Summary

Cycling prize awarded to Hubert Opperman, for the Barnet Glass Centenary Road Race, 1934. This week-long cycling race held in stages around Victoria commemorated the establishment of the first permanent European settlement in the Port Phillip District (later the colony of Victoria) in 1834 and the founding of Melbourne the following year.

Stages included Melbourne to Warrnambool, Warrnambool to Stawell, Stawell to Bendigo (via Ballarat), Bendigo to Wangaratta, Wangaratta to Mount Buffalo and Omeo, Omeo to Sale and Sale to Melbourne. There were 115 racers and four divisions (each division with a different coloured sweater), with 30 riders in the 'scratch mark'. The youngest rider was C.J. Beasley at age 18, and oldest was his father, famous cyclist J.C. Beasley at age 45.

A special holiday was called in Wangaratta on the 24th of October to celebrate this race, known as one of the most important of the centenary celebrations.

Opperman had the flu leading up to this race, so his form and stamina were greatly commended. This medal marked '165 miles' appears to have been awarded to Opperman for one of the stages only as the distance in insufficient to be an award for the whole race..

Physical Description

Metal medal enamelled in red, white, blue & green.

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