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Coburg Cycling Club is one of the oldest cycling clubs in Australia,
originating in 1896. The club has been
home to many great riders over the years and will continue to foster
riders into the future. Coburg members have competed in the Tour de
France, Olympics and have won many National and State Championships.
Club Historian, David Halford has compiled some Historic Highlights
of the Coburg Cycling Club and Hall of Fame.
Coburg owns its own club rooms and velodrome, located in Melbourne's
northern suburb of Coburg. The 250m velodrome is one of the states
premier cycling tracks.
Members across all levels of cycling are welcome to join us. Coburg
members race locally at club level, right up to competing
internationally. Members often arrange group training rides and
social occasions.
History
1896-1930
Founded as a social cycling group in March 1896 by members of
the St. Paul's church choir on Sydney Road, the Coburg Cycling Club
very quickly found itself participating in all levels of cycle
sport.
1930's
For a period in the 1930's, Coburg's Amateurs arguably ruled
the roost on both track and road with the exploits of Reg. Goodwin
and
Ernie Milliken, known by some of as 'The Eagle of The Road'.
Milliken turned professional and headed over to Europe with 'Oppy',
the two of them succeeding in establishing many road records.
1940's-1970's
In the 40's Fireman Joe Parmely 'The Engine' along with the
likes of Ken Stewart stamped their authority on the cycling scene
with their rides on the Essendon Board Track and Sixday circuit both
here and overseas. The 1956 Melbourne Olympics were a highlight for
all Australians, no less so than the Sprint Ace Richard 'Dick' Ploog,
who succeeded in winning Bronze in the 1000 Metre Sprint. His
club-mate Jim Neven a 'veteran' of the Games accompanied Dick to The
Games after having competed at Helsinki in 1952. Later Olympians
from the Club would be Kevin Brislin (1960 Tokyo) and Ron Boyle
(1976 Montreal). In the 1960's Melbourne's Olympic Velodrome was the
home of the 'Milk' Sixday event, Coburg riders such as John Young
were prominent throughout the series. On the road in the Sun Tour
Peter Panton cleared up overall with his wins in 1959 and 1960.
Coburg pro. 'Bulldog' Besanko would do the same in 1976.
1970's-2005
Early in the 1970's the current 250m Coburg Velodrome was
completed, built on the same site as earlier club track(s) which had
been located at this spot since the 1920's. The Velodrome and
well-equipped clubrooms would play host to a number of Austral's
during the 1980's - club members like Alan Rackstraw having
benefited from the training and racing of his home track. In 1996
the club celebrated it's 100 year with a dinner at the North
Melbourne FC - the guest list of old members which included the
first Secretary of the CACC from 1928, read like an A-Z of
Australian cycling! Never a club to rest on it's laurels, the 1990's
had club members competing in all disciplines of cycling, including
Triathlon - Emma Carney winning the 1994 World Triathlon Title has
to be a high point. Narelle Peterson, the first Australian female to
win a World cycling title transferred to the club in her reigning
year 1995 - a great addition to a great club.
Eric Hall 3 Day
Tour Hall of Fame |
