Arthur Grady Centenary - May 2025

On the 1st October 1924, Arthur Grady, war veteran and bicycle shop owner, departed from the Fremantle Town Hall on the first ever circumnavigation of Australia by motor vehicle. His choice of transport was a Douglas motorcycle. On 15 March 2025, after a grueling journey through trackless wastes, he arrived back in Fremantle to a heroes welcome.

In 2011 Arthur Grady's achievement were celebrated as part of the Fremantle Heritage Festival. The Vintage Motorcycle Club of WA provided a replica of Grady's 1924 Douglas for the display. Year on year the event grew in scale, expanding to a display of pre-war motorcycles, then classic motorcycles, then classic cars and scooters, vintage machinery, steam-traction engines, etc. When the Fremantle events coordinator left, the event was no longer supported. Attempts were made to keep it going, but without the City's support it was pushed to the outskirts where there was no foot traffic. Now, in the post-Covid world, Fremantle has re-embraced the event in its effort to reinvigorate the city. This year the event returned to Kings Square in front of the Town Hall and the city even went so far as hiring a jazz band for entertainment. The result was a great success. The event drew a lot of public attention and there was a constant stream of visitors checking out the bikes.

As I live nearby, I took the DKW down as part of a test drive. As it fitted with the prewar display I was able to park right in the front row.

On the left is a 1930s BSA. On the left is an interesting rarity in Australia - a Belgian FN. FN were an arms manufacturer who also built motorcycles.

Another view of the FN

1937 BSA M22.

A trio of Ambassador motorcycles. Ambassador built light-weight motorcycles powered by off-the-shelf Villiers' two-stroke motors.

The prewar bike display was impressive.

1937 BSA G14 with sidecar.

Another really unusual rarity - 1903 Romania from Belgium. Belgium used to have many automobile and motorcycle companies up until the 1930s.

Another two BSAs and a Nekarsulum

Nekasulum

1914 New Hudson

Two 1924 Douglas motorcycles of the type Arthur Grady rode

BSA



Postwar section

So, how did the bike perform? Well, not as well as it's first drive. The speedo worked on and off, so that's something to fix. Acceleration in 1st gear is near non-existent. 2nd gear seems very long and 3rd gear is also quite long. I feel that clutch may not work that well and grip is slipping. Maybe the oil/grease mix isn't right? Although the bike started promptly in the morning, it would not start again when I went to leave. I think the repro petrol tap is not very good quality (despite it costing a fortune!) and it leaks constantly, flooding the carburetor. I have bought another, simpler petrol tap. More fettling!
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2025/05/1938-dkw-sb350-restoration-may-update.html

Arthur Grady 2012: https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2012/06/arthur-grady-rideout-2012.html
Arthur Grady 2013: https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2013/06/arthur-grady-ride-2013.html
Arthur Grady 2014: https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2014/05/arthur-grady-ride-fremantle-2014.html
Arthur Grady 2016: https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2016/04/arthur-grady-day-fremantle-heritage.html
Arthur Grady 2019: https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2019/07/arthur-grady-day-2019.html

Arthur Grady Day 2019

Arthur Grady Day used to be a major event in the Fremantle Heritage Festival. The event was initiated to celebrate the first circumnavigation of Australia by motorcycle by local bike shop owner, Arthur Grady in 1924. Grady set off from the Fremantle town hall on a 1924 Douglas motorcycle and completed the trip in about five months. Originally it was a motorcycle only event. In its first year, around 2013, it featured a small display of pre-1930 vintage motorcycles. The following year the Vintage Motorcycle Club got behind it and organized a much larger display with all eras of motorcycles welcome to attend. A feature of the event was a ride through Fremantle led by the pre-1930 motorbikes. It expanded again the following year with a much larger ride planned, however, the ride was cancelled due to traffic issues. I attended these early events and my photos can be found here:
2012 - https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2012/06/arthur-grady-rideout-2012.html
2013 - https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2013/06/arthur-grady-ride-2013.html
2014 - https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2014/05/arthur-grady-ride-fremantle-2014.html 
2016 - https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2016/04/arthur-grady-day-fremantle-heritage.html


From there the event went through a rapid expansion to become a major heritage event incorporate vintage cars, trucks, buses, stationary engines, prams, bicycles and even steam engines. For several years it was a highlight event, however, after its energetic organizer, Alex Marshall, left Fremantle City Council and the venue, Kings Square, was closed for renovations, the event fell into decline.

For the past two years the event has been held in the forecourt of the Fremantle Maritime Museum. This is a relatively small space but the event has slowly been clawing back interest from the classic motoring community. This year five clubs attended to put on displays, including the Vintage Motorcycle Club of WA, Bus Preservation Society, Military Vehicle Chapter of the Veteran Car Club, Special Interest Vehicle Association and WA Hot Rods.

The buses arrive. The Bus Society fielded three buses which, due to the limited space available in the museum forecourt, were forced to do some amazing driving to get into position.

The buses took centre stage in front of the museum.

1951 Guy Arab III https://www.bpswa.org/guy-arab-101.html

1952 AEC Regal IV https://www.bpswa.org/aec-regal-iv-kalamunda-17.html

A replica of Arthur Grady's Douglas.

Another Douglas (with typical English lubrication... leaking)

Fremantle is an active and busy port. Three container ships came through during the show.

The motorbike display. There was a wide variety of bikes attending and the VMCCWA put on a sausage sizzle.

Classic Germans - the BMW R3 and NSU

A wonderful newcomer on the Perth scene is this prewar BMW R3. I believe the bike came from Poland.

The Maritime Museum is located on the dockside in the Fremantle port, a short distance from the centre of town. It's a ten to fifteen minute walk, but there is a tourist tram that runs on a circuit around the main tourist sites.

There was a fine display by the Military vehicle enthusiasts. The WA Army Museum is actually located in Fremantle, a ten minute drive from here.

1944 Kubelwagen and Austin military ambulance

Bicycle could have done with a polish.

1940s Ford (I think?)

The hot rods.

Studebaker Lark

1966 Renault Alpine A110 and my 1959 DKW F94

1959 DKW F94

No Messerschmitts at the show so I bought my Messerschitt sewing machine.

Alpine Renault A110 and DKW

John Schefhout of eBikers with an electric assist tricycle. I had a ride and was amazed at the power and torque these electric bikes have. eBikers shop is located at Bather's Beach in Fremantle. https://www.ebikers.com.au

Time to hit the road

The Austin ambulance squeezes out through the lines.

Despite the event having relatively little promotion and the modest turnout of vehicles (I say modest, but the turnout occupied all available space), there was quite a lot of public interest. I thought I might have been able to slip away into Freo to have something nice for lunch but instead was talking to people for almost five hours straight. Additionally, while it was chilly in the morning, the day warmed up nicely and it was a very pleasant day to be out in the sunshine. All up a very fine day for all.

The Bus Preservation Society has a large collection of over 100 vintage buses, many of these are in need of restoration, so please check out their website, their collection at Whiteman Park and consider making a donation. https://www.bpswa.org

Link to the Fremantle Maritime Museum website: http://museum.wa.gov.au/museums/maritime/

Arthur Grady Ride 2013

The third annual Arthur Grady ride-out was held in Fremantle on Saturday 1st June 2013. The ride-out celebrates the first round Australia motorcycle trip by Arthur Grady in 1924. Arthur's trip started and finished in the Fremantle and took five months.

The ride-out starts with a display of vintage motorcycles at the Fremantle Town Hall, followed by a ride through the port city. It's not all about vintage bikes though. Numerous motorcycle clubs also attend and, as it now forms part of the Festival of Fremantle, it draws a very big crowd.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/17307479/ride-down-freos-memory-lane/

A replica of Arthur Grady's 1925 Douglas

A line up of veteran motorcycles organised by the Vintage Motor Cycle Club of WA

Scott Flying Squirrel, powered by its distinctive water cooled two-stroke engine



I'm not sure what this one was as it did not have a name plate



Indians from the Early American Motorcycle Club

A 1938 DKW NZ250. The DKW NZ range was a great advance technically over the SB range. https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2024/07/1938-dkw-sb350.html

A little crowd admires an East German MZ ETZ250. The second one I've seen in Perth

I was captured on arrival by a photographer from the Vintage Motorcycle Club.

As the Ariel has been off the road for some time with a blown ring I took the Troll. It was pretty much the only scooter in attendance but still drew a crowd

Not quite a motorcycle - a Morgan three wheeler




The Arthur Grady Rideout received a write up in Old Bike Australia and the Troll got a mention.


 
http://www.oldbikemag.com.au/