Australia Claremont Serial Killer, 1996 - 1997, Perth, Western Australia - #21

[KrissyJ]

I found this interesting
https://theconversation.com/before-you-write-that-scathing-online-review-beware-of-defamation-92595

Thanks PD

File for later.
https://twitter.com/PiddingtonSoc/status/842320337626787840

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[KrissyJ]

What is a speedcar Pete?

I think most other speedways at the time, we're during the day, due to lack of lighting.
Forrestfield speedway was on Saturdays I think. Most other metropolitan speedways like Orange Grove and Wattle Grove had shut down in the 70's. Ellenbrook is still going.
I remember it being a big thing when I was a kid. Seemed every other person had a racecar. There was a house down the road from my Nanna is East Cannington who had a race cars on trailers. I think his name was Panizza. My Venturers leader was a former Bunbury speedway driver. His son drove at Wattle Grove. His assistant was driving super mods, but had changed to rally driving.
Every time I caught train into town it passed Blake Gearboxes opposite Welshpool station, which had race cars being parked out the back. Apparently the Blake Brothers Allan and Barry, were big-time into race driving at Claremont, even 1 their kids, Brad. I think the other was Tim and he got into it too for a bit. I think it was Tim who was at my high school. Brad made a name for himself driving I believe. I wonder what happened to Tim though?

Through its history, Claremont was home to a number of Australia's best speedway riders and drivers, including Sig Schlam, Chum Taylor, Glyn Taylor, David Cheshire and Glenn Doyle (Solo's), Keith Mann, Johnny Fenton, Neville Lance, Tom Watson Sr and Michael Figliomeni (Speedcars), Dennis Nash, Ed Blakeney Sr, Rod Lang and Russell Mitchell (Sidecars), Noel Bradford, Alf Barbagallo and Bunbury's Ron Krikke (Sprintcars), and Allan Blake, Ben Ludlow, John Singleton, Bert Vosbergen and Craig Vosbergen (Sedans).

#dorothy

There is some earlier discussion on Kalgoorlie raceway etc here

https://www.websleuths.com/forums/s...th-Western-Australia-18&p=13751736&styleid=21

 

[KrissyJ]

Paid staff like bar staff might take off on the siren. The Speedway doesn't want to be paying them anymore than they have to.

The old, Im going to meet a girl at midnight. Speedway might have finished at 11pm. Some nights the speedway noise would waft kilometres.

Claremont residents want to sleep

How long does it take for car racing teams to pack up after the speedway, talk about the night with each other, friends, family and support crew, and leave?
I remember as a little kid going to the speedway with my uncle, and my aunty nagging him about leaving at 11:30pm, and we were only spectators.

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[KrissyJ]

The accused is a Telstra tech with highly mobile job and at the time not as much accountability. He was more than likely inside businesses everywhere. He was familiar with everywhere. Universities even.

He was used to speaking to business people and secretaries for that matter about telephones and PABX all the time.

He was Eddie Everywhere.

On a different note, knowing that certain girls would be visiting this area on certain days was high probability as many the same groups visited the same place. They were western suburb pubs, so people that lived in the area were in their pub.

Look at Ciara. Irish parents on St Patricks day celebrations. Almost a given she would be there seeing her parents lived down the road.

The idea that it was people just from the golden triangle of affluence is ill informed really as there were groups of people that police interviewed from inside the pub that were not from this area that frequented the pubs on a regular basis.

There was a big section of the community that visited on a regular basis, that they were not from the area. Police interviewed them.

Im sure most people that didn't go in groups wouldn't feel fitting in Freo either. Its a locals thing.

Don’t take this the wrong way, but the Speedway seems like a very likely way for a Gosnells bogan to familiarise himself with the Claremont area than him becoming part of the western suburbs social scene.

I say familiarise because from what we read the CSK appeared to be comfortable with the area, and if it is BRE, Claremont and Gosnells were polar opposites.

As someone who was around the same age as the missing girls but who grew up with and mostly socialised with others from a low socio-economic area south east of the river, for me frequenting Claremont was as foreign to me as visiting a different country, and on the rare occasions I did, it was with people I didn’t know well but who had at least one connection in that area and every time I felt exceptionally out of place.

I didn’t belong, I wasn’t part of that western suburbs set, I didn’t have a private school education or nice car, none of my family went to uni etc. in fact, I remember being stopped an RBT near UWA one night around the mid-90s and the cop looked at my licence and said words to the effect of, what are YOU doing HERE? You’re a long way from home. I wasn’t really ( certainly not as far as Gosnells) but I was from a very ‘different’ area.

As someone from Gosnells, to go to one of those pubs, even as a bloke on your own, would have been very odd. Why would you go there? (Well, we know why he might have, but yeah).

Even just a couple of weeks ago a friend asked if I wanted to check out the Claremont Quarter, a relatively newish, very upmarket shopping development.

Now I’m grown up with a job and a degree and a house and I immediately found myself laughing off her suggestion that we go there (esp after she told me we couldn’t just wear tracksuit pants, that everyone there had had plastic surgery and wore designer clothes to do their shopping) and I was like “no, no, I’m not worthy! Can’t go there! Belmont Forum for me methinks!”

The point of this is the speedway suggestion seems to be an excellent possible factor. Gosh, they even moved the speedway cos Claremont people didn’t want it there anymore lol can’t have that dirty noisy place in OUR neighbourhood!

 

[Guccigal]

Hey all

Long term snooty Claremont resident here..😂

They’re a mixed bag here, all sorts really like anywhere else! Let’s of people rent too to get into the area and local schools so not all multi millionaires ( tho yes there are some and with lots of plastic surgery ) but a different age demographic to me so not fussed really.

Anyhow I digress.. I never went to the. Speedway back in the day, it was bloody noisy and not my thing. BUT I have been to the new one (Kwinana) since my boys were of an age that liked fast noisy cars. It’s a coincidence that JR’S body was found on the road that leads to the now Kwinana motorplex which opened after Claremont closed in 2000. The interesting thing is, do you think BRE continued to go to the motorplex when in Kwinana after 2000, if so the people there come and take phtotos of groups of spectators in the stands. It’s all over their Facebook page.. I wonder if his face pops up in any of them? Just a thought...

 

[KrissyJ]

Fremantle had quite revamp around 1985-1986 in preparation of the Americas cup 1986-1987

 

[KrissyJ]

I'm just shocked at all the comments of this place being safe suburbs around the internet.

https://thewest.com.au/news/austral...aks-silence-on-mallard-injustice-ng-ya-197224

https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/cr...murder-mystery-that-shook-perth-ng-b88699046z

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Edgar_Cooke

https://www.scribblemaps.com/maps/view/Claremont_Attacks/JYm3Rct01U

The large volume of flats and Homeswest meant it was not really a safe suburb. There had been a few murders prior. Things were far from safe.

Major drugs areas plagued the area with few friends of ours picking up heroin habits that lived in the area.

The only houses which were more luxury were those on the river. Come back a kilometre and it was a different place.

All the prior crimes in the area were indicative it was not safe. Cooke wasn't that long ago when Cutler went missing.

Many these suburbs still had working class people "at the time" who had lived there generations.

Hey all

Long term snooty Claremont resident here..

They’re a mixed bag here, all sorts really like anywhere else! Let’s of people rent too to get into the area and local schools so not all multi millionaires ( tho yes there are some and with lots of plastic surgery ) but a different age demographic to me so not fussed really.

Anyhow I digress.. I never went to the. Speedway back in the day, it was bloody noisy and not my thing. BUT I have been to the new one (Kwinana) since my boys were of an age that liked fast noisy cars. It’s a coincidence that JR’S body was found on the road that leads to the now Kwinana motorplex which opened after Claremont closed in 2000. The interesting thing is, do you think BRE continued to go to the motorplex when in Kwinana after 2000, if so the people there come and take phtotos of groups of spectators in the stands. It’s all over their Facebook page.. I wonder if his face pops up in any of them? Just a thought...

 

[KrissyJ]

It should be noted for overseas people, Claremont was primarily the Agricultural 'Royal' showgrounds. The Claremont Speedway was a fit in later, paying the bills in between other events. Its circuit was a given for speedway.

The Speedway was quite central drawing a crowd from a wider area.

The Royal show is all about wool, farming and tractors, carnival goers.

I think the showgrounds are owned by Wesfarmers, not sure.

I wont be surprised that Mystery Man was in catering or bar staff in 1996 and earlier.

Hey all
Long term snooty Claremont resident here..
They’re a mixed bag here, all sorts really like anywhere else! Let’s of people rent too to get into the area and local schools so not all multi millionaires ( tho yes there are some and with lots of plastic surgery ) but a different age demographic to me so not fussed really.
Anyhow I digress.. I never went to the. Speedway back in the day, it was bloody noisy and not my thing. BUT I have been to the new one (Kwinana) since my boys were of an age that liked fast noisy cars. It’s a coincidence that JR’S body was found on the road that leads to the now Kwinana motorplex which opened after Claremont closed in 2000. The interesting thing is, do you think BRE continued to go to the motorplex when in Kwinana after 2000, if so the people there come and take phtotos of groups of spectators in the stands. It’s all over their Facebook page.. I wonder if his face pops up in any of them? Just a thought...

The Claremont Showground near Perth, Western Australia is home to the annual Perth Royal Show. In 1902, 32 acres of land were reserved in the Perth suburb of Claremont for new showgrounds to replace the Guildford Showgrounds. The Royal Agricultural Show, of three days, was first held there in October and November 1905.[SUP][4]

In 1929 a pavilion and other features were built for the Western Australia Centenary.[SUP][5][/SUP][SUP]

[/SUP][/SUP]From 1927 until 2000, the 586 metres (641 yards) Claremont Speedway operated on a track around the edge of the arena. Its size saw it the largest speedway in weekly operation in a state capital in Australia.[SUP][8][/SUP]
With the closure of Claremont, speedway in Perth moved to the 500 metres (550 yards) Perth Motorplex Speedway in Kwinana Beach.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claremont_Showground

[SUP][SUP]

[/SUP]
[/SUP]

 

[petedavo.au]

SNIP
What is a speedcar Pete? /SNIP
[/url]

Here is a video of super sedan class of racecars.
https://youtu.be/ltslVivCaV8
Here is a video of Sprintcar class of racecars.
https://youtu.be/OFigKml5rB4Videos above are from 1996 at Claremont Speedway.

A picture of a Modified Sedan.

A picture of a Super Sedan.

TRIVA>
Here's a story about an old production class racecar that's been restored
https://www.streetmachine.com.au/features/1705/ex-speedway-1965-mustang-fastback

Bright Shine Wreckers and Blake Gearboxes weren't very far from each other in Welshpool. Blake Gearboxes was on the corner of Welshpool Rd and Railway Parade, but had to go when Welshpool Rd was to be widened. You could see the racecars from the train. Bright Shine wreckers was up further along Welshpool Rd passed the corner of Leach Highway.

There was a time when the cops came down to Claremont to get pictures of the drivers on the breathalyzer, when random breath testing legislation was trying to be passed through WA Parliament. I think it was to show that even speedway stars don't mind being breath tested.

I think this is Barry Blake.
/TRIVIA
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[Canning Vale]

With regard to the accused socializing within the Claremont area. He possibly wasn’t game enough to socialize closer to home, within the south eastern suburbs or Perth – what if someone recognized him – just my opinion though.

Anyone, who dresses suitably is permitted to enter the hotels in Claremont.

After attending the speedway, he’d need to choose the right venue afterwards for a drink, because he would have been dressed in casual clothing, which wasn’t suitable dress-code for the night-clubs. Or perhaps he took a change of clothes.

For those that aren’t local to Perth; Gosnells and Huntingdale are more mainstream suburbs. Gosnells was established circa 1950s and Huntingdale the 1970s. It’s more working class - not considered low-socio economic. Also, the E family owned acreage in Huntingdale which was considerably valuable – they certainly weren’t down and out.

The E father had a good job – BRE and siblings possibly had better things than their peers.

In 1984 when my husband and I purchased our Huntingdale home, it was considered a really nice suburb, with fairly new houses.

 

[Pandit]

Hi Guccigal,

I've heard a few locals tell that Pipidinny Road near where Ciara was found, was well known for illegal street drags. Looked at Woolcoot Road near Jane and there's quite a bit of rubber on the road but of course that's now. Had you heard anything about illegal street drags in Wellard back then?

Thanks

Hey all

Long term snooty Claremont resident here..

They’re a mixed bag here, all sorts really like anywhere else! Let’s of people rent too to get into the area and local schools so not all multi millionaires ( tho yes there are some and with lots of plastic surgery ) but a different age demographic to me so not fussed really.

Anyhow I digress.. I never went to the. Speedway back in the day, it was bloody noisy and not my thing. BUT I have been to the new one (Kwinana) since my boys were of an age that liked fast noisy cars. It’s a coincidence that JR’S body was found on the road that leads to the now Kwinana motorplex which opened after Claremont closed in 2000. The interesting thing is, do you think BRE continued to go to the motorplex when in Kwinana after 2000, if so the people there come and take phtotos of groups of spectators in the stands. It’s all over their Facebook page.. I wonder if his face pops up in any of them? Just a thought...

 

[lampformypath]

Hi again to all,

I know this has been discussed before but just putting it out there again as I've just found this article by Andrew Clennell about JR seen hitchhiking. What I found very compelling is that the people in the car gave a correct description of JR and of what she was wearing BEFORE it appeared in the press? I've put a link to Crabstick post but note that the image of the article has been removed? Here it is again with the description from Crabstick's post as to MSM source. We have talked about this I know, but maybe her drink was spiked and she "appeared" to be drunk (as she certainly didn't look drunk in the video of the last time she was seen).

Apologise for the blurry image, all I could find on the net.

Here's Crabstick's post: #145

https://www.websleuths.com/forums/s...Media-Timelines-Photos-*NO-DISCUSSION*/page10

MSM information from that post:
Title: We Saw Jane Rimmer Hitchhiking - Student
Author:Andrew Clennell
Date: 19 June 1996
Publisher: Community Times, News Chronical, Nedlands Edition.

 

[petedavo.au]

I think most other speedways at the time, we're during the day, due to lack of lighting.
Forrestfield speedway was on Saturdays I think. Most other metropolitan speedways like Orange Grove and Wattle Grove had shut down in the 70's. Ellenbrook is still going.
I remember it being a big thing when I was a kid. Seemed every other person had a racecar. There was a house down the road from my Nanna is East Cannington who had a race cars on trailers. I think his name was Panizza. My Venturers leader was a former Bunbury speedway driver. His son drove at Wattle Grove. His assistant was driving super mods, but had changed to rally driving.
Every time I caught train into town it passed Blake Gearboxes opposite Welshpool station, which had race cars being parked out the back. Apparently the Blake Brothers Allan and Barry, were big-time into race driving at Claremont, even 1 their kids, Brad. I think the other was Tim and he got into it too for a bit. I think it was Tim who was at my high school. Brad made a name for himself driving I believe. I wonder what happened to Tim though?


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Oh, I just found Tim.
Seems like his dad must of moved to Bunbury after Blake Gearboxes closed up shop.

http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5ab30f241cd12/Third-Round.pdf

Looks like Tim stayed on in Perth.
https://www.facebook.com/tim.blake.982

Little Athletics, hey what? Wonder if he ever met the accused?
Sports coach at Iona, what the hey?
OK, this is out there with the weird stuff, of spooky coincidences.

Think I'll leave this alone.

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[El Gordo]

Sometimes I cannot understand why some of the stuff is written in these forums

Eric Cooke was executed in 1964 ... Julie Cutler went missing in 1988 ... I would not call that close to her disappearance


Homewest being in an area is irrelevant to this case , the suspect and victims were not homeswest residents to my knowledge

Drug use is a problem in all areas , it is the access or lack of that causes problems with drugs

I have worked in antique restoration in the past and been in many Claremont homes that were not on the river , I would not describe them as working class ... but I have not been in every home in Claremont

As for people living in fear , the venues were still crowded , that rules that out

On the Homeswest issue ..Scarborough was built as a Homeswest suburb for the returned soldiers of the Korean war ... did that stop anyone going to the beach

 

[Guccigal]

Hi again to all,

I know this has been discussed before but just putting it out there again as I've just found this article by Andrew Clennell about JR seen hitchhiking. What I found very compelling is that the people in the car gave a correct description of JR and of what she was wearing BEFORE it appeared in the press? I've put a link to Crabstick post but note that the image of the article has been removed? Here it is again with the description from Crabstick's post as to MSM source. We have talked about this I know, but maybe her drink was spiked and she "appeared" to be drunk (as she certainly didn't look drunk in the video of the last time she was seen).

Apologise for the blurry image, all I could find on the net.

Here's Crabstick's post: #145

https://www.websleuths.com/forums/s...Media-Timelines-Photos-*NO-DISCUSSION*/page10

MSM information from that post:
Title: We Saw Jane Rimmer Hitchhiking - Student
Author:Andrew Clennell
Date: 19 June 1996
Publisher: Community Times, News Chronical, Nedlands Edition.

The time frame of this sighting seems to fit. She obviously just started walking down Stirling hwy highway, it would take around 20’mins to casually walk that distance to corner of Stirling hwy and loch steeet if she left at 12:05 ish. It fits my theory of her just walking off from her lamp post position outside the conti, she was on the wrong side for the taxi pick up stand and we didn’t see any part of a vehicle in the images if it picked her up outside the conti hotel. was this sighting given little credibility?

 

[Annalise]

Oh, I just found Tim.
Seems like his dad must of moved to Bunbury after Blake Gearboxes closed up shop.

http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5ab30f241cd12/Third-Round.pdf

Looks like Tim stayed on in Perth.
https://www.facebook.com/tim.blake.982

Little Athletics, hey what? Wonder if he ever met the accused?
Sports coach at Iona, what the hey?
OK, this is out there with the weird stuff, of spooky coincidences.

Think I'll leave this alone.

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Hi Petedavo - this information puts a connection between Iona College, Little Athletics and the Speedway. How strange. I can see why you would want to leave this one alone 😆lol MOO

 

[lampformypath]

The time frame of this sighting seems to fit. She obviously just started walking down Stirling hwy highway, it would take around 20’mins to casually walk that distance to corner of Stirling hwy and loch steeet if she left at 12:05 ish. It fits my theory of her just walking off from her lamp post position outside the conti, she was on the wrong side for the taxi pick up stand and we didn’t see any part of a vehicle in the images if it picked her up outside the conti hotel. was this sighting given little credibility?

I can't answer as to whether it was given credibility, but it was credible enough for a journalist to publish it, and the witness was willing to be named in the press. The journalist in question seems quite respected in the industry (of course he'd have been a much younger journo when he wrote that report!) I just put it up again to add to the mix as the knowing what she was wearing and being prepared to go the police with that information seemed to lend this report some weight? And I agree, the time frame seems to fit and puts her out in the "prowling" area of the CSK.

Andrew Clennell:
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/Andrew+Clennell

 

[petedavo.au]

Hi Petedavo - this information puts a connection between Iona College and Little Athletics. How strange. I can see why you would want to leave this one alone [emoji38]lol MOO

And Claremont speedway.

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[Annalise]

And Claremont speedway.

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Sorry Petedavo I just corrected that.MOO

 

[KrissyJ]

Claremont hotel was a pub. As long as you had a pair jeans and closed footwear.

Club Bayview was different, but Cottesloe or OBH people wore boardshorts.

Club Bay View was about the only immediate area night club. The rest were casual pubs. IMO.

@CanningVale Would that be the land that is now developed? His parents are probably minted now,

IMHO, Mystery man looks like he just got changed, or had formal catering white **** black pants and pulled the shirt out as far as he could. His collar couldn't get any wider if he wanted it to.

With regard to the accused socializing within the Claremont area. He possibly wasn’t game enough to socialize closer to home, within the south eastern suburbs or Perth – what if someone recognized him – just my opinion though.

Anyone, who dresses suitably is permitted to enter the hotels in Claremont.

After attending the speedway, he’d need to choose the right venue afterwards for a drink, because he would have been dressed in casual clothing, which wasn’t suitable dress-code for the night-clubs. Or perhaps he took a change of clothes.

For those that aren’t local to Perth; Gosnells and Huntingdale are more mainstream suburbs. Gosnells was established circa 1950s and Huntingdale the 1970s. It’s more working class - not considered low-socio economic. Also, the E family owned acreage in Huntingdale which was considerably valuable – they certainly weren’t down and out.

The E father had a good job – BRE and siblings possibly had better things than their peers.

In 1984 when my husband and I purchased our Huntingdale home, it was considered a really nice suburb, with fairly new houses.