Australian Motorcycles

Today in Motorcycle History

Melba Motorcycles

There are three possibilities, at least.

Melba Cycle Works, York Mid. Junction, W.A. 1907
(York is 100km east of Perth.)

Melba Cycle Works, 132 Little Collins Street, Melbourne. 1902.

And this one from Tasmania, 1909:

MOTORING--BY SPARK.

The riders of two motor cycles named, in accordance with the fashion of motor nomenclature, "Melba" and "Possum," decided to go east about recently, and it is in order to chronicle the experiences that befell them that these notes are written.

Possibly, readers of this column (who, by the way, are not all motorists) may wonder why such names for a contraption of steel, cast iron, aluminium, and india-rubber, but after all, there is a good deal of sentiment in most motorists, who regard their mounts in something of the same light as a horseman does his favourites.

"Melba," a powerful 5-h.p. twin Vindec, received her unofficial designation owing to her musical propensities when running at speed, whilst "Possum," a 3½-h.p. "Triumph." was christened thus from her climbing proclivities, a display of which was given on Maggs' Hill as the twain wended their "spirited" way Scottstdaleward...

Examiner (Launceston, Tas.) Tue 24 Aug 1909
Trove NLA

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