Built by Blacklock and Fuller of Albury of Albury (est. 1892), and referred to as both Relay and Relay-Minerva, the first machines appeared in 1902 powered by a Minerva engines.
A.E. Fuller left the business around 1908, and Fred Blacklock continued producing machines using Fafnir and NSU engines. In 1910 the business moved to larger premises in Kiewa Street.
A 4½ h.p. model became available in 1911. Fafnir bolt-on 3½ h.p. engines were also in use, fitted to the Relay bicyle frame with the addition of sprung front forks.
A report from 1913 on a fair says they had 5 motor cycles on display: Relay, Douglas and a BSA. That year they became agents for Ford automobiles.
Mr E. Fuller, of Albury, established a fine motor cycle performance last week by riding from Melbourne to Albury, a distance of 201 miles, in the record time of 9 hrs. 3 min. Only those motorists or cyclists who have ever been over the wretched roads and tracks extending from Sydney almost right up to Albury, have any conception of what fast motoring is like over this country.
Mr Fuller's mount was a Dunlop shod, spring frame, Relay 2¾ h.p. motor cycle, and the fact that the machine went through this rough country at an average speed of 22 miles an hour is conclusive proof that a reliable and durable motor cycle can be properly assembled in these States.
Weekly Times (Melbourne) Sat 14 Jan 1905
Entrants in the Dunlop Reliability Motor Contest from Sydney to Melbourne
A. E. Fuller. N.S.W. (2¾ h.p. Relay)...
Table Talk (Melbourne, Vic.) Thu 16 Feb 1905
In 1914, next door to the motoring business in Kiewa Street, Blacklocks' Theatre Royal opened.
Frederick Charles Blacklock died unexpectedly on April 20, 1930. Over 1000 mourners stood by his graveside.
The Blacklocks name lives on: blacklocksmotorcycles.com.au
Sources: Trove NLA; alburyhistory.org.au
If you have a query or information about this Australian motorcycle please contact us
