FOR more than 140 years, cycling has shaped Australian life, and a fascinating new exhibition takes a unique look at the bicycle and its impact on Australia’s social, economic and political life.
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The bicycle arrived in Australia in the 1870s, and within 10 years had become a popular form of transportation.
The wobbly but fast penny farthing soon fell out of vogue as the “safety bicycles” which bear the shape we recognise today became increasingly popular.
Cheaper than a car and more practical than a horse, the bicycle gave ordinary people a means to travel much further in a day, and to enjoy the landscape in a way that previously had not existed.
It played an important role in the early suffrage movement as the 19th century drew to a close, offering women autonomy and a means to organise and campaign from community to community, and to break with the physical bonds of home.
The bicycle’s rise to prominence was meteoric, and cycling heroes came to great acclaim.
Arthur Richardson became a celebrity after circumnavigating Australia (a whopping 18,507km on and off-road) carrying 12kg luggage and a pistol.
Australia’s first Tour de France legend, Hubert ‘Oppy’ Opperman would use his stellar profile to transition from athlete to politician, representing the Liberal Party in the seat of Corio for 17 years from 1949.
Only in the 1950s did the car take over as our most popular form of transportation, reshaping urban spaces and our social lives.
The sport of cycling professionalised as technology and training made new feats possible, while teenage fashion forged new aesthetics for the bicycle, giving us first the dragster and the BMX.
Ever evolving, the bicycle seems poised once more to change society for the better, with its potential to improve our wellbeing and reduce traffic congestion.
The exhibition features rare and intriguing objects that bring this story to life.
Visitors can see the bicycle Cadel Evans rode in the 2008 Tour de France, and the futuristic recumbent bicycle that Peter Heal used to set solo records traversing the Australian continent.
An 1884 penny farthing that belonged to champion racer Harry Clarke, classic Malvern Star posters and an original 1982 stack hat are among the eclectic and fascinating displays.
Freewheeling: Cycling in Australia is on display now at our Historic Council Chambers site (corner Baylis and Morrow streets) until May 15.
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