1904 - 1996

Sir Hubert Opperman, OBE, often referred to as Oppy by Australian and French crowds, was an Australian cyclist, whose feats in the 1920s and 1930s earned him international acclaim. He began competitive racing as a teenager and came third in a cycling race at 17 in 1921, keeping pace with the more experienced riders.

Opperman was only 20 years old when he won the Australian national road race title for the first time in 1924. He was the only rider to win the title four times, winning again in 1926, 1927 and 1929. In 1937, Sir Hubert Opperman cycled across the Nullarbor from Cottesloe beach in Perth to Bondi in Sydney. Opperman smashed the previous record to arrive in 13 days, 10 hours and 11 minutes, but rumours swirled that he had not covered the entire 4427km under his own power and that his manager Bruce Small had towed him part of the way.

Opperman contested the 1928 Tour de France at the head of the Ravat-Wonder-Dunlop team, the first Australian/New Zealand team to contest the race. He was joined by fellow Australians Ernie Bainbridge and Percy Osborn and Harry Watson of New Zealand. Opperman finished 19th overall. After the Tour he raced in the Bol dOr 24-hour classic, where his team claimed he was sabotaged by having his chains filed, forcing him to use a heavy commuter bike unsuited for racing.

By the time his preferred bicycle was fixed, the race leaders were almost 20 laps in front. Opperman rode for 17 hours without dismounting, winning the race to the rapturous support of the French crowd. He rode on another 80 minutes to break the 100km record. The effort endeared him to the French.

With the onset of the World War II, Opperman joined the Australian Air Force and retired from racing in 1947. He rode until he was 90 years old when it is said that his wife, fearing for his safety, begged him to stop.

Courtesy the State Library of New South Wales.