Atujara Motorcycle Club Inc

During the 1930′s, the Advertiser printed a weekend newspaper – “The Express and Journal”. It came out each Friday and in it were the various motorcycle club notes and photos. This paper had the same format as the present new look Advertiser. This is where I first heard the name “Atujara”. In the club notes, during the month of March 1938. I read that the club was holding a “closed” speed meeting at Buckland Park, a shell grit beach some 25 miles North of Adelaide, so I decided, on the Sunday morning, to go and have a look. In those days I was the owner of a 1936 big port A.J.S.
On the way to Buckland Park one had to pass through the “Mad Mile” This was a measured quarter mile that the police had marked out on the Port Wakefield road, Just where the Salisbury highway now branches off. They used this spot for testing the accuracy of speedometers, also quite a number of people used it for checking their top speeds. It was there that I caught up with Bill Watson and Les Diener on that day there were some others I did’t know but have since recognised in latter years. I told Bill & Les where I was going and they decided to have a look instead of going up and down the “Mad Mile”.

After having arrived and had some lunch, we were looking at the bikes in the pits, and were approached by Frank Tuck, who was the competition secretary at the time. He suggested that we might like to have a ride and swell numbers, as the club was not a very large one then. After having our “races” Frank suggested we might like to join the club.

This we did on the next evening (Monday) at the clubrooms in Grote St. This was in March 1938, Nat Saunders also joined on that evening some 59 years ago. Sadly both Bill and Les have passed on. Bill on the 28th August 1988 and Les on the 15th November 1994. Both Bill and Les were Australian champions- Bill in the clubman 350 class and Les in the 250 Australian TT (amongst others).

When I joined the club everyone was approximately the same age, all socials were then organized by the social secretary (there was no ladies auxiliary). The competition secretary organised scrambles(now called motocross). The club funds were not like today’s funds. There were no committees like there are now, so you can see how much the club has improved.

If any one meeting helped with the finances just after the war, It must of been the “S.A. Tourist Trophy Championships”. At springbank ,to which a number of interstate rides appeared. Admission charges were made (donations were previously the way of admission). From memory approximately 150 pounds or $300 was taken. This can be compared with about $40 which was normally taken. This meeting was held on Saturday 3rd August 1946 and In the evening a presentation ball was held in a hall at Hyde park. I joined the Atujara M.C.C in March 1938.

Granted life membership 24th February 1947.

Granted 50 years gold membership badge 1988.

Granted 50 years life membership badge 24th February 1997

These above awards would not have been possible without the help of committees and members, throughout the years, who have made my club life so enjoyable and I hope I have a few years left in me yet.

A sincere thanks to all,

Alec Ridgway, Gold Life Member of the Atujara Motorcycle Club

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 4th, 1998 at 12:52 am and is filed under Memories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.