Racing loses great friend in John Wallis

Mr Wallis, regarded as a larger-than-life character, passed away last Thursday, leaving his wife Merrilyn, and only son, Peter.

He spent a 40-year career as a steward in the racing industry from Queensland's south east region, Darling Downs, the central west, and the Capricornia region.

However, it was during a 30-year stint based at Barcaldine, that he is remembered with much fondness.

It was from here that Mr Wallis, assisted by his wife Merrilyn, administered country racing at its best, from Longreach to Birdsville for all those years.

His son Peter says his father loved racing, and in particular the central west, and all the characters that come with it.

"One of his favourite places was the annual Birdsville races, where he would catch up with the locals and visit Roseberth Station," Peter said.

Mr Wallis brought the first Sky Channel satellite dish to the central west.

"It was a great big satellite dish mounted on a trailer, and he was a sight pulling it behind his 4WD to the local race meetings, bringing the southern races to the patrons," Peter said.

Peter says one of his father's proudest achievements, was a young boy named Josh Fleming from Barcaldine, who showed a great skill for race calling from the age of 12 years.

"Dad recommended Josh as a race caller to the Betoota and Birdsville race clubs, when he was about 14, and has been calling Birdsville ever since."

Today, Josh Fleming is known nationally calling racing for Sky Channel Racing.

Another initiative of Mr Wallis, was one to be one the first racing stewards to video country race meetings.

And it really paid off at a Birdsville meeting, when there was interference in a race.

"The offending jockey told the stewards they couldn't prove a thing, then Dad turned on the video, and nobody expected to see a video camera in action, particularly at Birdsville," Peter said.

Barcaldine horse trainer with a stable of 38 horses in work, Todd Austin, remembers John Wallis very fondly.

"I knew him for better than 30 years, he signed me up as a apprentice jockey in 1990, and issued me with a dual trainer/jockey licence in 2003, and as trainer about 12 months after that," Mr Austin said.

"He was a very professional racing man and also very caring.

"In those days when jockey's finished their apprenticeship, they got their accumulated prize money paid in one lump sum, and he was most helpful to me."

Dick Banks, Duneria, Blackall, who was chairman of Central Queensland Racing Association, which was a principal club, before the merging of what Racing Queensland is today, recalls Mr Wallis as a perfect fit in carrying out his dual role of steward and club secretary.

"He came from a racing background, and he was a good steward and we were pretty autonomous and a law to ourselves," Mr Banks said.

"He trained club stewards, and he supported the local race clubs to be efficient.

"He instantly grabbed hold of a computer, and was very efficient teaching many in the bush how to use the latest technology, long before its time.

"Above all he had great integrity and had the racing industry at heart."

Mr Wallis was privately cremated in Brisbane, followed by a memorial service held at the Gracemere Mens Shed, near Rockhampton.