This page covers motorcycles and motorcyclists from both the Land of the Long White Cloud and the Lucky Country.
Famous names like Phil Irving, John Britten, W. O. Bentley (born in the UK to Australian parents), Jack Findlay and Harry Hawker are mentioned.
There are also pages on the early days of motorcycle racing in NSW, South Australia and Queensland.
Index of Australian & NZ Makes
Dealers
Melbourne Show, 1924 gives a brief overview of Victorian dealers.
Osborne Louis de Lissa of Australia managed Motosacoche Ltd (GB).
Numerous Australian speedway machines are discussed in the pages of the Speedway Workshop
An account of the first motorcycle to reach Australia, in early 1896, a Hildebrand and Wolfmuller
For more information on Australian motorcycle history visit the following pages:
Murray Barnard's Ozebook.
Simon Fleming's Australian Motorcycles.
Abbotsford
Manufactured by G.W.Revell of 301 Victoria Street, Abbotsford, Victoria, in 1912 and 1913.
Source: Saward via Wikipedia
ABW
A one-off custom, narrow-angle V-twin, Earles forks.
Exhibited at the Australian Motorcycle Museum, Nabiac, NSW.
Source: MxN
Absolom
Manufactured by J Absolom of 88 Brisbane Street, Launceston, Tasmania. At least one motorcycle under his own name around 1915
Source: Saward, via Wikipedia.
Acme of Burnie
Built in Tasmania by E. M. Y. Ready of Wilmot Street, Burnie 1915 to 1917. At least one of his Acme motorcycles was fitted with a Dalm two-stroke engine.
"Mr E. M. Y. Ready who came from Launceston to Burnie in 1892 and developed a successful business as a saddle, collar and harness maker, was one of those who bought land from Capt. Jones’ estate at £1 an acre. He bought several 10-acre lots, bounded by the never-to-be-made streets south of Wivenhoe Cemetery" ~ tasfhs.org
Sources: Saward, via Wikipedia., et al
Advance (S.A.)
Manufactured by I.J. Mitchell of Blyth, South Australia.
Advertised motorcycles built to order in 1905-06. At least one machine was registered.
The British firm of the same name exported machines to Adelaide which were distributed by the Sphinx firm (in 1907), so it is possible that this was one of those.
The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA) Sat 26 Nov 1904
Advance (Qld)
The advertisements below would seem to indicate that there was another "Advance" brand, this one built in Brisbane. Advertisements for the machine do not appear before or after 1906.
MOTOR Cycles. - The Advance is the latest, cheapest, and best ; built of B.S.A. parts and fitted with a 2¼ horse power Minerva engine. Price, £40. Inspection invited. The Advance Cycle and Motor Works. 199 Elizabeth-street. Trove NLA: The Brisbane Courier Thu 10 May 1906
Aero
Manufactured by Aero Motor Works of Goodwood Park, Adelaide.
W. Ryal built motorcycles fitted with JAP engines from 1918 to 1920. See also Ascot.
Source: OTTW
A.J.T.
Arthur J. Tooze of Adelaide, South Australia built two motorcycles, the first with a
JAP 2¾ hp single, and a second machine with an 8hp V-twin JAP engine. The twin was found in the 1970s and appeared to have not been completed.
Source: Saward via Wikipedia
Alert
Alert Cycle Works of 36 Commercial Rd Prahran advertised in June 1912 "Side Cars built to order. £10 10/." Other than an advertisement for junior staff the following month, there is no further mention in the press.
Source: Trove, Simon Fleming.
Alexa 1903 (Goulburn)
Allison
Arthur Allison of Allison’s Motor Garage in Grenfell Street Adelaide built motorcycles from 1902 to 1906 using Minerva engines of up to 6 h.p.
MOTOR for Sale, Minerva, 3½-h.p. Allison, good order; £37. Address M. H. Hannaford, Millbrook
The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, SA) Wed 11 Apr 1906
3½ H.P. Minerva Motor Cycle, magneto ignition, B.S.A. frame, Allison; £85.-Brush Co. Grenfell-st
The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA) Tue 22 Oct 1907
...Deards drove a 6-h.p. twin cylinder Minerva cycle, built by A. Allison...
The Register (Adelaide, SA) Mon 12 Feb 1906
In 1911 Arthur Allison was head of the Motor and Cycle Department at Eyes & Crowe, Pirie Street.
Sources: Simon Fleming, Trove NLA
Alpha
Manufactured by W.G. Doley and Co., 17 Flinders Street, Adelaide in 1904 using Minerva engines.
Mr. Doley is also an engineer and will undertake repairs to any kind of machinery, sewing machines, etc., whilst he has had considerable experience in the repairs of typewriters. Drawing and designing is undertaken for inventors, and as he is a certificated draughtsman he is well qualified for commissions of this kind, All orders are executed promptly at reasonable prices.
Quorn Mercury (SA) Fri 26 Oct 1900
Sources: Simon Fleming; Trove NLA.
N.B. Several firms use the name Alpha
A.N.A.
Manufactured by Martin J Shelley at the ANA Cycle Works, 430 Rathdowne Street, North Carlton, Victoria between c.1910 and 1919. ANA fitted engines from Fafnir, JAP, Precision, King Dick, MAG and DeLuxe, driving through Sturmey-Archer gearboxes.
A restored 1919 V-twin exists.
A.N.A. CYCLES and MOTOR CYCLES built to
order, from £8 10/ to £36 10/-; J.A.P., Fafnir,
Precision; free engines to order; Side Cars from £8 10/; Inspection invited.
M. J. SHELLEY, 430 Rathdown-street, NORTH CARLTON.
A.N.A. Motor Cycles lead the way; ask any of the riders, from 1¾ h.p. to 4¼, and they will tell you; well and worthily built; Repairs a speciality. Address above,.
The Age, Sat 22 Feb 1913
Similar advertisements appeared throughout the years 1910 to 1918 in Victoria's leading newspaper, The Age.
Sources: Simon Fleming; Trove NLA, et al
A.O.B.
SA Registrations
9196, A. E. Tavender, Narracoorte. 3½ A.O.B.
Chronicle (Adelaide, SA) Sat 20 Jan 1917
Source: Trove NLA
A.O.V.
Manufactured by A.O. Vinicombe of St Kilda, Victoria c.1912 to 1915, these were constructed using a Chater Lea frame fitted with 4½ h.p. Fafnir engine, and later with Precision single-cylinder engines.
Source: Simon Fleming
Arcade-JAP1915 (Vic.)
Ariel
Ariel Cycle & Motor Works, 114 Nicholson Street, Footscray. The firm was established by J. Anderson, who branded Healing machines as his own between 1911 and 1916.
The firm was later owned by EC Roberts, who does not seem to have marketed motorcycles. In 1925 they advertised that Ariel bicycles, built in Australia, had won a six day race in Chicago, gaining 1st, 2nd and 5th places at the hands of American champions Fred Spencer, Harris Horder and Harry Horan. These too were re-badged Healings.
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.) 25 Mar 1916
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.) Tue 30 Dec 1919
Sources:Simon Fleming; Trove NLA
Ariel (Gawler)
Constructed by A.E. Gilbert's Ariel Cycle & Motor Works, Murray St, Gawler, South Australia, 1906 and possibly later.
In 1910, Gilbert was the agent for Vivian Lewis Limited.
Sources: Simon Fleming, The Bunyip newspaper (Trove), Leon Mitchel.
Arion
Walter Chapman is believed to have built a motorcycle name "Arion" using a JAP V-twin.
Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic.) Sat 28 Sep 1912
Sources: Simon Fleming , Trove NLA
Ascot
Thought to have been built in Melbourne around 1909. Fitted with a 2½ h.p. Minerva engine.
Source: Simon Fleming
A.S.D.
Manufactured by Arthur Davey in Mildura, Victoria, c.1912 to c.1914.
1912 models were fitted with 2½, 3½ & 4¼ h.p. Precision engines in Chater Lea frames with Druid forks. 1914 machines had Precision engines fitted to a Sun chassis.
Source: Simon Fleming.
Ashfield
The Ashfield was built around 1907 or 1908 in the Sydney suburb of that name. It is believed they were powered by Buchet engines.
Source: OTTW
Astley 1911-1918 (Vic.)
A brief note about motorcycles represented on Australian Postage Stamps
Rarer Australian Marques
