Australia has produced some outstanding drivers who have achieved much success on the world stage of motor sport – Sir Jack Brabham, Vern Schuppan, Alan Jones, Tim Schenken, Frank Gardner, Vern Schuppan and Mark Webber - today these drivers are household names.

While Paul Hawkins was not as well known as some of these, in his relatively short career the impact that he made on the international motor racing scene at the highest level is awesome.

Paul Hawkins was known as “Hawkeye”, a name that characterised his legendary acts both on and off the track.

He had a reputation as a fearless and skilful competitor, whilst away from the competition he was the typical Aussie larrikin, always a joker and non-conformist

Paul’s racing career started at a hillclimb at Penguin in 1955 driving his father’s 1953 FJ Holden.

Whether he had the required parental consent is not clear, but the ultimate condition of the vehicle was evidence of the treatment it received in his hands.

It wasn’t long after, without so much as a goodbye, Paul left Tasmania for the big smoke in Melbourne where he made his mark in motorsport, driving a FX Holden and several MG TCs.

This culminated in him competing in the 1958 Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island in an Austin Healey 100S, where he finished a creditable fifth in the race which featured competitors such as Stirling Moss, Stan Jones, Bib Stillwell and Len Lukey.

However the world stage beckoned, and Christmas 1959 saw him board the Sitmar Liner “Fairsea” and in the normal Australian manner of the time, sail off to England

Over the next 10 years Paul competed at the highest level, driving touring cars, sports cars and open wheelers at circuits in England, Europe, America, Africa, Scandinavia as well as returning to Australia to compete in the 1967 and 1968 endurance races including the Bathurst 1000.

He was competitive in closed and open wheeled cars and is remembered for his well recorded dip into Monaco Harbour whilst in ninth position in the 1965 Monaco Grand Prix driving a Lotus Climax 33.

However it was in big banger sports car that he made his mark.

He relished the raw power and performance of Can-Am cars, Ferraris, Lolas, Ford GT40s and factory Porsches.

He had class wins at Le Mans and Sebring, the highlight of his later career being wins in the 1976 Targa Florio in a Porsche 910/8, 1967 Austrian Grand Prix in a Ford GT40 AMGT2, 1968 Monza 1000 in a Ford GT40 and the 1969 Guards Trophy at Snetterton in a Lola Chevrolet T70 MK3B

On May 26, 1969 at Oulton Park whilst in seventh place in the RAC Tourist Trophy, fate dealt Paul his final hand.

The Lola Chevrolet he was driving crashed heavily, flipping over before hitting a tree.

The conflagration that followed brought to an end what is described in his biography as “the rapid and outrageous life of Paul Hawkins, the Australian racing car driver”

The business which began at Penguin in 1955 was complete.

Written by Terry Curtain