The Best Early Indian Photo Ever!

Over 40 bikes and 70 club members during a rest stop on this 1927 rally.

A very detailed photo enlarged to a massive A1 size including a recently discovered original newspaper article about the rally.

My Grandfather Ivor Dennis (in the centre holding the end of the flag), was the first Indian Motorcycle Agent in Australasia, selling Indian Motorcycles from his shop in Main Street Bairnsdale in country Victoria. Competing in the 1920, 200 mile Australian Classic in Sale, Victoria, Ivor came home to third place whilst riding a 1917 “Powerplus” Indian.  I believe the 1928 Indian Scout 101 which my dad John and I are restoring, was originally sold by Ivor.

Several of the bikes in the photo displayed signs that read: Gypsy Tour – Melbourne to Sydney.  Ivor greeted the group in Bairnsdale and organised a photo to promote his business. 

Looking at the bikes in the photo we concluded that it was likely to have been taken in 1927/28, and contacted the State Library of Victoria (Australia) for assistance. They discovered a newspaper article from the Sydney Morning Herald dated 29/12/1927. Although it was printed without a photograph, it clearly described the group in our photo (The Indian Motorcycle Club of Victoria) mentioning some of the characters and bikes. The article also described the route taken, condition of the roads and what activities were planned on arrival.

Those seeing the photo, suggested that if I ever had it copied and enlarged, they would like one. With permission from the Sydney Morning Herald to reproduce the article, I decided to combine the two and have some printed in A1 poster size (24" high and 33" long) supplied in mailing tube and sell them to raise funds to complete the restoration of our 101 Scout. 

Below is some of the text from the newspaper article.  The full story is is included along the bottom of the poster.

What is believed to be the largest “gypsy touring” party of motorcyclists organised in any part of the world arrived in Sydney yesterday afternoon from Melbourne, when 70 people of all ages from a young child to a man of 63, travelling on 41 motorcycles, were welcomed............................... are members of the Indian Motor Cycle Club of Melbourne, and they are spending holidays in making an interstate tour. The idea of a “gypsy tour” originated in America. There these tours are usually being organised simultaneously in different cities and towns, and routes all converging .......................... camp out at night as often as possible. The party, which reached Sydney yesterday, followed the Prince’s Highway from Melbourne, riding from Melbourne to Traralgon, 108 miles, on the first day, Saturday last, thence to Sans Souci, 99 miles, Bega, 138 miles, Bateman’s Bay, 99 miles and Sydney.

Included in the party are the wives of a number of the motor cyclists, and also Miss “Bobbie Roberts, who rode a motorcycle throughout, and stated that she had thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the tour.

Appreciation is expressed by the tourists of the assistance given them by the New South Wales Police since their arrival in the State. Speaking of the roads, the party said that Victorian roads were like billiard tables compared with most of the New South Wales roads over which they had travelled.

In addition to the lady members of the party, one, Mr Quinton, is said to be deaf and dumb, but is nevertheless an enthusiastic motor cyclist. Two members of the party, Messrs. G Ricketts and J. Armour, came to Melbourne from Tasmania especially for the ride, while two others hail from Port Fairy, near Warrnambool, and about 200 miles from Melbourne. Some of the motor cycles, which included specimens of every type produced by manufacturers, ranging from a little 348 c.c. single cylinder Indian Prince to a four-cylinder Indian-Ace, were very heavily loaded, notably that of Mr. and Mrs. C. Bond and their child. This cycle carried a very large package of luggage, but it made a fine ascent of all the hills, including Bulli Pass. The party experienced every variety of weather on the journey. It was intensely hot when they left Melbourne on Christmas Eve, cooler and windy at other stages, and yesterday they met with rain.

The party will remain in Sydney until Tuesday next................................. run to Melbourne is expected to be done in three days, following the Federal Highway via Yass, Albury, and Euroa.

Sydney Morning Herald 29/12/1927 Page 9

The Indian Motocycle Club of Australia organised a re-enactment of the 1927 Gypsy Tour rally which ran from the end of March and early April 2008.  This 80th anniversary 2008 Gypsy Tour followed the original route and was a huge success.