Tracking cycling history and heritage in Queensland

Guest blogger: Dr Kate Kirby, 2025 Queensland Heritage Register Fellow.

For many who grew up in Queensland, riding a bicycle is a familiar childhood memory.¹ Photographs held in the John Oxley Library capture such experiences, showing children cycling for recreation or as a means of transport to popular community facilities such as picture theatres or city baths. The significance of the bicycle extends beyond childhood recreation. Bicycles played an important role in the state’s labour history, with shearers, miners and police officers among those who relied on them as a practical and efficient mode of transport.²

Black-and-white photograph of a young woman in early 20th-century dress and wide-brimmed hat standing beside a bicycle, holding the handlebars. A small dog sits at her feet. She poses in front of a patterned wooden fence with garden plants surrounding her.

Ida Zornig, Maryborough, ca. 1911. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Negative number: 62093

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Black-and-white photograph of a large group of miners gathered outside an industrial timber structure, many seated on bicycles in the front row. The men wear work clothes and hats, some with lamps, suggesting a coal mining community. Additional workers stand on stairs and platforms behind them.

Miners on bicycles in Howard. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Negative number 152572

As a sport, cycling surged in popularity throughout Queensland during the 1880s. In this period, cycling clubs were formed in major centres and regional towns, including Brisbane, Ipswich, Rockhampton, Townsville and Warwick. During the 1890s, more specialised clubs emerged, such as the Brisbane Safety Bicycle Club and the Brisbane Ladies’ Bicycle Club.³ By the end of the century, the formation of a Queensland cycling union and league signalled growing interest in cycling within the state's sporting culture.⁴

Rules of the Brisbane Bicycling Club booklet.

Rules of the Brisbane Cycling Club, 1886. Via: State Library of Queensland. Call Number: JSM 796.62 BRI. State Library of Queensland.

The availability of bicycles and interest in the sport grew in tandem.⁵ Early enthusiasm centred on tricycles and penny farthings, before shifting to the easier ‘safety’ bicycle design familiar today.⁶ As demand grew, bicycle stores emerged across Queensland’s cities and towns, opening as dealers or agents.⁷ Many were established by experienced cyclists, described as “practical champions on the wheel” and expert mechanics.⁸ Examples include Bunda Cycles and Burnett Cycle Works in Bundaberg, and James Smith & Sons, which operated in Brisbane, Rockhampton and Toowoomba.

Black-and-white photograph of a late 19th-century bicycle showroom filled with upright bicycles arranged across the floor. Glass display cabinets line the walls, holding parts and accessories, while framed items and signage hang above. A multi-seat tandem bicycle is mounted high along the wall.

Showroom, James Smith & Sons, Queen Street, Brisbane, 1899. Bicycle - Copy Print Photographic Collection. State Library of Queensland

Black-and-white photograph of the Bunda Cycles shopfront in Bundaberg, circa 1920s. Several young men and boys stand with bicycles outside the timber building, while a woman stands in the doorway. Large windows display cycles inside, and a sign reading “Bunda Cycles” is mounted above.

Bunda Cycles, Bundaberg, ca. 1928. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Negative number: 59335

Burnett Cycle Works, Bundaberg, March 1925.

Advertisement from The Bundaberg Mail, March 1925, for Geo. Dawson Burnett Cycle Works, Bundaberg

Early races were held in local parks, gardens and sports grounds. In Brisbane, key venues included the Botanic Gardens, the Albert Sports Ground, and the Breakfast Creek Sports Ground.⁹ Track racing was also popular at the Toowong Sports Ground from 1883.¹⁰ A bicycle carnival held there in 1884 included a one-mile handicap, one-mile tricycle race, club championship race, and a five-mile intercolonial championship.¹¹ By 1885, the carnival was reported to attract up to 4000 spectators, reflecting the growing popularity of the sport.¹²

Black-and-white photograph of a bicycle racing event at Toowong, Brisbane, circa 1885. Cyclists ride along a curved track bordered by spectators, tents, and horse-drawn carriages. Large trees surround the grounds, while crowds gather along pathways and fences to watch the race.

Bicycle racing at Toowong, Brisbane, Queensland, ca. 1885. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Negative number: 72980

Worn and stained printed programme for the Brisbane Cycling Club Annual Championship Race Meeting, held Saturday, September 10, 1887, at Union Ground, Toowong. Decorative borders and illustrations of early bicycles frame the text, with visible creases, tears, and age-related damage across the paper.

Official Programme: Annual Championship Race Meeting, Toowong Brisbane, 1887. Sport-Cycling Ephemera Collection. State Library of Queensland.

Local showgrounds also became important venues for community cycling races across Queensland.¹³ Competitions were held at showgrounds in Ayr, Bundaberg, Caboolture, Charters Towers, Childers, Ipswich, Mackay, Maryborough, Rockhampton and Townsville. Cycling events were frequently incorporated into broader multi-sport carnivals or organised as fundraising activities tied to public holidays and civic celebrations. At the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds, cycling races were held on a grass track from 1888 and were later staged alongside speedway events.¹⁴ A range of local, state and national championships were also hosted at the Brisbane Cricket Ground at Woolloongabba.¹⁵ The original dirt track surface was later upgraded to asphalt.¹⁶ A programme from 1910 illustrates the track layout for events ranging from quarter-mile sprints to 20-mile races.¹⁷

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Aged printed programme titled “Official Programme” for a Championship Cycling and Pedestrian Carnival, held at the Exhibition Ground on Saturday, October 1, 1898. Decorative typography in black and red, with ornate borders, shows wear, stains, and torn edges, and lists price as sixpence.

Official Programme: championship cycling and pedestrian carnival, 1898 from the Sport - Cycling : ephemera material collected by the State Library of Queensland.

Enter the ‘drome’. The first board velodrome built in Brisbane, and indeed Queensland, opened in September 1929.¹⁸ Situated on St Paul’s Terrace at Alexandra Park across from the Exhibition Grounds, the track was described as a “furlong round” was “banked at angles varying from 18 to 45 degrees”.¹⁹ As reported from the opening night, “spectators were thrilled by the perilous angle at which the wheelmen and their pacers on motorcycles took the steep ends of the track”.²⁰ It soon became a popular venue for state and national track cycling championships.²¹ Following business issues, the ‘drome’ closed in 1933, and the Council organised demolition the same year.²²

Black-and-white printed image titled “A ‘Crackerjack’ Behind Pace,” showing a male cyclist riding a track bicycle. He wears a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, leaning forward over the handlebars. The image appears in a publication, with a bordered frame and textured background suggesting motion or speed.

Jack King at the Brisbane Velodrome, December 1929. from Sports Referee Newspaper.

Black-and-white newspaper image titled “Spinning Round The Curves,” showing cyclists racing on a steeply banked velodrome track. Riders lean sharply into the curve, closely grouped, suggesting high speed and competition.

Spinning Round the Curve - Brisbane Velodrome. Truth Newspaper 1929

Despite the closure of the ‘drome’, interest in track cycling continued. In Brisbane, competition returned to flat tracks, with racing held at Balmoral, Lang Park, and Kelvin Grove. Across regional Queensland, communities prioritised the development of cycling tracks, with facilities established at Bundaberg (Drinan Park), Caboolture, Charters Towers (Dan Lane), Maryborough (Granville and Tinana), Mount Isa (Wellington Oval), Ipswich (Bundamba and Woodend), Toowoomba (Griffith Park), Townsville (Railway Estate and Keyatta Park), and Warwick (Australiana Park).²³

Black-and-white photograph of a bicycle race at a rural track, with cyclists rounding a distant curve. A long line of early motor cars is parked beside the course, and spectators stand nearby. A small shed sits in the foreground, with open fields and trees in background.

Aerial view of bicycle race track, Brandon, ca. 1940. Photograph held by Burdekin Library. Image number: bur00234

Faded colour photograph of a velodrome cycling race, with riders circling the track in the background. Spectators and officials stand and sit in the foreground, some wearing hats. A scoreboard and signage are visible, with trees and buildings beyond, suggesting a warm, outdoor sporting event setting.

Charters Towers Velodrome, Dan Lane, 1977. Photograph from Charters Towers Library Archives.

Black-and-white photograph of a cyclist riding low along the inside wall of a hand-dug dirt velodrome. The steep circular track forms a bowl shape, with a few onlookers standing at the rim. Trees, fencing, and rough ground surround the unusual, improvised cycling venue.

Cyclist riding round the inside of a hand dug dirt velodrome, Queensland, ca. 1930. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image number: 5955-0040-0001

The state cycling championships continued and were held in Mount Isa in 1953.²⁴ A few years earlier, the Mount Isa Cycle Club had collaborated with Mount Isa Mines (MIM) to establish a velodrome in the bed of the Leichardt River (Wellington Oval Velodrome).²⁵

Printed cover of an official souvenir programme for the Mount Isa Cycle Club Committee 1953 Cycling Carnival. Blue text and border frame an illustration of racing cyclists. Details include “First Session, Saturday Night, 4th April” and price, with a library stamp and slight paper wear visible.

1953 Cycling Carnival: Official Souvenir Programme, Mount Isa, 1953. Sport - Cycling : ephemera material collection at the State Library of Queensland

Colour photograph of cyclists racing around a dirt velodrome at Miles End, Mount Isa, circa 1956. Riders lean into a curved track while spaced in a line. Spectators stand along a fence, with scattered buildings, trees, and parked cars visible under a cloudy sky.

Bicycle racing at velodrome, Miles End, Mount Isa, c. 1956. Photo by Peter Laurisen held in the Peter Laurisen Collection, Mount Isa City Library.

One of Queensland's most well-known velodromes is the Chandler Outdoor Velodrome, constructed for the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games. Construction commenced in 1979 and was completed well in time for the Commonwealth Games cycling events in October 1982.²⁶ Cyclist Kenrick Tucker famously won gold in the Men’s Sprint event at these Games. Following Tucker’s return home to Rockhampton, a local velodrome was opened in his honour.²⁷ Developed from plans initiated in 1979, the Rockhampton facility was realised through strong local community support.²⁸

Wide panoramic colour photograph of a modern velodrome at Chandler, featuring a smooth concrete track surrounding a grassy infield. Tiered seating and a covered grandstand overlook the arena, with scattered people on the field. Trees and buildings frame the venue beneath a clear blue sky.

Commonwealth Games Velodrome, Chandler, 1981. Brisbane City Archives.

Faded colour photograph showing construction of a velodrome track, with earthmoving machinery shaping a dirt surface. A curved embankment is being formed, with exposed soil, puddles, and stakes in the foreground. Trees and small buildings surround the site, indicating an outdoor regional construction setting.

Construction of velodrome, Rockhampton, May 1982. Via: Rockhampton Regional Library History Centre

Colour photograph of workers constructing a velodrome, standing on a steep embankment lined with steel reinforcing mesh. One man operates a hose pouring concrete while others guide it. Timber formwork frames the slope, with trees and dry landscape visible behind the active construction site.

Velodrome pour in progress, Rockhampton, July 1982. Rockhampton Regional Library History Centre.

The material heritage of velodromes in Queensland, and their broader cultural and sporting significance, remains underrepresented in official heritage listings. Despite Queenslanders' long-standing enthusiasm for racing in circles, no velodrome is currently listed for heritage protection on the Queensland Heritage Register. A search of the category ‘place type: Recreation and entertainment > Velodrome’ returns no results. In comparison, the Victorian Heritage Database includes two velodromes, the Brunswick Velodrome and the Coburg Velodrome. Built in the early to mid-twentieth century, both demonstrate the historical and social significance of relatively rare sporting infrastructure and their continued use by communities and clubs.

Entries in the Queensland Heritage Register referring to the history of cycling (5) and bicycles (18) occur more frequently. For example, the entry for the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds notes the development of the cycling track in the 1880s, with a brief footnote noting the short existence of the ‘drome’ nearby. The Register also documents a history of bicycle racing at the Townsville Showgrounds. However, neither entry relates to the tangible heritage protection of an extant cycling track or velodrome.

Amid the development of criterium tracks in local communities and Queensland’s first indoor velodrome (Anna Meares Velodrome) in Brisbane, many twentieth-century outdoor velodromes continue to be used by local cycling clubs. Some of these tracks have been restored and resurfaced, e.g. Australiana Park in Warwick (2021) and Drinan Park in Bundaberg (2025). Others have fallen into disrepair or been lost entirely, such as the Limestone Park Velodrome in Ipswich, which was demolished in 2010.²⁹

In the future, will such places persist only as traces in the historical record, much like the original ‘drome’, or should some local and/or state heritage protections be considered to recognise selected velodromes as tangible markers of Queensland’s cycling history?

Night-time view of a velodrome illuminated by tall floodlights, with cyclists riding along the steeply banked track. A chain-link fence lines the foreground. Spectators gather near the track edge, while the grassy infield sits dark beneath a cloudy sky and visible moon.

Kenrick Tucker Velodrome, October 2020. Photographer Kate Kirby.

Wide view of a modern outdoor velodrome with a smooth black track curving around a grassy infield. A lone cyclist rides along the far bend. Metal railings line the foreground, with floodlights, houses, and trees beneath a partly cloudy blue sky.

Drinan Park Velodrome, Bundaberg, 2025. Photographer Kate Kirby.

Dr Kate Kirby,
2025 Queensland Heritage Register Fellowship

The Queensland Heritage Register Fellowship is generously supported by the Heritage Branch, Department of Environment, Science and Innovation.

Other blogs by Dr Kate Kirby:

References

¹ Department of Transport and Main Roads, More Bicycle Riding, More Often in Queensland: Research Summary Report 2018 (Queensland Government, 2018), https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/travel-and-transport/cycling/participation-and-encouragement-resources/bike-riding-participation-and-encouragement-research.

² Marion Stell, “Bicycling through Brisbane,” Queensland Historical Atlas, August 5, 2010, https://www.qhatlas.com.au/content/bicycling-through-brisbane-1896; Jim Fitzpatrick, Wheeling Matilda (Star Hill Studio, 2013); QPS Media, “From the Vault - Policing Queensland by Bicycle,” Queensland Police Museum, September 8, 2015, https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/museum/2015/09/08/from-the-vault-policing-queensland-by-bicycle/.

³ “Brisbane Ladies’ Bicycle Club: First Official Run,” The Brisbane Courier, July 19, 1897; “Brisbane Bicycle Club: Those Who Toil for It,” Evening Observer (Brisbane), February 17, 1900; “Cycling,” The Brisbane Courier (Brisbane), June 22, 1926; “Sport in Early Days: II Cycling,” Sunday Mail (Brisbane), February 13, 1938; T.G.N., “Sportographs: Early Days of Cycling,” Queensland Times, June 12, 1952; C. G. Austin, “One Hundred Years of Sport and Recreation in Queensland,” Journal of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland 6, no. 1 (1959): 268–93; Reet Howell and Max Howell, The Genesis of Sport in Queensland: From the Dreamtime to Federation (University of Queensland Press, 1992); A. H. Bock, History of Bicycling in Bundaberg 1892-1993 (Bundaberg, 1993).

⁴ “Open Carnival Lang Park, Saturday 2nd December 1939: Souvenir Programme,” Kangaroo Point Amateur Cycling Club, 1939; Marion Stell, “The Sporting Landscape,” Queensland Historical Atlas, November 17, 2010, https://www.qhatlas.com.au/sporting-landscape.

⁵ Howell and Howell, The Genesis of Sport in Queensland: From the Dreamtime to Federation.

⁶ Jim Fitzpatrick, The Bicycle and the Bush: Man and Machine in Rural Australia (Oxford University Press, 1980).

⁷ Ibid.; Stell, “Bicycling through Brisbane.”

⁸ “James Smith and Sons,” The Queenslander (Brisbane), December 20, 1902.

⁹ Howell and Howell, The Genesis of Sport in Queensland: From the Dreamtime to Federation, 146; “Open Carnival Lang Park, Saturday 2nd December 1939: Souvenir Programme”; Bill James and Jean James, Queensland Cycling: The First 100 Years (Queensland Cyclists Association, 1993).

¹⁰ The Brisbane Courier, “Cycling”; Howell and Howell, The Genesis of Sport in Queensland: From the Dreamtime to Federation, 147.

¹¹ “Bicycle Race Meeting,” The Telegraph (Brisbane), September 15, 1884.

¹² “Toowong Bicycle Sports,” Queensland Figaro and Punch (Brisbane), September 12, 1885.

¹³ Fitzpatrick, Wheeling Matilda, 134.

¹⁴ “Open Carnival Lang Park, Saturday 2nd December 1939: Souvenir Programme”; James and James, Queensland Cycling: The First 100 Years, 47; Frank Lynam, Hamilton Amateur Wheelers Founded 1908: A Hundred Years of Memories (Frank Lynam, 2008).

¹⁵ “Brisbane Cycling,” Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette, August 10, 1897; “Grand International Championship Cycling Carnival and Art Union Drawing,” Brisbane, August 13, 1910; Queensland Amateur Cyclists’ Union, “Australian Championship Carnival: Brisbane Cricket Ground 1920,” Brisbane, 1920; J. Dunning, Cycling (1981).

¹⁶ “New Cycling Track: Brisbane Cricket Ground,” The Telegraph (Brisbane), August 22, 1904; Dunning, Cycling.

¹⁷ “Grand International Championship Cycling Carnival and Art Union Drawing.”

¹⁸ “Velodrome: Successful Opening: Thrilling Cycling Races,” The Brisbane Courier (Brisbane), September 16, 1929.

¹⁹ “‘Fitzie’s’ Double: Brisbane’s Board Track Opened,” Sporting Globe (Melbourne), September 18, 1929; Sandra Thurecht, Alexandra Park Velodrome (Caboolture, 2006).

²⁰ The Brisbane Courier, “Velodrome: Successful Opening: Thrilling Cycling Races.”

²¹ “Cycling: Velodrome Finale,” The Telegraph (Brisbane), January 27, 1933; “Junior Cyclists,” The Brisbane Courier (Brisbane), January 30, 1933.

²² “Metropolitan Sporting Review,” Bundaberg Daily News and Mail (Bundaberg), January 28, 1933; Thurecht, Alexandra Park Velodrome.

²³ James and James, Queensland Cycling: The First 100 Years; Bock, History of Bicycling in Bundaberg 1892-1993.

²⁴ Mount Isa Cycle Club Committee, “1953 Cycling Carnival,” Oxford Press, 1953; “Top Riders Will Be in Mt Isa for State Titles,” Mount Isa Mail, December 26, 1953; “Persistence, Hard Work Put Mount Isa in Front Rank of Bike Racing,” Mount Isa Mail, December 18, 1953.

²⁵ “Sporting Department: Mount Isa Cycle Club,” MIMAG (Mount Isa), January 1952; “Mt Isa Bike Track Has Come Long Way,” Mount Isa Mail, December 23, 1953.

²⁶ Lynam, Hamilton Amateur Wheelers Founded 1908: A Hundred Years of Memories.

²⁷ “Velodrome a Reality,” The Morning Bulletin, March 28, 1983; “‘Cheers’ Expected at Cycle Track Opening,” The Morning Bulletin, March 17, 1983.

²⁸ “‘Golden Dollars’ to Help Build Velodrome,” The Morning Bulletin, October 13, 1982.

²⁹ Brad Weier, “Velodrome Demolition Underway,” The Queensland Times, December 4, 2010.

Tracking cycling history and heritage in Queensland

References

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