Honouring the man behind Cannon Park

By Jordan Gerrans

Racegoers arriving at the Cairns leg of the 2026 Northern Queensland Winter Racing Carnival were given more than a day at the races - they were handed a glimpse into the region’s rich racing history.

The premier racing venue in Far North Queensland has long been regarded as Cannon Park, but many within the wider industry and community would have been in the dark about where the name hails from.

Following consultation between the Cairns Jockey Club, the Cairns Historical Society and the Cannon family, a memorial plaque was officially installed at the venue in the middle of last month to detail the extensive history of the site.

The Cannon family, led by the late William Cannon, donated the land to the racing industry in 1909.

William Cannon was an early pioneer, businessman and prominent identity in Cairns as well as in the Gordonvale region, which is just south of Cairns.

Local historian and Cannon family descendant David Cannon is thrilled to see his family’s significant contribution to Cairns and local horse racing finally recognised.

David is a great-nephew of William.

“I think he would have been blown away by it, really,” David Cannon said in regard to what William’s response would be if he were aware of the honour all these decades on.

“To have seen what he started and what it's turned into, he'd be very proud of what they've achieved here and the contribution to Cairns would be very important to him too.

“He and his two other brothers worked very hard to develop the area.

“They did that in many different areas, contributions to that. 

"So, for him to see this where it is, would be great.”

William Cannon had a close association with the industry, which led to the donation of the land.

“He had racehorses himself that he raced in Sydney and Brisbane, so he had a love for it,” David said.

The second iteration of the Cairns Super Carnival was held in recent weeks, with the Cairns Amateur Cup and Lightning Handicap held on August 22.

The Cairns Newmarket was held on August 28 before the Cairns Cup and Magic Millions Daintree Guineas on August 29.

The memorial plaque for the Cannon family was unveiled with a special ceremony at the track on August 16.

Upwards of 50 people attended the event, with people travelling from across Australia.

The track was officially branded as Cannon Park during the 1930s.

On the same program as the Cairns Newmarket, the CJC held the William Cannon Memorial Benchmark 70 Handicap, which was won by Lowlands from the Stephen Massingham stable and ridden by top hoop Ryan Wiggins.

The Cannon family’s decision to donate the land provides the local industry with certainty and sustainability, CJC General Manager Sarah Campbell believes.

“I think that nod to history is really important and knowing where we came from and why we're here,” Campbell said.

“It's our home and we can make it what we will, we can maintain it and just make sure that we're ready for any event that Cairns may need to host.

“I think it's always important to give that nod back to history because we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the Cannon family and everything they did out of the goodness of their heart.

"I think it's really important and for generations to realise that what Cannon Park actually means.

“You never know, there may not even be a club if we didn't have this land because this club is so close to the city and I think people do take that for granted.

“Having somewhere that is so convenient for patrons and we're right in the middle of the city, I think having this land is just so lucky that we've got such a great location.

“You have that familiarity and everyone calls it Cannon Park, which is fantastic. 

"It's an excellent branding exercise and it's still carried on so we're very grateful to the family for giving us this opportunity.”

David Cannon approached Cairns Historical Society President Dr Clive Skarott AM, which put the wheels in motion for the plaque to be erected.

In 2026, Cairns is marking an extraordinary milestone, 150 years since its official founding in 1876.

Dr Skarott said it made sense to honour a family that gave so much to the region during the special anniversary year.

“Once this land was given and the Cairns Jockey Club had this land, racing in Cairns since then has been really successful,” Dr Skarott said.

“We've got really great facilities here and we'll continue to deliver racing for Cairns, but also racing for the people of Cairns.

“I know how important it is for people in the country to be able to go to race meetings and how race meetings should be run and won.

“I was really excited to be able to be part of this because the Cairns Jockey Club, to me, is a really important asset to the city of Cairns and to the people of Cairns in particular.

“It was really great that we took this opportunity to recognise the donation of this land by William Cannon, and consequently, the Cannon family and if you go back through the history of the Cairns Jockey Club, you'll see that there were Cannons on the various committees of the Cairns Jockey Club.”

David notes that William Cannon was a humble man and didn’t seek recognition for his efforts, but his descendants are glad to see him forever set in stone at the track.

“It's significant for me being into the history of Cairns and knowing the history of Cairns,” he said.

“William Cannon was from very humble backgrounds and he was a humble man.

“He never sought recognition or publicity and that's why this place wasn't named Cannon Park until 1934.

“It's good to see him recognised in some form. This is only a small part of his contribution to the Cairns community. He did so much else around the place.

“I think it was just the right thing to do to recognise the contribution the Cannon family has made to Cairns and particularly this racetrack.”