Apple Isle favourite Symmons Plains Tasmania
Upon the death of John Youl in 1827, his eldest son James inherited the property and successive members of the family have farmed and managed grazing on the estate until it was sold in 2011. Pastoralist Boyce Youl and his sons Gavin and John were all prominent in Tasmanian motor sport and key members of the Light Car Club of Tasmania. Both John and Gavin were talented drivers and Gavin competed successfully in open wheel racing in Australia and in Britain, where he was one of the first customers for the new M.R.D. (later Brabham) cars built by Jack Brabham and Ron Tauranac in London.
The club had promoted race meetings on airfield circuits such as nearby Quorn Hall and Valleyfield, as well as the once-a-year road circuit at Longford, just a few kilometres from the Youl property. However Longford was an expensive and difficult site for a race facility, with two river crossings and extensive road closures required for each meeting. Tasmania did have a permanent circuit, but this was Baskerville near Hobart which opened in February 1958. There had been club motor sport activity such as
