Australian & NZ Motorcycles

Today in Motorcycle History

Australian Motorcycles (O)

O'Grady

Thomas Patrick O'Grady joined the Lewis firm in 1892.

It appears that the first motor-cycle race in the Southern Hemisphere was run at Adelaide Oval on 11 October 1902 and won by T.P. O'Grady on a Lewis machine fitted with an MMC engine. Tom O'Grady was Works Manager at Vivian Lewis Ltd, and also one of the three directors.

O'Grady withdrew as director in 1910 to travel abroad. He resumed his position on his return, and died in 1916.

There is no evidence thus far that he produced machines under his own name. It may be that the O'Grady mentioned as a manufacturer is a different person to T.P.

Sources: primotipo.com, earlymotor.com, Mortat cemetery Peronne on FB, et al

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