Australian Motorcycles


About this web-site

This is the "under development" new version of the Australian Motorcycle Page. The major revision was triggered by the publication of the A-Z of Australian-Made Motorcycles by Rob Saward, which rendered the original version of the web-site very incomplete. With the kind permission of Rob and his publishers, Turton and Armstrong, I am revising the web-site based on the information in this book, to cover all the known makes of Australian motorcycle. This is a very big task!

This Web page provides information on Australian motorcycle manufacturers. There are brief details of the manufacturer (who, when and where) of the models, with pictures where available, and information on where bikes or more information may be found. Any comments, additions, corrections or suggestions will be gratefully recieved. This website is run by Simon Fleming - email me at scfgoose_at_bigpond.net.au (replace _at_ with @).


What's New on the Australian Motorcycles Website

26/12/09 Added 1948 Waratah information, plus fixed a few broken links here and there
22/12/09 Added extra Waratah information, plus link to Sales Brochure
21/12/09 Added pictures of The Astley
??/11/09 Relocated site from Bigpond to own server
23/07/06 Added Sphinx motorcycles
19/06/05 Added extra Waratah information
30/04/05 Relocated site to Bigpond from Ozemail
30/08/00 Added Howard motorcycles
28/08/00 Added extra Waratah information
22/04/00 Added photographs of two Tilbrooks
21/04/00 Added photographs of 1914 Favourite, 1923 & 1935 Waratah and 1923 & 1926 Elliott (Payneham)

Australian Motorcycle Manufacturing

Australia is not known internationally as one of the world's great motorcycle manufacturing countries. However, over the last century or so, around three hundred companies have manufactured motorcycles. This surprising figure seems far more reasonable when one considers two special aspects of this manufacturing. First, the vast majority of these machines were assembled from imported components such as JAP engines and Sun frames. Second, many of these manufacturers made only a handfull of machines; that is the total production run for the company may have been in single figures.

Alphabetical Listing of Australian Motorcycles

Click on Letter to Search Index for Makes...

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Click on makers name for details, where available.

A

Abbotsford
Absolom
Acme (Melbourne)
Acme (Tasmania)
Acme (Sydney)
Advance
Aero
A.J.T.
Alert
Alexa
Allison
Alpha
Alron
A.N.A.
A.O.B.
A.O.V.
A & P
Ariel (Footscray)
Ariel (Gawler)
Arion
Ascot
A.S.D.
Ashfield
Astley
Aussi Also
Austral (Hobart)
Austral (Melbourne)
Austral (Caulfield)
Austral (Sydney)
Australian Scout
Australis



B

Baden Powell
Bailey
BAL-JAP
Ballarat
Balmain
Barb
Barclay (Adelaide)
Barclay (Geelong)
Bartley & Perry
B&B
Beach
Beal
Beart
Beauchamp
Be-Gin
Behrens
Bell
Besanko
B.G.W.
Bird
Blue Spec
Bluebell
Bluebird
B.M.G.
Bolger
Boomerang
Brandwood (Launceston)
Brandwood (Adelaide)
Bronzewing (Launceston)
Bronzewing (Fitzroy)
Bullock
Burden
Burg
Burnley
B & W
Byron Special



C

Cameron
Campbell
Carbine (Melbourne)
Carbine (Sydney)
Carrison
Castle
Cathro
Cattermole
C.C.M.C.
C.G.J.
Champion
Chaple
Charleston
Clair
Clearview
Clement-JAP
Clement
Clifton
Clinton
Clipper
Clyde
Clyst
Commonwealth
Cooee
Cottman Colt
Craig Beat-All
Cressy
Criterion
Crown
C.S.W.
Cyclone



D

Dalwood
Darge
Davidge
Davies-Franklin
Davis
Day
DeLuxe
Denton
Dethbridge
Devon (Ulverstone)
Devon (Moonee Ponds)
Don
Dowell
Dowling
Dunleigh



E

E.B.
Eden
Edworthy
Ekins
Elliott (Payneham)
Elliott (Paddington)
E.McM.
Empire (Clifton Hill)
Empire (Adelaide)
Empire (St. Marys)
Ensign
Esk
Eureka
Euroa
EWB



F

Favourite
Federal
Firefly
Firth
Fitzgerald
Fleet
Flora
Flying Jolly
Forbes
Foulis



G

G&B
G.C.S.
Gem
Globe
Gordon
Gordon-Dojabout
Gradoir
Greyhound
Grimley
Growden
Guard
Gunner



H

Hall
Hallam
Harrison & Reynolds
Hartley
Havelock
Hawthorn
Healing
Hede
Hercules
Hinsley
Hockley
Hodgson
Hogan
Holly
Hooker
Hore
Howard
H.R.B.
Hurry Up



I

Ideal
Illawarra
Imperial
Imperial Star
Invincible
Invincible-JAP
Irene
Iris
Ixion



J

Jackson
J.A.P. (J.N.Taylor, Adelaide)
J.A.P. (A.G.Healing, Melbourne)
J.A.P. (Firth Bros., Richmond)
J.A.P. (E.W.Brown, Melbourne)
J.A.P. (Carbine Cycle & Motor Company, Melbourne)
Jarman
Jelbart
J.E.T.
J.J.
J.M.C.
Junction
Juno



K

Kedge
Kelecom
Kellow
Kelsey
Kent
Kew Flyer
Kiora
K&M
K.L.M.
King
Knight Eaton
K.V.



L

La Bird
Lathey
Laver
Leech
Leitch
Lennox
Leo
Lewis (Adelaide) Detailled Information
Lewis (Williamstown & Melbourne)
Liberty
Limb
Lob
Local
Lyall
LYC



M

Ma-Belle
Magnet
Maldon
Mallee
Malpas
Malvern Star
Maple
Marsey
Martin
Mascot
Massey
Mathews
Mayfield
Melba
Menere
Metro
Metrop
Midland
Mimosa
Minerva
Moller
Mona
Monarch (Richmond)
Monarch (Footscray)
Morita
Morton
Morwell
Mostyn
Mumford
Musgrave



N

National
Native
Nauman
Newton
Nick
Nilma
Noble
North Eastern



O

O&H
O'Grady
Okey
Opitz
Oriol



P

Pappin
Pasco
P&C
Pearl
Peerless
Pelican
Perfect
Petrel
Pfundt & Higgs
Phoenix
Pirie
Pivot
Planet
P&R
Precision (Melbourne)
Precision (Adelaide)
Pretoria
Pride
Prince
Progress



Q

Quirks



R

Radium
Rathmore
R&B
Ready
Record
Reeve
Reeves
Regnis  Detailled Information
Relay
Release
Remington
REN
Renown
Rhodes Record
Rhodia
Richards
Riley
Robertson
Rogers Bros.
Rollert
Rolly
Roma
Roon
Rose (Adelaide)
Rose (South Yarra)
Rosenthal
Roser
Rova
RTV
Ruby
Rush



S

S.A.F.U.
Samson
Scamander
Seven Star
Shamrock
Silo
Silver Star
Simmons
Simplex
Sirdar (South Yarra)
Sirdar (Westbury)
Southern Cross (Sydney)
Southern Cross (Toowoomba)
Sovereign
Speedwell
Spencer
Sphinx
Springbett
Standard
Stanhope
Star
Stevens
Stevenson
Stirling
Stolford
Stow
Strand
Streak
Sullivan
Sun
Sunlight
Surrey (Melbourne)
Surrey (Sydney)
Sutherland
Sutton
Swallow
Swan
Swastika
Swingler



T

Tasma
Taylors Special
Teece
Terry
T.F.H.
Thistle
Tilbrook
Torpedo (Launceston)
Torpedo (Prahran)
Tourist
Traveller
Treblig
Trescowthick
Tricol
Turner
Tyler



U

Uneeda
Union Jack
Utility


V

Vale
Vee Two
Veribest
Victa
Victor (Freeling)
Victor (Hobart)
Victor (Surrey Hills)
Victor (Malvern)
Victor (Adelaide)
Victorian
Victory



W

Wagener
W.A.K.
Wallace
Waratah
Ward
Watson (Unley)
Watson (Sydney)
Waverley
Webb
Webster (Tamworth)
Webster (?)
Wesson
West
Whalley
Whitbourn
White
Whiting
Williams
Willow
Wimmera
Windsor
Winton
Withington
Wizard
Woolston
Wyatt



Y

Yelroma
YZR Engineering