BSA/HD MC Club History
The inaugural meeting of the B.S.A. club was held at 8.00pm on Monday 15 march 1937 at Mortlock Bros Ltd situated at 914 Hay Street Perth
The meeting was attended by some 35 BSA riders who decided to form the club & elected the following to hold office for the ensuing 12 months
Patron H.J.Mortlock
President R. Mortlock
Sec. Treasurer L.J. Mortlock
Club Captain W. Bugg
Sports J.W. Porter
Membership was open only for owners and riders of B.S.A. Motor Cycles. The aim of the club was to promote social and sporting activities and improve the Motorcycling scene in general.
Recess
The club was very active and successful and continued in this manner until the clubs 100th meeting held on the 25th June 1941, where it was decided to go into recess until petrol conditions improved, or for the duration of the war
Post War
The first post war meeting was held on the 27th febuary 1946 where the constitution was altered to open membership to riders of other makes of motorcycles.
Road Racing
The club initially was orientated around street machines so naturally tended towards fostering road races. It was the BSA Club that pioneered road racing at Yanchep, Wundowie and Quinns Rock. We produced many champions within this road racing era and names such as Ron Gill, Lloyd Chapman, Doc Kingdom, Eric Nichol, Ron Easson, Ron Bradbury and many others were to the fore at all events and held many state and Australian championships between them
Motocross
In the late fifties Motocross came of age and again the club played a major part in promoting this side of the sport by conducting for many years the famous BSA Mud Scramble at Guildford, alongside Great Eastern Hwy, also the Guildford Grass Track held adjacent to the mud course
The club again boasted many champions in the Motocross field none better than Charlie West. Charlie Reigned Supreme in the late fifties and early sixties by winning countless state championships and no fewer than seven Australian Titles.
Another rider to carry the BSA name to great success was Rick Gill, the son of life member Ron Gill who won many feature events including three Harleys and two BSA Cups, plus many State Championships.
Riders of the calibre of Alan McCarthy, Graeme Smythe, Robert Woodward, Peter Benson all won BSA Cups and ensured the BSA Club of being well represented on the motocross Scene.
Grounds
In 1970 the club obtained the grounds at Noble Falls and has conducted the Golden Breed Classic in 1975, which was considered by many experts as having the largest crowd ever seen at an outdoor MX Venue. This event featured all Australias leading riders and possibly started the now accepted procedure of bringing eastern states riders over to compete.
In 1979 we held the Gaston Rahier meeting which was the first time a world MX Champion competed in WA, again a huge success.
Over the past few years the club has held State Championships, Western Classics and Australian Championships, all with the flair and expertise that has become a hallmark of all events held at Noble Falls.
BSA/HD Motorcycle Club of WA Life Members
The following is a list of dedicated BSA/HD club members who have had their outstanding services to the club rewarded with Life Memberships. Members are elected for Life memberships for” Members of ten years of continual membership, in good standing, who have rendered signal service to the Club”.
The BSA/HD Motorcycle Club of WA recognizes and acknowledges:
Syd Smith Lloyd Chapman Rick Hoare Bill Thomas Tom Hunt Dennis Knox Brian Rudd Ian Wilkins Justin Thomas |
Jeff Thomas Ron Gill Ray Duncan Tom Crimmins Ted Woodward Les Dalton Greg Tate Chris Glasby Anthony Robson |
Barry Osborne Terry Brigatti Mark Brigatti Anthony Sarich Howard Brown Judy Brown Jodie Brown Cameron Mableson |
