AUSTRAL WHEEL RACE REVIVED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17246, 12 January 1924, Page 26

AUSTRAL WHEEL RACE REVIVED.

> BRIEF history of once famous race.

1 f After ,1 lapse of thirteen years, the 1 • once world-famous cycling carnival. >- which was inaugurated in 1886, and 3 was held annually under the manage s ment of the Melbourne Bicycle Club on r the M.C.C. ground, was revived this t afternoon at the old venue (writes s Pedal in the Melbourne "Sporting Globe. "of December 1). With the big 2 boom in cycling, and the restoration of the M.B.C. Austral Wheel Race, today's meeting, which will extend over two days, attracted many former supe porters of cycling and oid-time riders. >- It was a happy reunion, is There was a time when the M.B.C. u Austral heel Race was looked upon i s as a great social event, being regarded as the Melbourne Cup of cycling. Is From all parts of Australia and New e Zealand, and very often from distant 1- climes, leading professional and amis ateur cyclists were attracted like a mag- | j. net to a needle. The Melbourne Bill cycle Club carnival was an annual fixh ture which grew in such importance y that flappers and womenfolk generally b. set the fashion, for to miss the Austral j -e Wheel Race was like ignoring the Mel- I '- bourne Cup when one is within travel- ' s, ling distance or the Flemington race•t course. h * With a desire to startle the cycling c- world, the Melbourne Bicvcle Club com mittee about ISSS decided to launch out in a big way. Various suggestions -e were made. The sport was booming all y over the world, and the enthusiasts of :o the M.B.C. decided to take things at n the flood. r- Eventually it was decided to hold a Is carnival on the Melbourne Cricket b ground, the principal prize for the is wheel race of three miles being a ■d trophy valued at £2OO. a Needless to say. there was a tinge of id jealousy among certain rival clubs at n the progressive step taken by the I M.B.C. Failure wa.; predicted at the it attempt to launch such a big nnderit taking. But the committee went boldly on with the scheme. in The first event was held on the Mel ?d bournt Cricket ground in ISB6, and was known as the “ Drummond ” Wheel Race, as an act of courtesy to one of ib the donors. It looked as though the e- initial effort of the club would prove a r- failure, as heavy rain had made the n- track in a bad state. C ; i ENGLISHMAN SCORES. JO There were twenty-eight starters, and those who witnessed the race said that it was a picturesque one. The high maal chines were used and competitors look:e. ed attractive in their different colours, lie The winner proved to be W. Brown, of :le England, who rode off 220 yards, the it- other places being filled by W. Ccudo, more < 2oyds’) and R. Stewart (180yds). pd The slow time of lOmin 52 4-ssec was of due. to the fact that the track was like of a quagmire, and the. competitors had a to plough through the mud. as In the following year. Mr A. (J. of Thorne, an enthusiast, suggested that, as as the club's b’g wheel race was so important, a change of name was desirck able. th The name “ Austral ’’ was adopted, lC _ and in ISS7 New South Wales had the iat distinction of providing the winner, in ~c_ c _ H. Id. Lambton, who finished an easy i )e winner with a handicap of 210yds. the ed minor places going to T T. Campion i m (300yds’. and D. W. Swann (240yds). 1. As in the case of the first event, there were again twenty-eight starters, the so | victor's time being smin 4 2-ssec —the m- distance, being two miles. WORLD’S RECORD MADE >Piey -Adelaide unearthey the winner for ien the 18S8 Austral. Of the forty who in started. R Davis figured on actual m scratch, and he had the spectators on lid tip-toe with excitement. IT? mowed of down the field in a remarkable fashion [ a . and finished twenty vards ahead of ti- | C A. Schwaebscb (2Sovds». with Don iv Jewell (100yds) third. The official time oM. I was omin 38 3-osec, which was the rst I fastest two miles **ver done in the ur- world on a grass (rack. The Adelaide ng | champion received a great, ovation, and ter i was carried off the ground shoulder nt- high by his companions Tt was a memin i orable ride and fairly thrilled the specip. j t a tors. ?nt I It remained for Adelaide to find anre- «-*ther winner of the lassie race in ISS9. ast J T. T Mullins, a sturdv rider, winning ia> i from 140 vards in smin 30 l-ssec. with ser . ■ W R Greenwood 1 195yds» second, and .oil J G. W. Chnsp (70yds 1 third.

TROPHIES— THEN CASH. Prior to IS9O the Austral was really an amateur race, inasmuch as trophies were awarded. It was felt that a £2OO trophy was not a sufficient inducement for cyclists to compete. The game was booming. Profits were big. and the riders clamoured for cash. So the M. 8.0. decided to abolish the trophy system and the IS9C contest was for cash prizes. All comes to those who wait—sometimes! \ ictorian cvchsts were somewhat chagrined at seeing the first prize won by visiting riders. WRONG NUMBER HOISTED. Just about this time T. W. Busst, a well-known Victorian, was riding brilliantly. •; ould Victoria produce a rider to win this big race, and the likewise rash prize? Busst started from scratch with his brother James, the other scratch men being . J. Mullins (winner of the previous year's contest), and a champion named Mills. From start to finish it was a wonderful race—equally as interesting and as meritorious as the 1888 event, which R- Davis won from scratch in record time. Busst pedalled away like fury, and had onlookers almost holding their breath as he overhauled the leaders. Nearing the finish the crowd became quite frantic as he drew close to C. N. Hall (160yds), and eventually beat him by six inches in omin 40sec, there being 36 starters. Hardly had the roar of applause died down when there was a renewed outburst, followed by an angry demonstration, as the number of the second man (Hall) was hoisted on the scoring board. Busst, on noticing this, is said to have gone deathly pale. He had ridden a gruelling race, and the nervous strain was too much for him. Hie error was quickly rectified, and Busst. accepted the explanation in a sportsmanlike manner. Subsequently his name became a household word. AN EMBRYO CHAMPION. Arthur Turner, an embryo champion, won the 1891 race off 240yds, and he afterwards proved to be one of the best wheelmen in the State. H. H. Uambton is the only cyclist who ever won two Australs. In 1892 he again annexed first honours off 210yds out of a field of 43 starters. This also proved to be the last rear for the high machines, for which ‘‘safeties' 5 were substituted. By 1893 the Austral bad firmly established itself. So popular did the event become that entries jumped from 38 to 84, necessitating- running it off in several beats for the first time. Crowds had increased considerably and numbered several thousands. G. T. Woodward (270yds) carried off the big prize in omin 3 2-ssec. In the following year the boom really started. A. A. Middleton—afterwards one of the greatest riders in Australia —winning off 180yds in srain 1 l-osee, out of a field of 75. Subsequent winners were A. B. Chrisp (1895) off 255yds. C. B. Kellow (1896) Jimmy Carpenter (1597). Tom Finnigan (1898). P. 11. Beauchamp (1899) and A. C. Forbes (T9COC “ Plugger Bill *’ Martin s Austral of 1901 is still fresh in the memory of those who witnessed it. when he" won it from scratch in 4min 29 3-ssec out of a. field of 127 starters. SPORT DECLINED. About this tune the sport began to •decline There were various reasons Big prize-money and heavy betting were partly the Austral’s undoing. Shady practices were introduced, and cyclists were guilty of all manner of things, which onlv helped to dethrone King Cycling. From 1904 to 1906 the venue was changed to the Exhibition Oval. For n. while the game prospered, but the public lost faith ui in an v of the riders and interest began to diminish. In 1907 a return was made to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and the last event was held in 1910. It lapsed again, to be revived at the Exhibition Oval in 1912 and 1913. but the war caused a cessation of all sport, and the once-famous Austral hr came non est until it was resurrected in 1920 bv private promoters and was won bv Ern Tamme N Jack Campbell, who did much to

bring t.he sport back, nromoted carnivals at the Exhibition Oval in 1921. : and included the Austral Wheel Race, which was won bv Lou Clifford, last year’s event going to Jack Fitzgerald, who rode a great race and non from . actual scratch. CHUB REVIVED. Last year, when the wave of prosperity began to manifest itself in the cycling world. Bill Hulse was one of j ' the first to suggest that the Melbourne I : Bicycle Club be revived. The idea was taken up with much enthusiasm, and the patronage of the State Governor (tlie Earl of Stradbroke) was sought and graciously given. Tt was realised that in order to attract the best talent good prizes would have to be offered. A sum of £4OO was set aside for distribution among the wheelmen. with £240 for the M.B.C. Austral. Thus after many years the once fascinating M.B.C. Austral Wheel Race has been revived, and its success seems assured, thought it may take some time to restore it to it former nopularity.