Four photographs of Sir Hubert Opperman and a Malvern Star Moulton bicycle. Bruce Small took over Malvern Star bicycles in 1920 and hired a young Hubert Opperman, meeting him after 'Oppy' won a race and the prize of a Malvern Star bike. The pair became life long friends and after Bruce joined the Association for the Blind as a board member and President, he encouraged his friend to join as well. These photographs were most likely taken for Sir Hubert joining the board. Possible location for photos is near the Princess Bridge.B/W photographs of Sir Hubert Opperman with Malvern Star Moulton bicycleassociation for the blind, hubert opperman

The Kangaroo Hoppet is Australia’s premier long distance cross country ski race, and a member of the Worldloppet series of international cross country ski events. The first race at Falls Creek was held in 1979 under the name of “Australian Birkebeiner”. It was a 21km race with about 80 participants organised by the Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club of Mount Beauty. The course started and finished at Falls Creek Alpine Resort and took participants out into the Bogong High Plains. After running the event for 10 years, it was decided they should become part of the Worldloppet series of marathon ski races. Representatives from the Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club and the Australian Ski Federation attended the Worldloppet Annual Meeting in Finland in June 1990 to put the case for the acceptance of an Australian event into the Worldloppet series. Before being admitted, they had to demonstrate that the Birkebeiner Club could run a world class event, so three months later in August 1990 a 42km event named the Australian International Ski Marathon was held at Falls Creek together with a 21km Birkebeiner race and a 7km event called the Birkebeiner Lite. The event was approved by delegates from USA, Norway and Austria, in 1991 Australia became the 12th member of Worldloppet, with the condition that there had to be a name change. After some late night discussion allegedly involving red wine from North East Victoria the main event became the 42km Kangaroo Hoppet, with the minor events being the 21km Australian Birkebeiner, and 7km Joey Hoppet. In the winter of 1991, the first Kangaroo Hoppet was held. It was a great success and has been a regular fixture on the international ski calendar ever since. It features the main 42km event as well as a 21km event and a 7km event. The Hoppet brings the Australian snowfields to an international audience. Due to COVID-19 there was no normal Kangaroo Hoppet at Falls Creek in 2020 as the resort was closed down. Instead, the virtual Kangaroo Hoppet- “I did it my way” was held. The event was staged for two weeks between the 10th and 23rd August. Participants chose a distance of 7km, 21km, or 42km and could choose any human powered activity. Activities included running, walking, cycling, swimming, roller skiing, inline skating, paddling, canoeing, mountain biking, exercise machines, unicycles and a tricycle. The event attracted 1901 participants from 37 nations. This poster is significant because it documents an event which brings international attention to Falls Creek and the surrounding region.A poster featuring images of a skier, cyclist and runner on a blue and white background. Logos of AGL, Falls Creek, Alpine Shire Council, Victorian State Government, the Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club, Rojo Outerwear, Elude Outerwear and Community Bank Mount Beauty & District are across the bottom of the poster. A kangaroo sign with crossed red circle feature at the top left and bottom right corners.KANGAROO HOPPET 2020 Do it your way Centre text: THE COVID-19 VERSION of Australia's Premier Ski Race. We're offering a remote Hoppet event where you can ride, run, paddle, swim, walk, skate, rollerski and yes, even ski, the 2020 event wherever you are. AUGUST 10 - 23 7 KM 21 KM 42 KM HOPPET.COM.AUkangaroo hoppet, worldloppet events, falls creek, mt. beauty

KEVIN ‘BOOFA’ INNES By Lucy McCormick Kevin was a member of the celebrated Innes clan from Inglewood, in Central Victoria. “I think the first Innes’ came to Inglewood in 1851. My daughter used to say she can’t marry anyone from Inglewood, because she’s related to them all,” says Kevin. ‘Boofa’ is enjoying some well-earned relaxation on the couch after breaking a kneecap six or seven months ago in a track work incident. Not that it seems to be bothering him too much; he’s got plenty of time to keep up with the trots on television. “I do follow them,” Kevin says. “I don’t miss many, and I do have a bet. I like to sit in the chair and drive a race as much as anyone.” With an illustrious career both as a trainer and in the sulky, it’s a safe bet that Kevin Innes is a more than handy ‘grandstand driver’. His name is associated as a trainer/driver with many handy horses, including Lea Sands, Imatoff and Stormy Morn to name a few. Kevin is typically circumspect about his bigger triumphs, however that doesn’t seem to be what interests him the most. “I’ll tell you something,” he declares, doing just that, “I like winning with the horses that were no good. Some people never get a good horse. Imagine that. Luck is a very, very important thing. You have to have luck to buy a good horse at the sales, to get it going, keep it sound, find a race for it, find and owner and get a draw. And they still make a liar of you.” Funny, interesting or quirky stories seem to be of greater interest to Kevin, such as the time he had a strong chance in a standing start race – the favourite in the race being his only worry. “I told the owner it only had a 20-metre handicap – I couldn’t beat it off that,” he remembers. “So I was leading, waiting for the favourite to run past me. Toward the finish, I heard it coming, and it ran straight past all right – minus the driver. He’d fallen out of the cart and I won the race. Just lucky.” The Innes family have always been heavily involved in one sporting pursuit or another – Kevin himself being a champion bike rider of his time. “My Uncle Roy was a good bike rider, so he dared me to have a go. It turned out I was quite good at it as well.” So good, in fact that for many years Kevin was able to make a living from bike riding, riding the ‘board track’ for many years. “We trained hard. Bike riding was very big back then, we’d train and ride three or four times a week.” Kevin’s riding career spanned four Herald Sun Tours, a Warrnambool to Melbourne and a Sydney to Melbourne race, to name a few. “It definitely gets you in – it was long hours,” he muses. “But like anything, horse racing included, you only get back what you put in. We trained hard. I never drank, and I still don’t. I’ve seen that many athletes, great ones too, brought down by alcohol.” Lucky with injury too, Kevin can only remember a sore ankle – as well as the requisite scrapes and abrasions from tumbles on the wooden boards of the velodromes. He still enjoys watching all the big bike races when he can. “You can watch them race all over the world – France, Sweden, Germany. “To be honest I sit up and watch them with my son and we get just as much of a kick looking at the countryside than anything else. It’s so different to when I was racing.” Betting on the bike racing was big in Kevin’s day as well, and some of the bookies Kevin saw betting on the bike racing, he saw at the Showgrounds betting on the trots on a Friday or Saturday night. “Racing was different back then. There would be twelve thousand people at the showgrounds – they don’t have to come anymore, it’s just as easy to watch it on the TV.” Kevin remembers in those days that drivers had to ‘weigh in’ as well – everyone who drove needed to weigh ten stone (just under 65 kilograms). It’s something he remembers fondly. “I know not everyone will.” Kevin won’t be drawn on the subject of favourite drivers, either. “Look. Driving is different now. No disrespect to current drivers, but you had to think a lot more on a three furlong track than they do now on the bigger tracks. You had to drive with brains. And I really believe that good horses make good drivers. The horses are very good these days. Today’s drivers – your Gavin Langs, Chris Alfords – they’re thinkers, and brains will beat brawn every time. The girls are just as good now too. You only have to look at Kerryn Manning.” A garrulous and popular character, Kevin has trained horses for the likes of legendary Richmond player Jack Dyer, and also spent his fair share of time hosting sportsman’s nights, holding his own with the likes of Ron Barassi. On one such night, they had flown in a light aircraft to their destination. During their show, Kevin noticed their pilot, sitting in the front row, laughing appreciatively. There was one problem. He had a beer in his hand, and was consuming it with some enthusiasm. As the night wore on, the pilot became more and more inebriated, and Kevin became more and more disturbed, knowing that this was the same pilot who was to fly them home when they finished. Unbeknownst to Kevin, however, the flight had been cancelled and the pilot hadn’t told anyone, instead deciding to take full advantage of his client’s hospitality. For now, Kevin is happy living in Inglewood with partner Barbara. Son Grant and daughter Carla aren’t far away (both work at the Bendigo Harness track, and Carla has held both a trainer and driver’s licence). His granddaughter, Barclay Sands, was born on the same day of the demise of their star performer, Lea Sands, and may give the biggest hint yet just how important the world of harness racing is to Kevin ‘Boofa’ Innes. Blue with white yolkKevin Innes embroidered on left side chestkevin innes, k innes, bendigo harness racing club, bhrc, bendigo, horses, race colours, trotting, pacing, harness racing

The Sunbury Cycling Club was formed in September 1897 although prior to that date cycling was popular in the district. A popular place to cycle in those times was at Diggers Rest. In 1897 the Sunbury Cycle Club organised a race around the township. After that local bike races were organised on a weekly basis. According to the caption, the race in the photograph took place some time in 1895.A non-digital sepia photograph backed onto board of a line of men on bicycles in a main street preparing to set off for a cycling race. cycling, cycling races, plumpton avenue, sports clubs

The item was awarded to Dr Harry Jenkins for a motorcycle race held in NSW on 16/02/1910. Jenkins was an avid, amateur racing car driver and motorcycle rider and had a dental practice in Collins Street Melbourne. He owned Churchill Island from 1936 to 1963 and bequeathed the island to Margaret Campbell on his death. Sister Campbell had been nurse to his disabled son and wife and she lived on the island from the time of World War Two. This item was given to Arthur Evans, a family friend, on the day of the auction sale of artifacts when Margart Campbell sold the island in 1973.This trophy demonstrates Harry Jenkins' prowess of motor sport and his competitive spirit. This is one of very few orginal items found within the Churchill Island museum collection.Large solid metal three-dimensional object featuring 4 identical cylinders open at one end. All 4 cylinders are joined, domed in profile and designed to represent the four cylinders of a motor bike. The object is engraved and has silver plated hallmarks. Engraved on centre 2 sections: MOTOR CYCLE CLUB OF NSW SCRATCH RACE 4 HP AND OVER H JENKINS 16-2-10 Also Hallmarks SYDENHAM PATENT 2272 A S trophy, harry jenkins, motor bike racing, churchill island, 16/02/1910, scratch race, 4 hp and over, motor cycle club of nsw