John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, could I have the indulgence of the House to say a few words about the tragic death last Friday of Peter Brock in Western Australia. Yesterday, on indulgence, the Leader of the Opposition and I had something to say about the terrible events of five years ago which claimed the lives of almost 3,000 people and began a war against terrorism which will go on for a long time. Today we take a moment to honour the remarkable sporting contribution of Peter Brock.

In a nation which reveres its talented sports men and women, the sport of motor racing has seen few to match—in the eyes of many—and none to surpass the contribution of Peter Brock. He died doing what he loved best. He will be remembered very warmly by those who follow that sport and millions of other Australians for his great skill and flair.

Born in 1945 in Melbourne, Peter Brock had motor racing in his blood from a very early age. He started with a homemade signature car, his two-door Austin A30 with a Holden engine. He dominated the sport for three decades. As has been widely reported in recent days, he won the Bathurst 1000 nine times, earning him the title of ‘King of the Mountain’. He won many other great events, including the Sandown endurance classic nine times, the Around Australia trial and three Australian touring car championships.

He retired from full-time V8 supercar racing in 1997 and established the Peter Brock Foundation. That has provided support to a wide range of community programs, particularly youth charities and road safety initiatives. He was awarded the Order of Australia in 1980. He was awarded an Australian Sports Medal in 2000 and a Centenary Medal in 2001 for outstanding service to the community through fundraising.

I am sure that many members on both sides of this House would have come into contact with Peter Brock over his long career because of the natural intersection at various events of people in politics and those in sport. He was a lively, entertaining, enthusiastic person. He gave an enormous amount back to the sport of motor racing. He gave an enormous amount to the many causes with which he was associated. But he will long be remembered by devotees of motor racing for the remarkable ease and grace with which he dominated that sport for such a long period of time.

On behalf of the government and, I know, all members of the House, I extend my sympathy to Peter’s family, his other loved ones, his friends and the Australian motor racing community, all of whom have lost an icon, all of whom have lost a great practitioner of that art.

See this speech in context