Peter Brock - Early Years

Early Years

Brock was born at the Epworth Hospital, Richmond, Victoria. Brock's parents were Geoff Brock and Ruth Brock (née Laidlay). The family lived in the country town of Hurstbridge (now an outer suburb of Melbourne) and Brock continued to live there throughout his life. He attended Eltham High School in Eltham Victoria His first car was an Austin 7 that he bought for £5 (A$10). His driving skill improved greatly at this point of his life because the car didn't have brakes (or a body, which was removed with his father's axe). He ended up trying to stop the car by sliding and anticipating the line.

Peter Brock was also in the first call up (conscription) in to the Australian Army during the mid-1960s, remaining with the rank of Private before being discharged in June 1967. Although he didn't show it while on the army base, Brock was against sending conscripts to Vietnam, something the Australian Government was considering. According to his brother Lewis, while he never served in the Vietnam War, Brock believed that the volunteers should be sent there rather than those made to be there be conscription. While at the base, for fun, Peter and others used to race the ambulances they drove through the base.

Although neither knew each other then, also stationed at the Army base near Wagga in New South Wales at the time was a young Dick Johnson, who, during the 1980s and 1990s, would become one of Brock's chief rivals in touring car racing.