| Type: | CUST |
| Grand Prix: | Australian |
| Country: | Australia |
| Location: | Phillip Island, Victoria |
| Date: | 31 March |
| Year: | 1928 |
| Course: | Temporary road circuit |
| Course Mi: | 6.5 |
| Course Km: | 10.6 |
| Distance Laps: | 16 |
| Distance Mi: | 105 |
| Distance Km: | 169 |
| Weather: | Sunny |
| First Driver: | Arthur Waite |
| First Country: | AUS |
| First Team: | Austin |
| Second Driver: | John McCutcheon |
| Second Country: | AUS |
| Second Team: | Morris |
| Third Driver: | Cyril Dickason |
| Third Country: | AUS |
| Third Team: | Austin |
The 1928 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held on the Phillip Island road circuit, on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia on 31 March 1928. Although now known as the first Australian Grand Prix, the race was actually staged as the 100 Miles Road Race and it did not assume the Australian Grand Prix title until some years later.[1] It was organised by the Victorian Light Car Club.[2]
The overall winner was Arthur Waite driving an Austin 7. The winning car averaged 56.25 mph (90.50 km/h).
The race was originally to be held on Monday 26 March however rain forced postponement until Saturday 31 March.[3] It was open to "light" cars of up to 2-litre capacity[3] and it attracted 30 entries, of which 25 were accepted and 17 started.[4]
Competing cars were classified into classes according to cylinder capacity:[5]
The event was conducted as two separate races, with the first held in the morning for Class B and D entries, and the second held in the afternoon, for Class A and C cars.[3] The competitor setting the fastest time was to receive a £100 trophy donated by Charles Brown Kellow and would be regarded as "Champion of the Day".[6] Trophies were also to be awarded for first and second places in each class and all other competitors who finished within the 2½ hour time limit would receive a Club award.[6]
Only two cars completed the course without stopping.[7] They were the Morris Cowley of J. O. McCutcheon and the Austin 12 of C. R. Dickason.[7]
| Pos[8] | No. | Class | Driver | Car | Entrant | Laps | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | D | John McCutcheon | Morris Cowley | J. O. McCutcheon | 16 | 1h 50m 10s |
| 2 | 25 | D | Cyril Dickason | Austin 12 | C. R. Dickason | 16 | 1h 54m 02s |
| 3 | 10 | B | Barney Dentry | Sénéchal | G. Dentry | 16 | 1h 55m 44s |
| 4 | 26 | D | Bill Lowe | Métallurgique | W. H. Lowe | 16 | 2h 05m 01s |
| 5 | 8 | B | Bill Williamson | Riley Nine | Mrs J. A. Day | 16 | 2h 17m 37s |
| 6 | 7 | B | Les Pound | DFP | L. Pound | 16 | 2h 24m 29s |
| Ret | 6 | B | W. A. "Ab" Terdich | DFP | W. A. Terdich | 10[9] | |
| Ret | 23 | D | Les Jennings | Morris Cowley | L. Jennings | 6 | |
| DNS | 9 | B | B. W. Solly | Opel | Rex Motors P/L | - | |
| DNS | 11 | B | Maurice Shmith | Fiat 509 | M. Shmith | - | |
| DNS | 12 | B | George Saville | Amilcar Grand Sport | G. Saville | - | |
| DNS | 22 | D | John Hollway | Darracq | J. Hollway | - | |
| Pos | No. | Class | Driver | Car | Entrant | Laps | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | A |  Arthur Waite | Austin 7 s/c | A. Waite | 16 | 1h 46m 40s |
| 2 | 14 | C | Arthur Terdich | A. J. Terdich | 16 | 1h 54m 45s | |
| 3 | 15 | C | Jack Day | Bugatti Type 37A | J. A. Day | 16 | 1h 56m 26s |
| 4 | 5 | A | Clarrie May | Austin 7 | C. May | 16 | 2h 03m 24s |
| 5 | 16 | C | J. C. Hutton | Alvis 12/50 | J. C. Hutton | 16 | 2h 04m 21s |
| 6 | 2 | A | Tom Davey | Austin 7 | T. N. Davey | 16 | 2h 06m 19s |
| 7 | 1 | A | Stan King | Austin 7 | S. V. King | 16 | 2h 08m 35s |
| Ret | 17 | C | Ron Gardner | R. G. Gardner | 8[10] | ||
| Ret | 18 | C | Ed Houn | Aston Martin | J. E. Goodall | 1 | |
| DNS | 4 | A | Albert Edwards | Austin 7 | A. Edwards | - | |
| DNS | 19 | C | Ed Hussey Cooper | Frazer Nash | E. H. Cooper | - | |
| DNS | 20 | C | Sid Cox | Bugatti Type 39 | S. C. Cox | - | |
| DNS | 21 | C | G. A. Wagner | Wanderer | G. A. Wagner | - | |
| Pos | No. | Class | Driver | Car | Entrant | Laps | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | A | Arthur Waite | Austin 7 s/c | A. Waite | 16 | 1h 46m 40s |
| 2 | 24 | D | John McCutcheon | Morris Cowley | J. O. McCutcheon | 16 | 1h 50m 10s |
| 3 | 25 | D | Cyril Dickason | Austin 12 | C. R. Dickason | 16 | 1h 54m 02s |
| 4 | 14 | C | Arthur Terdich | A. J. Terdich | 16 | 1h 54m 45s | |
| 5 | 10 | B | Barney Dentry | Sénéchal | G. Dentry | 16 | 1h 55m 44s |
| 6 | 15 | C | Jack Day | Bugatti Type 37A | J. A. Day | 16 | 1h 56m 26s |
| 7 | 5 | A | Clarrie May | Austin 7 | C. May | 16 | 2h 03m 24s |
| 8 | 16 | C | J. C. Hutton | Alvis 12/50 | J. C. Hutton | 16 | 2h 04m 21s |
| 9 | 26 | D | Bill Lowe | Métallurgique | W. H. Lowe | 16 | 2h 05m 01s |
| 10 | 2 | A | Tom Davey | Austin 7 | T. N. Davey | 16 | 2h 06m 19s |
| 11 | 1 | A | Stan King | Austin 7 | S. V. King | 16 | 2h 08m 35s |
| 12 | 8 | B | Bill Williamson | Riley Nine | Mrs J. A. Day | 16 | 2h 17m 37s |
| 13 | 7 | B | Les Pound | DFP | L. Pound | 16 | 2h 24m 29s |
| Ret | 6 | B | W. A. "Ab" Terdich | DFP | W. A. Terdich | 10 | |
| Ret | 17 | C | Ron Gardner | Alvis 12/50 | R. G. Gardner | 8 | |
| Ret | 23 | D | Les Jennings | Morris Cowley | L. Jennings | 6 | |
| Ret | 18 | C | Ed Houn | Aston Martin | J. E. Goodall | 1 | |
| DNS | 4 | A | Albert Edwards | Austin 7 | A. Edwards | - | |
| DNS | 9 | B | B. W. Solly | Opel | Rex Motors P/L | - | |
| DNS | 11 | B | Maurice Shmith | Fiat 509 | M. Shmith | - | |
| DNS | 12 | B | George Saville | Amilcar Grand Sport | G. Saville | - | |
| DNS | 19 | C | Ed Hussey Cooper | Frazer Nash | E. H. Cooper | - | |
| DNS | 20 | C | Sid Cox | Bugatti Type 39 | S. C. Cox | - | |
| DNS | 21 | C | G. A. Wagner | Wanderer | G. A. Wagner | - | |
| DNS | 22 | D | John Hollway | Darracq | J. Hollway | - | |
Although the 1928 race is recognised by Motorsport Australia as the first Australian Grand Prix,[11] a dispute exists given that an event held in Goulburn, New South Wales in 1927 was actually advertised as a grand prix at the time.[12] However the 1927 event was not a motor race but rather a series of elimination sprints.[13]