Kangaroo Point Cycling Club

The current logo of the club clearly showing the date of its establishment in 1905.

The KANGAROO POINT CYCLING CLUB is the oldest cycling club in Qld. It was established on 14 July 1905 at a meeting at the Pineapple Hotel, Kangaroo Point and is still going strong.

Notice in The Brisbane Courier, Saturday 17 July 1905. “A meeting was held in the Pineapple Hotel, Kangaroo Point, last night to form a cycling club. Mr H. Thompson presided, and about twenty-five cyclists were present. It was decided to form a club under the name of the Kangaroo Point Cycling Club, and to affiliate with the Q.C.U.

The Club’s patron that year was Hon. J.H. McConnell, and the club President was the Hon E.J. Stevens (M.L.A. for Logan), he was one of the most highly respected sporting identities in the State and is considered to be the “Father” of amateur sport in Queensland.

Other members of the club in its first season, when it boasted 16 members, were John W. and Norman F. Hetherington, father and son who would later become Mayor and treasurer of Brisbane.

Although officially affiliated in 1905, the club in fact held its first race meeting in 1903 with three road handicaps. In that year P. Burke (the club’s actual founder) was Captain and Fred. Whimp was secretary. In 1904 R. Peters was Captain and Norman Hetherington was Secretary.

1913: Four members of the Junior team with their bikes.
1914: Twelve members of the Kangaroo Point Cycling Club posing in front of one of their bikes . Back row, left to right: T. Thorpy; T. R. Herman; J. Carnegie. Middle Row: G. Bell-Booth; S. B. Gee; F. Trim; J. Dunning. Front row: A. Allen B. Muir; C. W. R. Just (president) J. A. Bell (hon. secretary) T. Rowan

Even in the first 15 years, or so, the club supported many State and Australian Champions, with the likes of Joe Bell, Syd Gee and Jack King. Jack won many state and Australian titles and in 1920, was one of the first ever two cyclists selected to represent Australia at the Olympics (in Antwerp). He was Queensland’s first ever Olympic representative. Other club members who almost made it to the Olympics were Harry Clayton, who would have been at the 1940 Olympics, were they not cancelled, and Alan Hoger who made it into the final cut before Melbourne in 1956.

1928: Members of the Kangaroo Point Cycling Club. (State Library of Queensland, Neg: 2 237348 ) Sitting on the floor, C. Davies; J. McConkey;. Back row, left to right,—I. Fitzgerald; R. Meteyard; W. Glasby; E. Hansen; K.Thake. Third row– N. Little; H. Bell; S, Muir; L. Pritchard; T. Moord; G. Greasley. Second Row—K. Smith; K. Middleton; G. W. Dibble; V. Parnell (Handicapper) P. Finnemore; S. Forster; N. Gailey. First Row—F. J. McAuliffe; J. Parr (Junr. Captain); C. Scraggs (Junr. Chairman); W. Muir; J. Carnegie (Press Correspondent); W. Ledbury (Junr. Secretary); R. Pattersen; C. Cowell. Seated left to right: G. Luxton; W. Hinton (Treasurer); I. C. James (Chairman); H. D. Opperman (President); H. Morgan (Secretary); T. S. Wallace (Captain; H. V. Juster (Vice-President).

The twenties was a strong time for cycling in Brisbane, apart from numerous dirt tracks and roads on the city’s outskirts, we also had two velodromes, a concrete circuit around the “Gabba” and board track at the RNA exhibition grounds. This time saw the rise of many of the club’s most prominent members, these included Bill Muir, Shearer Goubareff (who was also a champion weight lifter) and Tom Wallace (a well known cycling identity in Brisbane for many years, “Tom Wallace Cycles” at Lutwyche still bares his name). Norm. Gailey M.B.E. who was not only our Club president for over 50 years, but also president of the Queensland Cyclists Association, Australian Cycling Federation and many Olympic and Commonwealth games committees. It was Norm. Gailey who was responsible for bringing the Commonwealth Games to Brisbane in 1982.

(Text Source: http://kpcc.org.au/club-history/)