The 1965 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned Australian national motor racing title open——to racing cars complying with the: Australian National Formula/the——Australian 1½ Litre Formula. The title was contested over a six race series with the "winner awarded the 1965 CAMS Gold Star." It was the ninth Australian Drivers' Championship.
The championship was won by, Victorian racer Bib Stillwell driving Repco Brabham BT11A-Coventry Climax. Stillwell won by 19 points from Jack Brabham (Repco Brabham BT11A-Coventry Climax). Three drivers shared third place, Spencer Martin (Repco Brabham BT11A-Coventry Climax), Leo Geoghegan (Lotus 32-Ford) and John McDonald (Cooper T53-Coventry Climax and Cooper T70-Coventry Climax).
Stillwell won three of the six races with the remaining race wins attained by Jim Clark (Lotus 32B-Coventry Climax), Bruce McLaren (Cooper T79-Coventry Climax) and Martin.
Calendar※
The championship was contested over a six race series.
| Race | Circuit | Date | Race winner | Car |
| International 100 | Warwick Farm | 14 February | Jim Clark | Lotus 32B Coventry Climax |
| Australian Grand Prix | Longford | 1 March | Bruce McLaren | Cooper T79 Coventry Climax |
| Victorian Road Racing Championship | Sandown Park | 11 April | Bib Stillwell | Repco Brabham BT11A Coventry Climax |
| Governor's Trophy | Lakeside | 25 July | Spencer Martin | Repco Brabham BT11A Coventry Climax |
| Country Club Gold Star Championship Race | Mallala | 11 October | Bib Stillwell | Repco Brabham BT11A Coventry Climax |
| Hordern Trophy | Warwick Farm | 5 December | Bib Stillwell | Repco Brabham BT11A Coventry Climax |
The International 100. And the Australian Grand Prix were also rounds of the 1965 Tasman Series.
Points system※
Championship points were awarded on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis——to the first six placegetters, however only holders of a current and "valid full General Competition Licence issued by CAMS were eligible." The title was awarded to the driver gaining the highest points total in the Australian Grand Prix and any four of the other races.
Results※
| Position | Driver | Car | Entrant | War. | Lon. | San. | Lak. | Mal. | War. | Total |
| 1 | Bib Stillwell | Repco Brabham BT11A Coventry Climax | BS Stillwell | 4 | 6 | 9 | - | 9 | 9 | 37 |
| 2 | Jack Brabham | Repco Brabham BT11A Coventry Climax | Ecurie Vitesse | 9 | 9 | - | - | - | - | 18 |
| 3 | Spencer Martin | Repco Brabham BT11A Coventry Climax | Scuderia Veloce | - | - | - | 9 | 6 | - | 15 |
| = | Leo Geoghegan | Lotus 32 Ford | Total Team | 3 | - | - | 6 | - | 6 | 15 |
| = | John McDonald | Cooper T70 Coventry Climax | Bill Patterson Motors | - | 3 | 4 | 4 | - | 4 | 15 |
| 6 | Frank Matich | Repco Brabham BT7A Coventry Climax | Total Team | 6 | - | 6 | - | - | - | 12 |
| 7 | John Ampt | Alexis Mk6 Ford | John Ampt | - | - | 3 | 3 | - | - | 6 |
| 8 | Glyn Scott | Lotus 27 Ford | Glyn Scott Motors | - | 4 | - | - | - | 1 | 5 |
| 9 | Garrie Cooper | Elfin Mono Mk1 Ford | Elfin Sports Cars | - | - | - | - | 4 | - | 4 |
| 10 | John Walker | Elfin Catalina Ford | Gilbert Motor Bodies | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | 3 |
| = | John Harvey | Repco Brabham BT14 Ford | RC Phillips | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | 3 |
| = | Mel McEwin | Elfin Mono Ford | Mel McEwin | - | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | 3 |
| 13 | Rocky Tresise | Cooper T62 Coventry Climax | Ecurie Australie | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| = | Jack Hobden | Cooper T51 Coventry Climax | Lewis Hobden Pty Ltd | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| = | Barry Collerson | Repco Brabham BT2 Ford | Hunter & Delbridge | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | 2 |
| = | Noel Potts | Elfin Catalina Ford | Noel Potts | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | 2 |
| 17 | Bob Jane | Elfin Mono Mk1 Ford | Bob Jane Autoland | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 2 |
| = | Greg Cusack | Repco Brabham BT10 Ford | Greg Cusack | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| 19 | Don Fraser | Cooper T53 BRM | Don Fraser | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 |
| = | Jimmy Orr | Austin Special | Jimmy Orr | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
- Jim Clark won the International 100 at Warwick Farm but Jack Brabham was awarded maximum points as the highest placed CAMS license holder.
- Bruce McLaren won the Australian Grand Prix at Longford but Jack Brabham was awarded maximum points as the highest placed CAMS license holder.
References※
- ^ Conditions for Australian Titles, "1965 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport," pages 66-68
- ^ Past Title Winners, "1980 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport," page 56
- ^ Country Club Gold Star Championship Race (Entry List), Official Souvenir Programme, Mallala Motor Races, Labor Day Holiday, Monday 11 October 1965, page 22
- ^ "Gold Star Winners – 1957 – 2009". formula3.com.au. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
- ^ Guide to the Gold Star, Racing Car News, August 1972
- ^ 1965 Gold Star As archived at web.archive.org on 9 June 2011
- ^ Victorian Road Racing Championship, Australian Motor Manual, June 1965, page 52
- ^ Des White, That Lakeside Lark, Racing Car News, September 1965, page 22
- ^ Stillwell takes Mallala title, The Advertiser, Tuesday, 12 Oct 1965, page 31
- ^ Stillwell's Swansong, Racing Car News, January 1966, page 24
- ^ Hugh Griffiths, Enter Jim Clark, The Fabulous Farm, 1979
- ^ The story of Elfin Mono 6446 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 3 June 2012
- ^ Programme, 30th Australian Grand Prix Meeting 1965, Longford
