Streaky Bay is a coastal resort town in South Australia which acts as a service centre to its surrounding areas and their respective communities. Streaky Bay is known for its multiple farming and fishing activities, as well as the Streaky Bay Cup horse racing event, which is held annually by the local Streaky Bay Racing Club at the Streaky Bay Racecourse on the Flinders Highway.
The town of Streaky Bay was originally named ‘Flinders’, but its name was changed to Streak Bay in 1940 in line with the locals’ preferred name, which came about due to the visible streaks in the ocean around the bay which are caused by reflections of the seaweed that grows there.
The History of Streaky Bay
The land on which Streaky Bay is built was first discovered in 1627 by Dutch explorer Peter Nuyts, who spotted the land from his ship, the Golden Zeepard. A monument of his discovery can be found on Bay Road in the town of Streaky Bay today. Many years later in 1802, the land was rediscovered by Captain Matthew Flinders, who named the land after himself.
In 1839, Edward John Eyre established a camp area known as “Cooeyanna”, or Eyre’s Waterhole, about 3 kilometres outside the Streaky Bay area. Eyre used this waterhole while on an expedition to the areas of Albany and Point Bell in Western Australia around the year 1840. This marked the start of the growth of the surrounding area, and Flinders, soon to be called Streaky Bay, aristocrat pokies soon became an established township due to farming activities and export of certain resources, especially oysters and other fare.
Streaky Bay Racing Club
Aside from a rich history and agricultural stronghold, Streaky Bay is home to the Streaky Bay Racing Club, who have a long and proud history of racing that extend over 100 years. The Streaky Bay Racing Club hosts just one large annual racing event, which takes place in March. The Streaky Bay Cup is a planned annual activity that generally spans across a full weekend, offering horse racing and many other family activities, as well as themed initiatives such as the Ladies Big Day Out initiative, launched in 2006 and promoted specifically to Streaky Bay’s female spectators.
Streaky Bay Cup 2015
During the 2015 Streaky Bay Cup, a Calcutta was held on the evening of the 12th of March at the Streaky Bay Hotel. The race gates opened the following morning at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday the 28th of March, offering a punters club, live betting opportunities and many other facilities.
Streaky Bay Cup Facilities and Features
The Streaky Bay Racing Club host this event in their newly refurbished Streaky Bay Racecourse buildings, complete with a variety of modern amenities for spectators and participants alike. During the Streaky Bay Cup, additional children’s entertainment is provided, and spectators can enjoy buffet lunches, food stalls, cash bars, entertainment and a Fashions on the Field extravaganza. A shuttle bus facility is also available, should Streaky Bay Cup attendants need to be transported.