The Werribee Park Mansion stands as a grand monument to the Chirnside family’s extraordinary Victorian pastoral empire—a 250,000-acre legacy established by Scottish brothers Thomas and Andrew after their arrival in Australia in 1839.

While Andrew Chirnside’s influence on thoroughbred racing is legendary—founding the Wyndham Racing Club and securing victories in the Melbourne Cup (1874) and Geelong Gold Cup (1880)—the family’s sporting heritage extends far beyond the turf.

In 1991, Sally Chirnside made history as the first woman elected to the Victoria Racing Club committee, but she followed in the footsteps of another trailblazer: Andrew’s granddaughter, Audrey Chirnside.

Audrey was a pioneer in greyhound coursing, a passion inherited from her father, George and Uncle Robert, who famously imported the champion ‘Melfort’ (Bedfellow – Aunt Martha) from the United Kingdom to win the 1884 Waterloo Cup.

Operating her own racing kennel from the grounds of the Werribee mansion during the 1910s, Audrey defied the rigid social conventions of her era.

She was dedicated to refining local pedigrees through English bloodlines and saw immense success; in 1913, she claimed both the Victorian Derby and the Victoria Cup with her standout greyhound, Captain Wood (Full Captain – Goodwood Lass).

Her kennel was notable for its “regally bred” inhabitants, many of whom bore her initials, such as All Correct (Dashkora imp. – Lady Preston); Australian Cadet (King Comedy – Hillcaught Lioness imp.); and Akin Comedy (King Comedy – Hillcaught Lioness imp.).

Remarkably, the press of the era met Audrey’s success not with scepticism, but with genuine acclaim.

She was a young woman excelling in what was then strictly a man’s world, yet her triumphs were celebrated as a victory for the sport itself.

As P.F. Kelly noted in the Melbourne publication The Winner on May 26, 1915: ‘…All Correct, the winner, owned and trained by enthusiastic Lady Courser, Miss Audrey Chirnside—needless to say, the wins were popular.’

However, Audrey’s courage was not confined to the race track.

Following the outbreak of World War I, she transitioned from the sporting world to the front lines.

While travelling from Egypt to Europe, she became an ambulance driver, transporting wounded soldiers from the battlefield to hospitals.

Her service earned her widespread acclaim and the personal praise of Lord Kitchener.

Audrey Chirnside proved herself a pioneer of both early Victorian greyhound racing and the ambulance corps during The Great War, cementing a legacy of service and spirit.

On the 29th June, 1916, whilst in London, Audrey writes to the Australian magazine ‘Punch’ to inform her fellow ‘Australian Coursers’ about the greyhounds she has acquired in the United Kingdom, all the while working with the British Red Cross society.

In 1918, Audrey Chirnside married Lieut. Harold Pape, M C of the British Tank Corps, continuing her coursing interests and success whilst married in the United Kingdom. Remaining, a key point of contact for Australian courses looking to improve their greyhounds with foreign pedigrees.

This International Women’s Day, we remember Audrey not just as a member of a famous dynasty, but as a woman of singular vision and courage.

She remains a profound inspiration—proving that whether in the winner’s circle or on the front lines, a woman’s place is wherever she has the heart to lead.