Not only was the Australian motor sport community deeply saddened by the death of F.A.O. “Tony” Gaze on July 29 at the age of 93, but also those around the world who remembered him fondly. The Earl of March said: “All of us at Goodwood are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of this legendary racing driver, aviator and one of the founding fathers of the Goodwood Motor Circuit. Tony Gaze had a considerable impact on my life and was, and will remain, a true hero.”
In a long life that was surely straight from the pages of Boys Own Annual Tony Gaze was fascinated by cars from a young age. Prior to the Second World War, Tony had his first taste of motor sport at Brooklands in his uncle’s English-bodied Hudson.
With the outbreak of war Tony joined the Royal Air Force and eventually rose to the rank of squadron leader, awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with two bars.
Later it was Gaze who suggested to Freddie March (the Earl of Richmond) that RAF Westhampnett—where he’d been based—would make an excellent motor racing circuit, and so Goodwood was born.
Tony returned to Australia in the late 1940s to race a pre-war Alta, but by the early ’50s he was driving an HWM-Alta and raced in the 1952 British, Belgian and German GPs, the first Australian to take part in any Grand Prix. He married Kay Wakefield in 1949.
During the mid-’50s Gaze joined with countrymen Tom Sulman, Dick Cobden, Les Cosh and David McKay to form the “Kangaroo Stable” to field a trio of Aston Martin DB3Ss in major European events. The 1955 Le Mans tragedy meant the “all-Australian” team didn’t achieve its potential.
Tony Gaze started to wind down his motor racing career in the late 1950s, but it wasn’t the end of his “derring do.” At the suggestion of Prince Bira, Tony took up gliding and went on to represent Australia in the 1960 World Championships.
After Kay’s death in 1976, Tony returned to Australia permanently and later married Diana Davison, widow of the Australian racing driver Lex Davison. In January 2006 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), in recognition of his outstanding achievements and service to the Commonwealth.
It was always a delight to see Tony and Diana attending historic motor sport events throughout the country. For me it was an absolute pleasure and privilege to interview Tony for the February 2005 issue of Vintage Racecar.
Sadly, Diana passed away in August 2012, and now Tony is gone. Australia has lost its first rung of motor sport royalty.
By Patrick Quinn
