Summary
Small mounted gold nugget presented to Hubert Opperman, 7th September 1933, as a souvenir of his recording-breaking ride from Kalgoorlie to Perth.
Opperman rode the full 377.8 miles (608 km) in 25 hours and 37 minutes, breaking the old record of W. Smith by 27 hours and 23 minutes.
Crowds of between 10,000 and 15,000 gathered at Forrest Place in Perth, the end point of the ride. Policemen found the crowd hard to contain due to their immense enthusiasm. Opperman was carried by revelers to the local Bruce Small Pty Ltd office, the sponsors of the race.
In the evening, Oppy was decorated with a victory wreath by H. Millington, then Minister for Agriculture. This was a day of great celebration and joy for Australian cycling, and for Oppy himself.
Physical Description
Small gold nugget mounted on brown wooden base. Plaque affixed to one side.
More Information
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Collection Names
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Donation from Sir Hubert Opperman, Jun 1979
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Presented To
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Sponsor
Bruce Small Pty Ltd, Perth, Greater Perth, Western Australia, Australia, 1933
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Inscriptions
Engraved on plaque fixed to front of mounting: ' Presented to / - H. OPPERMAN - / As a Souvenir of the 'FIELDS / On the Occasion of his attempt on the / Kalgoorlie-Perth Record / --- 7 . 9 . 33 ---- ' White sticker, beneath base: ' 95 '
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Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
75 mm (Length), 38 mm (Width), 25 mm (Height)
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Keywords
