My grandfather, J.R. Crooke, as a lad, acted as guide to horse dealers on their journeys through Victoria in their way to sell their goods to settlers. As payment for his goods he was allowed to select a horse for himself. Thus a grey, which was named Saladin, became his property, and was to win the Australian Cup (at that time to be run over 3 miles). They had to run the race three times (a total distance of 9 miles in one day) as the first two races were declared dead-heats. The third time Saladin defeated the Flying Dutchman to win the race. Another champion owned by J.R.C. was Aspen, which won the two Newmarket Handicaps. The horse gave its name to Aspendale and also to the racecourse (owned by J.R.C.), which was closed by the government in the 1930's.
His son James my husbands grandfather when an adult bought land in Aspendale Victoria & built a racecourse for horse racing & had quite a large income. He married Anne Dunphy & they had 2 children Ray's father James & his younger brother Herbert.
Apparently Anne Dunphy was a good swimmer, Aspendale being at the beach in Port Phillip Bay. While swimming one day she drowned. Ray's father was only 16 & his brother Herbert was only 12 years old. Their father then later married again Leura Burbank, & had 2 more children, Cyril and Marjorie. Ray's grandfather later on had his racecourse closed by the Conservative Menzies Govt. As the then Govt. said there were too many racecourses in Melbourne encouraging people to gamble. Several country race courses were closed then. Ray's grandfather's income was then stopped, although his grandfather still had plenty, but when the grandfather died his second wife & family collected the bulk of it.
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Their name was really Crook, but on Ray's grandfather marrying again, his second wife being a snob, thought Crook was too common so persuaded him to add an E onto it. My husband's birth certificate & his siters certificate are CROOK, all the other 3 are CROOKE
(continued in Robert James Crooke)
