Sea Lake Mallee RallyPrint Page

The Sea Lake Mallee Rally
The home of off road racing
Est. 1973

Year   Cars   Organising Club    Race Director 

[ Names ]

Frank Coad Our founder

The story of the track.

Frank Coad was the inaugural winner of the Phillip Island, Armstrong 500.  During a business trip in the early 70`s to visit a potential customer in the township of Sea Lake.  Whilst looking around "Lake Tyrell", an idea arose of the establishment of a motor race around the amazing lake, " off road endurance racing", a rather new type of racing for Australia.

Frank then approached his car club, the Light Car Club of Australia, Bendigo Branch, for the assistance in organiszing and to run this very large and new event.  After gaining the permission of the then Lands Dept, to use public land, also the consent of local land owners, and the support of the district`s people, the job was ahead of him.

The next almost overwhelming step was to establish a new and challenging track over virgin country.  Considering its terrain and beauty as his guide, after borrowing a tractor and other equipment the job was now on the go, setting out to circumnavigate the shores of "Lake Tyrell" the mammoth task took many months of backbreaking work.  Now ready to race as an event, consideration was then taken of when to hold the event.  Cropping and weather were the defining factors.  A long weekend and loyalty decided the day, the Queen`s Birthday long weekend June 1973...   On this day the first Sea Lake Mallee Desert Rally was held at "Lake Tyrell".

Our commitment as a club and township has always been to uphold the effort of Frank Coad and the institution that is the "Sea Lake Mallee Rally", and that it be held on the Queen`s Birthday long weekend as long as time permits.

Sea Lake Off Road Club Inc

Year   Cars   Organising Club    Race Director 

[ Names ]