Club History

---

Proudly one of the most successful dirt bike club in NSW, with an unbroken 50 year history of events in Motocross and Enduro, and in earlier years Dirt Track and Trials as well.

The following is what we know. Please send us information to fill in the blanks or photos and stories of your memories to   geoff.gradden@sigrail.com

The letter below was received from Glenn Dunn, one of the founding members:

Mid January 1973, six people met on the front yard of 104 Como Rd Oyster Bay (the original registered address for the club) after a morning ride through National Park. We had met Harry Macklin of Macklin Motor Cycles and he suggested we form a club and patronise his shop to receive a discount. The idea was talked about and agreed on. The founding six were:

No1  Patrick Lay Triumph 500 Foundation Club Captain
No2  Emanuel Van Gaskel Yamaha DT2 250 Foundation Treasurer
No3  Paul Jones – Suzuki 180 Trail
No4  Greg Kilham – Mini Moke
No5  Mark Ellis – Can’t remember
No6  Glenn Dunn – Yamaha DT3 250 Foundation Secretary
These I am not sure of but pretty close,
No7  Elaine Young Yamaha DT-175
No8  Sandy Delahunty Yamaha DT-175
No9 ?
No10  Barry Acton Yamaha DT2 250 Foundation President

These numbers were derived from the receipt number when membership was paid. Our first President was Barry Acton even though he was not in original six his number is/was 10; he joined in the first week.

A little history as follows,
Week 1 - 10 Members
Month 1 - 36 Members
Year 1 - 135 Members

We met EVERY Sunday Night at Oyster Bay Community Hall and filled the hall often with 100 plus members, family and friends. We had a close association with St George MCC (big sister), Leichhardt Annandale MCC, Blacktown MCC and Lower Blue Mountains MCC, and conducted many events in different categories.

Within the first year we had joined the Auto Cycle Union (ACU) and the Auto Cycle Council of Australia (ACCA) who were the governing bodies in those days. Our delegates were Pat Lay and Glenn Dunn.

Our Club Championship consisted of Short Circuit, MX and Enduro events. Nearly every competitor had one bike for all events, we would ride our road registered trail bikes (fully kitted) to an event strip them down attach our numbers and race all day.

When it was all over put the blinkers and number plates back on and ride home, then go to the meeting. Our club was blessed with a couple of marriages between fellow members.

Thank you for continuing our club we had enormous fun and pleasure within our competing years.
Glenn Dunn    

Letter from Peter Connolly

My name is Peter Connolly. I  went on a nostalgia trip and did a bit of multimerising, and found history of OBMCC written by Glenn Dunn to you.  I don't know when you got his letter but for the most part it is pretty accurate and I can fill in some of the missing information.  I would like to elaborate on the history of the founding members. 

Amongst the original six who met at 140 Como Rd., Como, was Brad Giddy, Emannuel van Gastel, Paul Jones, Glenn Dunn and myself; I can't remember who else was there but it was in relation to forming a club with the view of recruiting members to receiving discounts at Macklin Motor Cycles at Engadine and these were pretty substantial.  Most of the original six were from the Oyster Bay Rover Scout Group. 

Emmanuel knew of another Oyster Bay resident  Barry Acton who owned a Yamaha 250 trail bike who had suggested to him that all riders of trail bikes in Oyster Bay should get together and go on group outings.   

A short time later a meeting was held impromptu at a local service station and the club was officially formed in the car park with Barry inaugurating the formation of OBMCC and the issuing of membership fees and numbers. My membership number is 007, the number 009 is Brad Giddy and Barry is 010.  I have my membership card if you are interested in my sending a scan of it through.  

The ages of the original founding members is interesting. While most were late teens, Mark Ellis was fourteen who by the way had an off road 250 DT2  hotted up by  his father. Barry Acton was 35 and I was 28. I also had a Yamaha DT3 250 which was hotted up by Mark's father and enamal black and had white Yamaha insignia.  Trail, enduro and trial in 1973 went ballistic and very quickly under the influence of the office bearers of OBMCC, membership skyrocketed.  

Thank You, 

Peter Connolly