Latest news with #Dapto
ABC News
17-06-2025
- General
- ABC News
Oldest sweethearts Delma and Frank Murray celebrate 80 years of marriage
It's a love affair spanning eight decades. The story of Delma Joyce Earsman and Francis Joseph Murray, who met at a mutual friend's birthday party in Newcastle in 1939. On Monday, the pair celebrated their 80th wedding anniversary and were officially recognised as Australia's oldest living married couple by The Australian Book of Records. Frank, aged 101, said there was "no secret" to their long and happy marriage. "I don't know whether there's a secret to it at all, time just seems to go," he said. "We had plenty of time together with holidays all over the place. You must get used to each other so that you don't worry about time." Delma, aged 100, offered some different advice. "It's a lot of tolerance," she said. "You've got to persevere and listen to one another." Delma says she remembers vividly meeting Frank at a Newcastle dance hall 86 years ago. "He was called over to come and sit with the rest of us, as he was the new man on the block," she said. The pair continued to get to know each other and 18 months later Frank "declared" Delma his girlfriend. Born in the 1920s, both witnessed The Great Depression and war. Delma can remember being on her balcony when more than 30 shells from a Japanese submarine rained down on Newcastle in June 1942. Frank joined the army during the Second World War. "We were down at Dapto doing our training. I used to get the train and get off at Waratah come and see Del have a couple of kisses on the lounge," he said. "Then I'd take her down to the end of the lane, give her a kiss at the gate and get the train back to Dapto. Frank was later sent overseas as part of the Sixth Australian Machine Gun Battalion stationed in Papua New Guinea. He is the only surviving member. He returned home in 1945 and married his sweetheart soon after. The couple were still living at home up until last year when Delma became unwell and had to be transferred to the hospital. "They said I was too sick to go home, so they put me here [an aged care home in Newcastle]," Delma said. "But Frank said he wouldn't come, he didn't want to go to a home." Frank lasted only a week at home without Delma before asking to join her at the aged care facility. Before the move, Frank remained fiercely independent, driving his car until he was 100. It has taken Frank some time to acclimatise to aged care, but he said picking up new hobbies had helped him settle in. "I'm in the process of being a little gardener. I'm going to grow some beans or peas or something," he said. "Del's in a wheelchair all the time, but I'm not. "I've got a bad leg, but I can get around so if I can find something to do, it'll be good. Staff and residents at the aged care facility celebrated on Monday to mark the couple's record milestone. Delma said she found it hard to believe they were the oldest married couple. "It's a bit hard for me to digest. I just can't believe that we would be the oldest married people," she said. The pair were joined by their two children Sandra and Joy, as well as their niece and granddaughter Sarah to celebrate the momentous occasion. Eighty years married and the pair are as smitten as ever.
ABC News
24-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Dapto Dogs to stop running after nearly 90 years as showground owners end lease
It is the end of an era for the iconic Dapto Dogs as the local show society prepares to wrap up racing at the venue by the end of June next year. Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) chief executive officer Steve Griffin said it was an unfortunate decision. "Very sad for the industry and for us. We are a little bit shocked and surprised. We had hoped that we were going to get a 20-year extension but the society has decided to go in another direction." GRNSW had been in negotiations Dapto Agricultural and Horticultural Society for some time over rent and facility upgrades, including relocating the kennel block to the western part of the precinct. Mr Griffin had visited the site just last week to inspect the proposed areas. The news was shared with GRNSW on Friday night. Racing started at the track on February 25, 1937. Mr Griffin said people will be "grieving for the loss of the icon from the sport". "Obviously there will be some people who will be hurting because this has been their home track for their lifetime and probably their forbearers before them. Close to 100 trainers trial their dogs at the track each week. Two full time and four part time staff will be offered opportunities at the Bulli and Nowra tracks. GRNSW has a parcel of land at nearby Bong Bong Road and will continue to explore opportunities — but it would involve significant work to determine if it would be suitable for a straight track. Shellharbour state MP Anna Watson said the decision was sad but she is glad it was not acrimonious. "It is a big parcel of land. It is community. It presents a great opportunity to see what comes from the Dapto Agricultural and Horticultural Society in the future," she said. Ms Watson said she looked forward to seeing how GRNSW progressed the Bong Bong Road site. The Dapto Agricultural and Horticultural Society has been contacted for comment.
Daily Telegraph
24-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Telegraph
Dapto Dogs: Greyhound racing to close in June 26
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Greyhound racing at the world famous Dapto Dogs will draw to a close by June next year at the latest, bringing an end to 88 years of history at the iconic racing venue. News Corp can reveal that the Dapto Agricultural and Horticultural Society (DAHS) advised Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) this week that advances for a new long-term lease to continue racing at the track, which first began in 1937, had been rejected. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The two sides had been locked in negotiations in recent months with GRNSW requesting a new 20-year lease which would provide the certainty needed to allow for significant – and much needed – investment in the venue. But in response to the proposal, the DAHS said a long-term commitment 'would severely limit the society's ability to adapt and deliver its evolving vision for the site' while adding that a 'shorter-term arrangement would impose constraints that restrict broader planning and limit future use of the precinct'. GRNSW has been conducting racing at Dapto since 2019 when the DAHS abruptly brought a halt to racing under its management, citing issues around club funding and race dates as reasoning for the decision. The closure of Dapto will draw to an end 88 years of racing history at the venue • 'Must be the J-Mac tax': Owner surprised by Doomben Cup plunge Since then, the industry's commercial arm has been leasing the track on a year-to-year basis to maintain a racing footprint in Dapto for the benefit of owners and trainers in the region. But the process has proved to be a costly exercise for a track that races just once a week and was last year relegated to Sky 2 broadcasts under a revamp of the racing schedule which saw Wentworth Park moved to prime time on Thursday night. The move resulted in Dapto, a one-time centrepiece of NSW greyhound racing, finding itself battling for relevance, with meetings comprised of predominantly lowly 297 metre events on the second-tier racing channel. In confirming news that racing will soon come to an end at Dapto, GRNSW CEO Steve Griffin said 'that while the decision is disappointing' there are 'exciting plans to modernise greyhound racing in the months and years ahead'. GRNSW CEO Steve Griffin Picture: Thomas Lisson 'GRNSW has been in consultation with the Society in recent months about the future of racing at the Dapto Showground and we held hopes that a long-term extension at the venue may be possible,' Griffin said. 'The Society informed us this week that greyhound racing did not align with their long-term goals at the site. 'We understand it was a commercial decision, but that doesn't soften the disappointment which will be felt right across the industry, particularly within the Illawarra. 'It may sound cliched, but the iconic Dapto Dogs is as Australian as meat pies and Holden cars, and whether you are a punter or not, you have heard of the name.' Mr Griffin also confirmed news that hopes of a Centre of Excellence being built at Dapto were slim but he hadn't ruled out the possibility of a straight track being brought to the region. In early 2023, GRNSW – under the direction of former CEO Rob Macaulay – announced amid much fanfare the purchase of a parcel of land on Bong Bong Rd at Dapto for $4 million. The land was to become the home of a new Centre of Excellence for the industry but zoning concerns and lack of clarity around funding for the project plagued the concept from the outset. The land purchased at Bong Bong Rd Dapto by Greyhound Racing NSW. It's understood GRNSW is currently exploring alternate options for the land, including the construction of a straight track, but a Centre of Excellence is no longer being considered. While the lease at Dapto expires in June 2026, it remains to be seen whether GRNSW considers an earlier exit given the track's fate is now sealed and the recently upgraded track at Nowra is being very well-supported. News of the demise of Dapto comes ahead of GRNSW this week launching its Track Optimisation Strategy in which stakeholders from across the industry will come together to discuss the NSW racetrack footprint for the future. Originally published as World famous Dapto Dogs to close next year, ending 88 years of racing at the historic venue
News.com.au
24-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
World famous Dapto Dogs to close next year, ending 88 years of racing at the historic venue
Greyhound racing at the world famous Dapto Dogs will draw to a close by June next year at the latest, bringing an end to 88 years of history at the iconic racing venue. News Corp can reveal that the Dapto Agricultural and Horticultural Society (DAHS) advised Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) this week that advances for a new long-term lease to continue racing at the track, which first began in 1937, had been rejected. The two sides had been locked in negotiations in recent months with GRNSW requesting a new 20-year lease which would provide the certainty needed to allow for significant – and much needed – investment in the venue. But in response to the proposal, the DAHS said a long-term commitment 'would severely limit the society's ability to adapt and deliver its evolving vision for the site' while adding that a 'shorter-term arrangement would impose constraints that restrict broader planning and limit future use of the precinct'. GRNSW has been conducting racing at Dapto since 2019 when the DAHS abruptly brought a halt to racing under its management, citing issues around club funding and race dates as reasoning for the decision. • 'Must be the J-Mac tax': Owner surprised by Doomben Cup plunge Since then, the industry's commercial arm has been leasing the track on a year-to-year basis to maintain a racing footprint in Dapto for the benefit of owners and trainers in the region. But the process has proved to be a costly exercise for a track that races just once a week and was last year relegated to Sky 2 broadcasts under a revamp of the racing schedule which saw Wentworth Park moved to prime time on Thursday night. The move resulted in Dapto, a one-time centrepiece of NSW greyhound racing, finding itself battling for relevance, with meetings comprised of predominantly lowly 297 metre events on the second-tier racing channel. In confirming news that racing will soon come to an end at Dapto, GRNSW CEO Steve Griffin said 'that while the decision is disappointing' there are 'exciting plans to modernise greyhound racing in the months and years ahead'. 'GRNSW has been in consultation with the Society in recent months about the future of racing at the Dapto Showground and we held hopes that a long-term extension at the venue may be possible,' Griffin said. 'The Society informed us this week that greyhound racing did not align with their long-term goals at the site. 'We understand it was a commercial decision, but that doesn't soften the disappointment which will be felt right across the industry, particularly within the Illawarra. 'It may sound cliched, but the iconic Dapto Dogs is as Australian as meat pies and Holden cars, and whether you are a punter or not, you have heard of the name.' Mr Griffin also confirmed news that hopes of a Centre of Excellence being built at Dapto were slim but he hadn't ruled out the possibility of a straight track being brought to the region. In early 2023, GRNSW – under the direction of former CEO Rob Macaulay – announced amid much fanfare the purchase of a parcel of land on Bong Bong Rd at Dapto for $4 million. The land was to become the home of a new Centre of Excellence for the industry but zoning concerns and lack of clarity around funding for the project plagued the concept from the outset. It's understood GRNSW is currently exploring alternate options for the land, including the construction of a straight track, but a Centre of Excellence is no longer being considered. While the lease at Dapto expires in June 2026, it remains to be seen whether GRNSW considers an earlier exit given the track's fate is now sealed and the recently upgraded track at Nowra is being very well-supported. News of the demise of Dapto comes ahead of GRNSW this week launching its Track Optimisation Strategy in which stakeholders from across the industry will come together to discuss the NSW racetrack footprint for the future.
