Malvern Star
Encyclopedia
Malvern Star is a manufacturer of bicycle
s, located in Melbourne
, Australia. It began in 1902, and went on to become a household name in Australia.
Malvern Star opened in a small shop at 58 Glenferrie Rd
, in the Melbourne
suburb of Malvern
in 1902. It was started by cyclist Tom Finnigan who established the shop with the prize he earned (240 gold sovereigns) by winning the 1898 Austral Wheel Race
. Finnigan specialised in touring and racing bikes, which he called Malvern Stars. The business grew with the popularity of cycling
and despite competition from English and American firms. Part of Finnigan's success was due to the endorsement of Don Kirkham, one of the best-known Australian cyclists. Finnigan introduced a logo featuring a six-pointed star, which matched a tattoo on his forearm, used throughout the 1900s. His family is still in the bicycle trade, running a shop in Northcote.
Finnigan retired and on 1 June, 1920, the business was bought by 24-year-old Bruce Small
. His brothers, Frank and Ralph, joined in the business, enlarging the shop (despite a number change, still the same shop - 158 Glenferrie Rd). Small offered prizes in cycle races, resulting in 17-year-old racer Hubert Opperman
winning a prize in 1921, and impressing Small so much that he offered him a job. Thus started a long relationship, with Small friend and sponsor of Opperman.
Small began a successful credit scheme, revolutionary at the time, to increase sales. The retail business expanded in 1923 to Gardenvale
, and in 1925, the headquarters moved to Prahran
. In 1928 a team comprising three Australians and one New Zealander entered the Tour De France. Although they rode French bikes Malvern Star released a Tour De France model in recognition of their efforts. This model incorporated lessons learnt on the Tour including tubular tyres and wingnuts
to attach the wheels.
With the Second World War, the supply of bicycle parts became scarce, so Malvern Star started manufacturing its own. Defence contracts help growth of the business. At its peak after the war, Malvern Star had 115 stores with 1,000 dealers. Opperman helped promote Malvern Star and make both a household name in Australia.
After the war, Small's Malvern Star bicycles were ridden by Sid Patterson
, who won the world sprint championship in Copenhagen
in 1949, the world pursuit championship in Liège
(1950), the professional pursuit in Paris
(1952) and professional pursuit in Zurich
(1953). At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Ian Browne
and Tony Marchant won a gold medal on a Malvern Star tandem.
The Malvern Star factory was located on the corner of Clarendon Street and Normanby Road in South Melbourne which is now the site of the Melbourne Conference and Exhibition Centre just opposite Crown Casino.
Attached to the Malvern Star Factory was a Malvern Star Cycle Shop. Small employed John (Jack) Lee to manage the South Melbourne store from 1950 to the late 1960s. Lee went on to establish several Malvern Star cycle shops for Small in Sydney Road Coburg, Elizabeth Street Melbourne, Sydney Road Brunswick and went on to support many of Bruce Small's suburban and country Malvern Star Dealers.
In the 1960s, Malvern Star manufactured the Dragster line of wheelie bike
s. These have since been commemorated with a stamp by the Australia Post.
Malvern Star was sold to Electronic Industries in 1958 then in 1970 the brand was purchased by the Dutch multinational Philips
, which sold Malvern Star in 1980 to Raleigh
(all australian bicycle building by the company ending in 1987, however most Malvern Stars were imported after 1970). Changes in ownership of Raleigh's parent company led to Malvern Star returning to Australian ownership in 1992 under Pacific Brands
.
Malvern Star currently sponsors a Tasmanian
UCI Continental road cycling team, Genesys Wealth Advisers
, and supplies its riders with Oppy bikes.
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s, located in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia. It began in 1902, and went on to become a household name in Australia.
History
Glenferrie Road, Melbourne
Glenferrie Road is a major north–south thoroughfare in Melbourne, Australia.It runs from Kew to Malvern, and includes major shopping districts at both Hawthorn and Malvern.Tram route 16 runs along the entire length of Glenferrie Road...
, in the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
suburb of Malvern
Malvern, Victoria
Malvern is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Malvern had a population of 9,422.-History:...
in 1902. It was started by cyclist Tom Finnigan who established the shop with the prize he earned (240 gold sovereigns) by winning the 1898 Austral Wheel Race
Austral Wheel Race
The Austral Wheel Race is the oldest track bicycle race in the world still existing, stretching back to 1887. The Austral race is Australia’s greatest track cycling event. It is held in Melbourne, riders assigned handicaps according to ability over a series of heats. The finals are run over...
. Finnigan specialised in touring and racing bikes, which he called Malvern Stars. The business grew with the popularity of cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
and despite competition from English and American firms. Part of Finnigan's success was due to the endorsement of Don Kirkham, one of the best-known Australian cyclists. Finnigan introduced a logo featuring a six-pointed star, which matched a tattoo on his forearm, used throughout the 1900s. His family is still in the bicycle trade, running a shop in Northcote.
Finnigan retired and on 1 June, 1920, the business was bought by 24-year-old Bruce Small
Bruce Small
Sir Andrew Bruce Small was an Australian businessman and politician. In Melbourne, he developed Malvern Star bicycles into a household name in Australia, then retired to the Gold Coast, Queensland, where he developed property, and as Mayor of the Gold Coast, promoted the area to Australia and the...
. His brothers, Frank and Ralph, joined in the business, enlarging the shop (despite a number change, still the same shop - 158 Glenferrie Rd). Small offered prizes in cycle races, resulting in 17-year-old racer Hubert Opperman
Hubert Opperman
Sir Hubert Ferdinand Opperman, OBE , referred to as Oppy by Australian and French crowds, was an Australian cyclist and politician, whose endurance cycling feats in the 1920s and 1930s earned him international acclaim....
winning a prize in 1921, and impressing Small so much that he offered him a job. Thus started a long relationship, with Small friend and sponsor of Opperman.
Small began a successful credit scheme, revolutionary at the time, to increase sales. The retail business expanded in 1923 to Gardenvale
Gardenvale, Victoria
Gardenvale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Glen Eira...
, and in 1925, the headquarters moved to Prahran
Prahran, Victoria
Prahran , also known colloquially as "Pran", is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Prahran had a population of 10,651. It is a part of Melbourne with...
. In 1928 a team comprising three Australians and one New Zealander entered the Tour De France. Although they rode French bikes Malvern Star released a Tour De France model in recognition of their efforts. This model incorporated lessons learnt on the Tour including tubular tyres and wingnuts
Wingnut (hardware)
A wingnut or wing nut is a type of nut with two large metal "wings," one on each side, so it can be easily tightened and loosened by hand without tools. It is sometimes called a thumbscrew.-Bicycles:...
to attach the wheels.
With the Second World War, the supply of bicycle parts became scarce, so Malvern Star started manufacturing its own. Defence contracts help growth of the business. At its peak after the war, Malvern Star had 115 stores with 1,000 dealers. Opperman helped promote Malvern Star and make both a household name in Australia.
After the war, Small's Malvern Star bicycles were ridden by Sid Patterson
Sid Patterson
Sid Patterson was a world champion amateur and professional track cyclist from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. While a teenager, Patterson won every Victorian and Australian title between 1,000 metres and ten miles...
, who won the world sprint championship in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
in 1949, the world pursuit championship in Liège
Liège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
(1950), the professional pursuit in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(1952) and professional pursuit in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
(1953). At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Ian Browne
Ian Browne (cyclist)
Ian Browne, also known as "Joey" Browne is a former Australian track cyclist who along with Tony Marchant won the 2000 m tandem event at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. Unusually tall and strongly built for a cyclist, Browne had little formal training and won his first Australian title...
and Tony Marchant won a gold medal on a Malvern Star tandem.
The Malvern Star factory was located on the corner of Clarendon Street and Normanby Road in South Melbourne which is now the site of the Melbourne Conference and Exhibition Centre just opposite Crown Casino.
Attached to the Malvern Star Factory was a Malvern Star Cycle Shop. Small employed John (Jack) Lee to manage the South Melbourne store from 1950 to the late 1960s. Lee went on to establish several Malvern Star cycle shops for Small in Sydney Road Coburg, Elizabeth Street Melbourne, Sydney Road Brunswick and went on to support many of Bruce Small's suburban and country Malvern Star Dealers.
In the 1960s, Malvern Star manufactured the Dragster line of wheelie bike
Wheelie bike
A wheelie bike, also called a muscle bike, high-riser, or banana bike, is a type of stylized children's bicycle designed in the 1960s to resemble a chopper motorcycle and characterized by ape hanger handlebars, a banana seat with sissy bar, and small wheels. Notable examples include the Schwinn...
s. These have since been commemorated with a stamp by the Australia Post.
Malvern Star was sold to Electronic Industries in 1958 then in 1970 the brand was purchased by the Dutch multinational Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
, which sold Malvern Star in 1980 to Raleigh
Raleigh Bicycle Company
The Raleigh Bicycle Company is a bicycle manufacturer originally based in Nottingham, UK. It is one of the oldest bicycle companies in the world. From 1921 to 1935 Raleigh also produced motorcycles and three-wheel cars, leading to the formation of the Reliant Company.-Early years:Raleigh's history...
(all australian bicycle building by the company ending in 1987, however most Malvern Stars were imported after 1970). Changes in ownership of Raleigh's parent company led to Malvern Star returning to Australian ownership in 1992 under Pacific Brands
Pacific Brands
Pacific Brands is a major Australian company marketing Berlei, Bonds, Clarks , Dunlop, Everlast, Grosby, Holeproof, Hush Puppies, King Gee, Malvern Star, Sheridan, Slazenger, Sleepmaker and Tontine . It once held the Asian Pacific licence for British Knights footwear. It was formed as a division of...
.
Malvern Star currently sponsors a Tasmanian
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
UCI Continental road cycling team, Genesys Wealth Advisers
Genesys Wealth Advisers (cycling team)
Genesys Wealth Advisers is an Australian UCI Continental cycling team focusing on road bicycle racing. Based in Tasmania since its establishment in 2000, the team's original title sponsor was a Tasmanian restaurant chain, Praties, but Genesys Wealth Advisers, an Australian financial planning...
, and supplies its riders with Oppy bikes.