Four spepia and twelve black and white postcards. Images of cyclists and scenes from Dunlop Road Race, 1904, Warrnambool to Melbourne - 165 miles.person, group, sports team

The first Warrnambool to Melbourne cycling race was held in October 1895. 24 riders started with only 7 finishing the race. W. Nicol was the winner of the inaugural race. Two months later on 14/12/1895 the race was run in reverse. For the ensuing 43 years it was mainly Melbourne to Warrnambool. Since 1939 it has been run mainly Melbourne to Warrnambool. The prize of this blanket was 2nd prize to E. Ion of Tasmania in October 1949. The prize itself, A Warrnambool Blankets Tartan rug was made at the Warrnambool Woollen Mill in Harris St Warrnambool Early efforts to establish a woollen Mill in Warrnambool commenced with an early mill on the Merri at Woodford in 1874 but the site proved unsuitable and was financially struggling. The decision was made to move plant and and machinery to the old meat preserving factory in South Warrnambool The plant and equipment was sold to Mr Robert Hood of Sherwood on the Hopkins River East Warrnambool who carried on the venture until fire destroyed the building in 1882, The site lay idle until a group of local businessmen raised 40000 pounds to establish the mill in 1910. It continued to trade well through the early and mid 20th century. Dunlop brought the mill in 1968 and there was a slow downturn with numerous owners until it closed in 2000. The site passed into private hands in 2003.Both the Warrnambool Woollen Mill and the Melbourne to Warrnambool Road Race are a significant part of local history. The Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling road race remains one of the premier sporting events in Australia. It commenced in 1895 Maroon and red block check with black and white check lines on front with plain maroon back. Fringed on two sides. Grey cotton label with The Warrnambool Woollen Mill Co Limited in top Left hand side of label, Victory Rug diagonally in blue Guaranteed All WOOL Made in Australia in bottom RH corner of label. Owner M bottom of label. 1949 Mr. Ernie Ion” handwritten in black pen.warrnambool, warrnambool woollen mill, marcus saltau, w. nicol

Autobiography of the life history of Sir Hubert Opperman, a politician and world renowned cyclist in the mid 1900s. As a professional cyclist Opperman broke or established 101 state, Australian and world records in an incredible 24 hours of non stop cycling at the old Sydney velodrome. In Europe his wins in the Paris-Brest-Paris road race, the classic 24 hour Bol D'Or and setting a new Lands End John O'Groats record. He twice participated in the Tour de France.This book is an excellent reference for the world of cycling and politics in Australia.Signed autobiography title 'Pedals, Politics and People by Hubert Opperman, Hard backed copy and paper cover. The title is on a blue background and the remainder depicts photographs of spectators, with two main photographs superimposed over the spectators. One of the photographs is of Menzies and Opperman and the other is of Opperman riding a track cycle. "To the Millikan family/With best wishes/from/Hubert Opperman 'Oppy'"hubert opperman; tour de france; paris-brest-paris road race; pedals politics and people; dunlop grand prix; millikan family;

In 1903, an article in the Box Hill 'Reporter' noted that the Kew Flyer Cycle business had been started in 1893 by Harry F. Cooper, and that he was "the oldest cycle maker in the district". By 1903, the Kew Flyer business was located at 8 (later 14) Cotham Road where it was to remain an institution until its closure. In 1910, W.D. Vaughan, in his 'Jubilee History of Kew, Victoria' wrote that: "Several cycling clubs have been born and died, suffering chiefly from the migration of the leading spirits in the organisations, but since 1900 the ‘Kew Flyer’ road race, instituted by Mr. H. F. Cooper, has been the cycling event of the year among local riders. It is run on the White Horse Road at Blackburn." Early newspaper reports recorded the distance of the race as initially 10 miles but by 1906, the event extended to 15 miles, starting from the Travellers' Rest Hotel in Blackburn. Cooper's Kew Flyer business in Cotham Road introduced new technologies and models throughout its 56-years of operation. By 1908, it was claimed that the shop had been enlarged with new "workshops and [the] latest lathes and cycle building tools. [it] Is now one of the most up-to-date Cycle Works in Victoria". By the First World War, Cooper had expanded his business to include motorbikes with "Precision Engines". The Kew Flyer business and the annual road races continued through the War, even though a number of its staff left for the front. One of these was [Pte] Robert Charles Field Richardson, who joined the 6th Battalion, fought and was wounded at Gallipoli, and died of wounds in Alexandria, Egypt in 1915. In 1917, the death of Private H.S. Herbert was announced. He had been the winner of the Kew Flyer Cycle Road Race in 1913. He died in action in France, having fought at Gallipoli and at the Battle of Pozieres. The majority of bicycles advertised by Cooper were designed for men, although bikes for women and 'juveniles' were advertised as early as 1918, so they were probably manufactured throughout the period. Harry Cooper was to sell his Kew Flyer business in 1936, after 39 years of trading. The business he began continued until 1949.This is an historically significant and rare 1920s Kew Flyer Cycle in intact condition, with most of the original paintwork preserved on the frame. Harry F Cooper, who was the manufacturer of the cycle had a retail business and a factory in Kew. He promoted the Kew Flyer Road Race which was the most important trader-run cycle event in Victoria from 1900 to his retirement in 1936.An unrestored Kew Flyer Women's Roadster ca 1920, donated to the Kew Historical Society by John Wyatt in 2017. Original paint work and logo on the loop frame in navy blue, blue and gold, featuring Egyptian influences in the painted design . The rubber sprung saddle was made by Dunlop and has a serial number on a plate at the rear. The loop frame is original. Most of the cycle, on an initial evaluation following the donation were judged to be original, but with the addition of a later mudguard, reflector and chain guard. These have now been removed.Kew Flyerwomen's roadster, kew flyer, harry f cooper, businesses - kew, cycling