Arthur Cyril Roy Waite was born in
Adelaide, South Australia on the 9th of April 1894. He was educated in Norwood
and attended the School of Mines in Adelaide. He was apprenticed to J.H. Southcott,
Adelaide, in 1910.Arthur Cyril Roy Waite (1894- 1991)
Arthur Cyril Roy Waite was born in
Adelaide, South Australia on the 9th of April 1894. He was educated in Norwood
and attended the School of Mines in Adelaide. He was apprenticed to J.H. Southcott,
Adelaide, in 1910.
In 1914 he enlisted with the AFA and trained in Egypt. He was present at the landing at Gallipoli and remained on the Peninsular for 4 months. He was active in service throughout the war and achieved the rank of a Colonel in the Australian army.
On 16 October 1918, he married Irene, Herbert Austin’s daughter. There were no children from this marriage.
He returned to Australia in 1919. In the same year he went to England and joined the Austin Motor Company Limited as the Departmental Superintendent in the testing department at the Birmingham works. In 1926 he returned to Australia as Director and Sales Manager of the Austin Distributors Pty Ltd located at 460 Bourke Street Melbourne, Victoria. He returned to England in 1929 to become a board member of the Austin Company.
A C R Waite had a passion for car racing and probably did more to publicize the Austin Seven than anyone.
In 1919 he drove ‘Black Maria’ developed from an Austin 20. He formed the first three car Austin Seven racing team in 1925. He made racing history in 1928, winning the first Australian Grand Prix at Philip Island driving an Austin Seven. He also developed the first blown Austin Seven using a three lobed ‘Roots’ type supercharger. Waite was also responsible for successful twin cam racers of the period.
Colonel Arthur Cyril Roy Waite died on the 25th of January, 1991, at the age of 96.
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