The Safari Rally was first run in 1966 under the Light Car Club of WA’s first president, Jeff Dunkerton. It has been run every year since, making it the longest running continuous rally in Australia and one of the longest in the world.

For the last few years, the Safari Rally has been based out of Chidlow to the East of Perth and uses stages in the state forests of Chidlow, Sawyers Valley and Mundaring. The roads used have previously been used as part of Rally Australia stages when it was based in Perth, WA.

Prior to making Chidlow home, the Safari Rally has been run out of Boddington near the old Bunnings Plantation – which was made famous by Colin McRae going flat-out in a Subaru WRX over the jumps. And before that it has had various stages throughout the South-West.

As part of the Motorsport Australia Western Australian Rally Championship, the Safari Rally is the closest gravel rally to Perth.