I found this newspaper article about my cousin Don Willison who was a speedway racer. This is a great find but I’m also looking for information about his death. My cousin Anne told me that he died in a crash, he was only 47. The information I have was that he lived in South Australia, died in Alice Springs and was cremated at Centennial Park in Adelaide, Sth Aust.
The hunt continues!
Looks like the National Library of Australia has a collection of cuttings about him! "Biographical cuttings on Don Willison, speedway racer"
http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2337991
The subject of the collection implies that he died in 1973 ("Willison, Don – d. 1973.").
Good hunting!
Oops – I don't know why that came out as anonymous! Sorry about that..
Chris
Also found this in a document about Vincent motorcycles:
http://www.eurobrit.com.au/images/black_lightning_2.doc
The ‘Don Willison Bike Very successfully campaigned in sidecar form for speedway work at Rowley Park South Aust. Won Aust. Sidecar Championship in 1959. Sth. Aust. Speedway Sidecar Champion 1954,53 &57.’Willo’ was Sth Aust Champion in numerous other events. Bike reputed Stolen in 70’s after ‘Willo’ was killed in a truck accident outside Alice Springs in 1973.
Very sad.
Thanks Chris that's really helpful!! I'll be asking a local library if they can get me the biographical cuttings from the National library also the other link you've posted gives me that bit more information about Don's death and his nickname which can be handy when searching too.
Regards Kylie
We have many connections to speedway where Don Willison raced
don willison lived in Darwin running willison transport hence death in truck accident .
as a 15yr old I was his yardy on Saturdays that’s how I got free pit pass to bagot pk speedway 1968 to1971. bruce Kelley would come to Darwin for work dons good friend. don would lend spare outfit to bruce only to get butt whipped by bruce at speedway..
Hi Trevor thanks for your message. I’ve done a lot more research into Don’s life since I wrote this post back in 2009. Last year I went to the Rowley Park reunion and met some of Don’s old mates. They were thrilled that there were people who still cared and wanted to know about their careers. Here is the post https://blog.kyliesgenes.com/2014/09/rowley-park-speedway-reunion-2014/
At 15 I’ll bet you enjoyed that!! What did the yardy job entail?
Best wishes, Kylie
Hi There,
I was thinking about the man that I call Uncle Don the other day and because of the wonderful powers of the net thought I’d try and find some info on him. I called him Uncle Don because from a young age he lived with my family in Albert Park where down in the shed he worked on his Vincent bike which he took myself and my older sister Julie on for rides up our road to the train line to check out how it was going. I have many stories about going to the Speedway (Rowely Park) every Friday night and also Mallala where I remember he took me around for his warmup on his Vincent 1000. I remember the day we heard he was killed in the truck accident, one of the saddest days of my life. He was an amazing man and even though I am getting older I still think of him often. How are you related to him??? Would love to chat more, let me know if you’d like to listen!!:))
Hi Robyn
Thanks for getting in touch. Don was my Dad’s cousin, although I never met him I am still very interested in hearing about him. My email is kira0030 at gmail.com if you would like to email me.
Kylie 🙂
Son was my mums cousin
Donn was my mums cousin
Hi Mark it’s good to hear from you. Have you read the other Willison and Scadden info on my blog? Your cousin, Kylie
Don was killed having hitched a ride with a semi to Adelaide to pick up another bike. He had been instrumental in getting sidecars up and running in the NT. A friend of my fathers and a hero of mine as a little tacker.
don died in his own truck that he was driving at the time
Hi Lee thanks for your comment. It’s sad to hear details of Don’s death but I also love hearing the stories and that people remember him well. Kylie