New Zealand was a regular fixture on the World Rally Championship calendar many years before Australia, despite previous efforts across the Tasman it didn’t work out until Perth.
Talks of Australia joining the WRC calendar had been in plans for some time with events such as the Southern Cross and Alpine Rallies being run as candidates to host, but these did not come to fruition.
Beginning in 1988 as part of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship, the Perth events successful running paved the way for the world’s best to tackle the unique ball bearing-like surface Australia became famous for.
Based in Langley Park for much of its life, Rally Australia just like the Adelaide Grand Prix had done revolutionised how world class events were run.
This included the use of Super Special stages at Langley Park close to the Perth CBD where huge crowds were attracted to watch the world’s best drivers battle in a side-by-side contest.
Another famous segment of the rally was the Bunnings Jumps, which Colin McRae spectacularly took on in 1997 and the flooding of river at the base the previous year.
Generally hosting the penultimate round of the WRC season, Rally Australia was held in Perth until 2006.
It proved popular with fans, the WRC circus, officials and the West Australian Government alike, with legend Juha Kankkunen clocking up four victories all in the infancy of the event.
After New South Wales hosted Rally Australia on alternative seasons to the New Zealand equivalent from 2009 to 2019, though the final event was cancelled de to bushfires in the area.
There has been no inclination of WRC coming back, but here at the Repco Garage it would be welcomed.