The beginnings of Randwick Racecourse go back to 1833 when Governor Richard Bourke announced the land to be used as a racecourse. Before that time, horses would race in the area now known as Hyde Park. In the 1840s, the Australian Jockey Club (the A. J. C.) was formed and it made its headquarters at the recently unused Randwick course and racing was re-established in May 1860. A Grandstand was constructed before the first Race Day. In February 1992, Queen Elizabeth II (a dedicated racehorse owner and a good rider herself) gave permission for the racecourse to be known as Royal Randwick.
During the 1860's, as the telegraph facilities became more wide spread, an increasing number of race meetings throughout NSW had their race results telegraphed (generally by the Press) soon after an event. For the larger meetings, as expected, form and condition of horses were also the subjects transmitted by "the electric wire".
An announcement of good things to come was made in The Empire and various other outlets of 21 October 1869:
"Yesterday Messrs. Buchan Thomson (Secretary), Thompson, W. Hill and other gentlemen of the A. J. C., waited upon the Postmaster-General as a deputation to request that the electric telegraph wire might be extended to the Randwick course and that arrangements might be made for transmitting messages upon the occasion of race meetings. The deputation was very courteously received by Mr. Egan, who stated that the Government would extend the convenience required, provided the gentlemen of the race committee would guarantee the interest upon the expense of doing so. The deputation at once agreed to this and the matter was concluded".
Very soon after, The Bell's Life in Sydney of 1 January 1870 reported on the development of the construction of the first telegraph line to Randwick Racecourse:
"The members of Tattersall's Club have held meetings every evening during the past week in the Long Room and speculation has been uncommonly brisk on the forth coming meeting. Everything bids us hope that Randwick will be largely attended.
Whilst proceeding along Randwick Road the other evening, we notice that the telegraph line, which is to connect the course with the telegraphic department in Sydney, was nearly completed. Were the Tattersall's Meeting to take place a week hence, everything could be got into working order by that time. The "line" will be very useful indeed at the Metropolitan meeting's and we congratulate the Jockey Club on their energy in having it completed in so short a time. The course is in excellent order, save that it is perhaps in some places a little harder than is pleasant for those whose poor feet want repairing.
Those who honour Randwick with their patronage may feel assured that they will spend a really enjoyable day".
It is difficult to obtain much information about the introduction of the telegraph at the Race Course. The Australian Town and Country Journal of 30 April 1870 did however include the following:
"The Jockey Club are continually making some improvements and among those of the present are noticeable the telegraph wire, by which the result of each race is at once sent into town".
In 1875, the A.J.C. completed the significant task of remodelling the original Grandstand at Randwick Racecourse - see elsewhere for more details. Many changes were made. The Evening News of 6 December 1875 especially noted:
"we are sure when it is finished, that those who have been in the habit of sitting in the old one, will not know themselves when seated in the new one. The stand itself will be 201 feet in length, and there is to be a spacious promenade or lawn in front for the ladies, so that the fair sex shall no longer be able to say that they have been neglected. There is also to be a weighing room for the jockeys, about 15 yards from the north end of the stand so that, when they have finished weighing, they have only to pop out on to a small stand that will be erected purposely for them, and see all that is going on, and this is one thing that has long been wanting. We of the Press will no longer have to encounter any difficulty in our line of business, more especially in forwarding telegrams for, at the end of a spacious press room, which we are to be privileged with, is the telegraph office, and all one will have to do is to fill a telegraph form in and hand it through a private window, made expressly for the members of the fourth -estate; and this is another thing that has long been needed".
The Telegraph Office was later shifted from the ground floor to the paddock at the back and it was described as a very neat commodious wooden structure.