In December 1993, a triumphant Victorian premier Jeff Kennett announced that Melbourne would be the new home of the Grand Prix, beginning in 1996.

The race would take place right in the heart of the city around the lake at Albert Park.

"It was the Grand Prix itself, and winning it for Melbourne, that was the first indication to the public that Victorians again could be winners, after what had been five or six years of terrible economic, unemployment and uncertainty," Mr Kennett said of the coup.

But a number of residents at Albert Park did not feel like they had won anything, and by February 1994 they had gathered together to form the group "Save Albert Park" (SAP).

Around 700 people were arrested in the early years of protesting, Save Albert Park said. ( Supplied: Save Albert Park )

As the state prepared the inner city park for the race, SAP began rallying to stop it in its tracks.

On May 15, 1994 their major first rally attracted thousands of people, including an unwelcome appearance by Mr Kennett himself.

The year after, they estimated 20,000 people turned up in Melbourne's City Square to protest the forthcoming race.

Save Albert Park said 20,000 people attended their largest rally in Melbourne's CBD in 1995. ( Supplied: Save Albert Park )

But it was not just rallies. The group also began filing freedom of information requests for the financial details of the race and a vigil was set up at the park.

They occupied the land destined for construction and staged a blockade as trucks rolled in to clear rows of trees.

They protested on behalf of people who said their houses were damaged by compaction work done in the construction of the track, only to have a law passed exempting the Grand Prix Corporation from Supreme Court legal action in 1994.

SAP representatives even protested in London, outside Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone's office.

Protesters travelled to London to rally outside Bernie Ecclestone's office in 1995. ( Supplied: Save Albert Park )

The current president of SAP, Peter Goad, said they were driven by the firm belief that holding the race in a public park was wrong, and their mission was to have it relocated to an existing track.

"The optimism was flowing, the excitement was flowing and you thought anything you did to bring attention to it would have an effect," Mr Goad said.

Around 700 people were arrested in the early days of protesting, SAP said.

Protesters occupy the construction site ahead of the first Grand Prix in Albert Park. ( Supplied: Save Albert Park )

"I was arrested four times, you know standard ones, Bob Brown style arrests, where you're willing to be arrested, but it was quite peaceful," SAP member Barbara Clinton said.

"We had several court cases, and several things happening but no-one was ever convicted from the original protests."

The former premier Mr Kennett said that the protesters "never worried" him.

"It didn't matter, they've got every right to protest I recognise that and we just got on with the job," he said.

But Mr Kennett said that the protesters' tactics were sometimes frightening.

"At times it was very, very intense and I'm not sure the public ever knew about it," he said.

"[Grand Prix Corporation chairman] Mr [Ron] Walker and I were threatened, our properties were vandalised, in what was a very trying period.

"But we knew that once we were able to deliver the first race in 1996 that people would see the benefit of it."

SAP rejected his claims that they threatened the then premier.

SAP spokesperson Peter Logan said he personally was "punched in the face" by a member of the Liberal party.

"I didn't go and squeal like Jeff Kennett did," Mr Logan said.

"The point is what he's claimed there's no evidence for … any law-breaking was done by those who support the Grand Prix. That's all I'll say on that matter."

Former Labor politician John Thwaites addresses a rally at Albert Park in 1994. ( Supplied: Save Albert Park )

Mr Kennett's Liberal government, in its first term, were determined that the race should be a key part of Melbourne's major events platform.

SAP had support on the other side of politics, with Labor in opposition supporting the movement, and the group counting thousands of members in its early days.

But Labor's support was short lived.

"Labor eventually changed its tune in 1996, because I guess they realised that the big end of town - the big hotels, the casino and the influential quarters such as the Chamber of Commerce et cetera - were all in favour of the Grand Prix and they would get political support by following the Grand Prix line," Mr Goad said.

"The membership fell away dramatically after that, but that was going to happen anyway, because these things have a season, so it was only those who were really committed to the campaign stayed on."

In opposition, Labor's John Thwaites and John Brumby speaking to Save Albert Park's John Dietrich. ( Supplied: Save Albert Park )

For those committed to the cause, the action rolled on.

The vigil at the park, which began in November 1995, went for 10 years - in the beginning for seven days a week, but later five days a week and then three.

"We did all sorts of things, but as I said, these things have their seasons, and it didn't work," Mr Goad said.

"A lot of it was stunts, which really were difficult to put on, some of it was expensive and it didn't achieve anything."

Melbourne Grand Prix protesters kept a 10-year vigil at Albert Park. ( Supplied: Save Albert Park )

Slowly the strategy of SAP began to change, Mr Goad said.

The community radio show broadcast weekly on 3CR has continued, as has the weekly newsletter.

The show's longest serving and current host Barbara Clinton said she never runs out of things to talk about.

"It's a current ongoing issue, it's not like it's an old stale thing," Ms Clinton said.

"There's always reports, there's always challenges, there's always issues in the park - you see, we're also about the whole park, and other parks.

"So the Grand Prix is just one of the incursions into the public open space and there are other incursions that we have to battle constantly.

"It encompasses so many issues, there's social planning, government accountability, the sort of life we want to have with our increasingly populated urban environment and what space is needed, the health of the community in terms of parks and trees and playing spaces for children."

A banner protesting Melbourne's Formula One in 2002. ( Supplied: Save Albert Park )

SAP began to focus on lobbying the Government, and trying to convince people to hear their case.

"What we're doing at the moment, which is making a direct approach to Government, is far more significant than having a demo or any sort of on-the-spot protest," Mr Goad said.

"If you're presenting reports to the Government directly, you're making the demands on them, giving suggestions – that is effective."

After 20 years of fighting a losing battle, they believe that with a new Labor Government and an Upper House where the Greens and minor parties hold the balance of power, their time might have come.

"The rise of the Greens is a help. The Greens are the only political party that supports the campaign. The Greens are attracting young people in droves," Mr Goad said.

"The Greens now have five members in the upper house, two in the Lower House, and the Andrews Government has to negotiate with them if they want legislation to go through.

"We live in hope that the general population will accept the facts as we put them out, and that the race ought to go."

Save Albert Park members after more than 1300 trees were cut down in Albert Park. ( Supplied: Save Albert Park )

The facts, as they put them, is that the race is a "fraud", a waste of public money and a misuse of public space for the benefit of commercial interests.

"What makes Melbourne beautiful is parks and gardens; we haven't got a Sydney Harbour, for example," Mr Logan said.

"It's sacrificing a park for a commercial event when the commercial event could be held on a motor racing circuit, for example.

"The net effect is – during the time it's there ... clubs are displaced, kids can't play in the park, and then when it leaves the grounds are in a mess."

SAP have claimed international television viewership figures, regularly used to spruik the race's ability to market Melbourne to the world, have been grossly exaggerated, an accusation backed up by ABC's Fact Check last year.

They have accused the Grand Prix of inflating attendance numbers, and unsuccessfully fought to have the corporation's methodology made public at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in 2007.

And they have fought to have the Government make public how many taxpayer dollars are spent on the race.

"They're spending a lot of our money and if they're not telling us the truth in justifying it, well, it's something that certainly keeps us going and we'll keep doing the research on it," Mr Logan said.

An inflated gorilla erected in Albert Park to protest the Grand Prix. ( Supplied: Save Albert Park )

Grand Prix Corporation chairman Ron Walker disputed the criticisms.

"I think that those people that criticise us don't know what they're talking about," Mr Walker said.

He said the broadcast of the race internationally was worth millions to the city in marketing.

"People don't understand, it costs $29 million to erect the track every year, Bernie [Ecclestone] brings in seven jumbos laden with equipment, they all cost a lot of money to do," he said.

"People say, well, why don't you build a permanent track at Avalon or at Sandown? We're not going to just spend all this money to advertise the treetops, or an airport.

"Its rightful place is in Albert Park. Jeff Kennett spent $100 million fixing Albert Park up, it's now one of the most used parks in the world, so it's justified its existence."

Save Albert Park's first major rally in 1994 attracted thousands of people. ( Supplied: Save Albert Park )

As Melbourne prepares to host its 20th Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, SAP is still producing its monthly newsletter, which it distributes to the "few hundred households" that remain members.

The radio show still hits the airwaves every Monday night and while the groups numbers have dwindled, those that remain have not given up the fight.

"The big sign we had up at the vigil was: 'we will never give up'," Mr Goad said.

"That's a battered old sign, but that's our motto, always has been, because you just can't let it go, you can't let them get away with it."

Even their former nemesis wished them well as they forge on, though it may have been tongue in cheek.

"The event's now about to celebrate 20 years, the protesters are still there in smaller numbers, we're all a lot more experienced by age," Mr Kennett said.

"They enjoy each other's company, they get together every year, they consume cups of coffee, they get a little bit of publicity.

"I think it's delightful."