OBITUARY Mr P. C. Lucas, Leading Cycling Administrator

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31114, 18 July 1966, Page 10

OBITUARY Mr P. C. Lucas, Leading Cycling Administrator

Mr Percy Charles Lucas, who died suddenly in Christchurch last week at the age of 78, was one of New Zealand’s leading cycling administrators in the years between the wars. Educated at the St Albans School and Christchurch Boys’ High School, his great interest from his early teens was the sport of cycling. His association with the Timaru-to-Christchurch road race began with the first race in 1899 when his father and brother built the winning cycle. In later years, Mr Lucas rode in the race himself and from 1921 to 1938 served as both secretaryorganiser and handicapper, making the Timaru-to-Christ-church one of the major events in the New Zealand sporting calendar, attracting up to 167 starters. Subsequently the race was extended from Waimate to Christchurch and, when Mr Lucas organised an Oamaru to Christchurch road race in 1934 over 170 miles, it was the longest single-stage cycling event ever held in this country. As secretary of the North Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Athletic, Cycling and Axemen’s Union and as an administrator of other cycling clubs, Mr Lucas organised hundreds of sporting events, including many meetings at

the English Park Stadium in Christchurch matching such outstanding local riders as Phil O’Shea against overseas stars, including Hubert Opperman, now Minister for Immigration in the Australian Commonwealth Government. Mr Lucas was also a wellknown figure during the heyday of the country sports meetings throughout Canterbury and he served as a member of the New Zealand Cycling Federation. Interested in all sport, Mr Lucas was a hockey player and cyclist in his youth, an association football as well as cycling administrator and, in later life, a keen follower of the Christchurch High School Old Boys’ Rugby and cricket clubs. A real estate agent for much of his working life, Mr Lucas also served as a Band of Hope secretary in Christchurch.