West Park Oval

West Park Oval and cycling track in Burnie on Tasmania’s North West Coast is a historic outdoor cycling venue wrapped around the West Park sporting oval on the edge of Bass Strait. The precinct is home to the City of Burnie Cycling Club and continues to be used for track racing, training and Burnie’s famous cycling carnivals, alongside football, cricket and athletics. Cycling has been part of West Park for more than a century. The Burnie Athletic Club added cycling to its carnival program in 1917, with the first Burnie Wheel raced on grass. By 1919 an asphalt cycling track had been constructed, establishing a track-racing tradition that continues today. The best-known event is the Burnie Wheel, traditionally held as part of Burnie’s summer carnival. One of the venue’s legendary moments came in 1977, when Tasmanian cycling great Danny Clark came from around 100 metres behind on the final lap to win the Burnie Wheel in front of a huge West Park crowd. The track remains an active cycling facility rather than simply a historic landmark. The City of Burnie Cycling Club is based at West Park and promotes track, road and mountain biking, with track racing traditionally held during the summer months. The oval also has toilets, showers, parking, disabled amenities and a canteen. The cycling surface received a significant upgrade in late 2024, when the old asphalt was removed and replaced with new hot-mix surfacing followed by a Flexipave acrylic surface, improving durability and preparing the track for continued racing and carnival use. RTS Tip: West Park is worth visiting for its cycling history as much as the track itself. If you want to ride rather than simply have a look, check with the City of Burnie Cycling Club or Burnie City Council first, as the oval is a multi-sport competition venue and access can vary around training, cricket, football and events. If you can time your visit with the Burnie Wheel, you’ll get to see one of Tasmania’s longest-running track-cycling traditions at the venue where it has been raced for generations.