HISTORY OF PENNY FARTHING BICYCLES:
· The penny farthing evolved from the Velocipede or “Boneshaker” in the 1870’s, when it was realised that the larger the front wheel, the further the machine would travel with each turn of the pedal.
· The first bicycle to be mass produced, especially in England and America. There was no large scale producer in Australia, bicycles were made here from imported components.
· The first bicycles to be raced to any great extent in Australia. In Tasmania regular race meetings were held at the Cricket Grounds in Launceston and Hobart, and the state’s first bike club, the Northern Tasmanian Cycling Club, was formed in 1884. Early Austral Wheel Races in Victoria and Latrobe Wheel Races in Tasmania were raced on penny farthings.
· Production phased out in the 1890’s, when the “safety” bicycles with chain drive made the large front wheel unnecessary.
· “Penny Farthing” is acknowledged as a nickname. In their day, they were called “bicycles”. British enthusiasts now prefer the term “Ordinary Bicycle”, while the Americans prefer “Highwheelers.”
VENUE:
The streets of Evandale, Northern Tasmania, Australia. 20 km south of Launceston, 5km south of Launceston Airport. Evandale is one of the state’s earlier settlements, with buildings dating back to the 1820’s.Many buildings are from Victorian times when penny farthings were the bicycle of the day. The village’s well preserved streetscapes provide a perfect backdrop for this event.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT:
Penny farthing enthusiasts converge on Evandale from throughout Australia and overseas to vie for a series of races, held on a triangular circuit in the centre of the village. Market stalls and a variety of entertainments are situated in the streets and parks surrounding the race circuit, creating the ambience of a colonial country fair.
Organised by the Evandale Village Fair Inc., in conjunction with the Velocipede Society of Tasmania Inc.
Contact  
Evandale Village Fair Incorporated
Di Sullivan |
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29 Murray Street
EVANDALE
7212 |
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Postal Address:
29 Murray Street Evandale TAS 7212 |
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Municipality:
Northern Midlands Council |
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Ph: (03) 6391-8223
Mobile: 0427-918-223
Fax: (03) 6391-9191
Volunteers Required
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Email:
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Last Updated : 01-07-2006
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Events
| No Events found for this Group. |
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Meeting Schedule
7.30pm on the first Wednesday of each month at the Evandale Community Centre |
Membership open to
all interested members of the community |
Area Served
Australia wide |
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