Advertisement for Dunlop bicycle tyres: The world-famed Warrnambool and the Colac 100 races

Abstract

An advertisement that incorporates two portrait photographs and five snapshots of bicycle race incidents. The portraits are of: Hubert Opperman (Victoria), Australasian road champion, 1926 and T.H. Marshall (Queensland), Australasian amateur road champion, 1926.The captions for the race photographs are clockwise from top: 'Finish of Australia's Greatest Cycling Event - the Warrnambool; Heavy Road in Stony Rises; Water Splash near Colac; Feed Station near Colac; Fall - in mud patch - Stony Rises.'The 165 mile Warrnambool to Melbourne run was for cash riders and the 100 mile Colac to Melbourne race was for amateurs. The Warrnambool and the Colac races were held on the same day each year. In 1926 that date was 9 October just after 48 hours of heavy rain which made conditions on the roads very difficult. Since 1897 Dunlop Rubber had helped sponsor bicycle races by setting up food stations along the routes. In the 1950s Sir Hubert Opperman became a federal member of parliament. Show more