May 13, 2020

The Australian Turf Club has joined in paying tribute to highly regarded racing journalist and editor Caryl Williamson, who passed away peacefully yesterday at home.

Ms Williamson, 67, was Turf Editor at Australian Associated Press for the past 25 years and remained one of the few women in mainstream media still reporting daily on thoroughbred racing anywhere in the world.

Born in New Zealand, she started at Australian Associated Press as a casual copy-taker in 1984 and entered journalism when she contributed to AAP’s annual Class Racehorses book in the late 1980s.

Ms Williamson not only went on to cover every Sydney Autumn and Spring racing carnival since the early 1990s but also more than 20 Melbourne Cups, and was a regular face at Australian Turf Club meetings in Sydney for more than 30 years.

The Australian Turf Club will name a race in Caryl Williamson’s honour at next Wednesday’s 20 May meeting at Royal Randwick.

Australian Turf Club Chief Executive Jamie Barkley said the racing and media industry were honoured to have a woman of Caryl’s professionalism and respect to cover racing.

“Caryl was without doubt one of the best and most respected people in the racing press rooms for several decades,” Mr Barkley said.

“We join the entire industry in offering our deepest sympathies to her family and many colleagues who have been deeply saddened by her passing.

“Caryl will not only be forever remembered for a highly distinguished career but also for her wonderful wit and personality around her colleagues and racing participants.”