to local supporters of both clubs? Accept no imitators.

9) The derby is always a big day for most. It is for most more than just a home and away game but also a chance to get one up on the old foe. The hatred between the two may have waned somewhat over the years but the importance of beating them still remains. It's the whole game day atmosphere of a derby that excites me, especially when it is in Fremantle with the pubs, restaurants, and surrounding streets flooded with people wearing their team colours.

KJ10: Have you got any comments about WAFL Golden Era website?

10) What I enjoy most about this page is that the information researched and topics discussed are unique. Chris Egan's article about the eastern suburbs and sport is a prime example.

KJ11: Thanks so much for the interview and your very insightful responses.

11) Thanks once again for the opportunity.

Another picture of West Perth cheer squad @ Moss Street northern end goals, 8 August 1981.

This picture shows supporters in the famous can bar at Lathlain Park during the last quarter of a Perth versus Swan Districts match, 2 July 2011. The fact that only the guy with the black hair and black-and-grey hoodie in the exact middle of this picture is probably an under-35 points to a problem with the demographic mix of WAFL supporters. What will happen to the WAFL in the future if it cannot attract the Under-35s to the grounds on a regular basis?