INVERCARGILL AMATEUR CYCLING CLUB
The Invercargill Amateur Cycling Club (IACC) was the first established club within Southland.
A meeting of those interested in the formation of cycling club was held in the Albion Hotel yesterday evening, nearly 30 gentlemen being present. Mr W. Murie was voted to the chair. It was unanimously resolved that a club, to be designated the Invercargill Club, be formed. Nearly all present indicated their intention of becoming members. The office bearers elected are:- President, Mr C. R. Edmonds (subject to consent); Vice Presidens , Mesers W.B. Scandrett, C. Northcote, and Walter Martin; Acting Captain, Mr W. Murie; Vice Captain, Mr George Coates; Secretary, Mr McGill; Bugler, Mr G. Double; Committee, Messrs T.A. Moffett, J.J. Purvis, and H. Kelly. It was resolved that the committee should revise the rules of the old Invercargill society for presentation at the next general meeting, and that it be a recommendation to them to provide a rule for the admission of ladies; tp fox the rate pf subscription at five shillings, and to fix the date for the opening run for about the second Wednesday in September. Votes of thanks were passed to Mr Kelly, Mr John Stone (Dunedin), who was present, for his valuable suggestions, to the chairman and secretary, and to Mr Searle for the use of the room in which the meeting was held. Mr Kelly intimated that he would give a prize, value L2 2s, to the member who most regularly attended the runs of the club.
Southland Times: 29th July 1893.
About 30 members mustered at the post office yesterday afternoon and proceeded to Gladstone. Here they were grouped on the lawn in front of the house of the president (Mr C. Edmunds) and photographs were taken by Mr Muir. Thereafter a number of the members, led by Captain Muir, took a spin to West Plains. After a tramp through a piece of somewhat soft bush land and dip in the river Makarewa, the cyclists were entertained at a bush dwelling belonging to Mr T. Moffett, one of the members, who acted as pilot to the expedition. Town was reached about 6 o’clock, and all voted that a most enjoyable afternoon had been spent.
Southland Times 19th October 1893
25 YEARS OF THE GLENGARRY CYCLING CLUB
At a meeting of cycling supporters in August, 1961, it was decided to form a club to be called the Glengarry Amateur Cycling Club.
About 20 members joined initially; including six riders. Acting officers elected were: Chairman, A.M. Dawson; Vice President, M. Scott; Secretary, S. MacKenzie; Club Captain, K Skeggs, Vice Captain, G. Sycamore.
On 26 September 1961 the NZACA granted affiliation to the Glengarry Club and so made the first positive move towards the formation of the Southland Centre.
There was much activity in Southland cycling in the early 1960s. Kew Bowl was attracting top-class riders from Australia, and the racing was of such a standard that many NZ records were being set, in front of crowds never before experienced in NZ.
Within two years of the Glengarry club formation Southland had been separated from Otago, giving full administration of cycling to the four clubs, three of which had been formed within in a two year period.
Glengarry’s first promotion was a track carnival at Kew Bowl in March 1962, where track record attempts were made by club riders Ron Giles, Graham Sycamore and Murray McLeay.
The first Glengarry 100 was held over a 100 kilometre course in the Hedgehope area on July 21, 1962. The only metric race in Southland at the time, it has continued over the same distance each year making it the one of the oldest metric road races in NZ. The prize list for the first race totalled 55 pounds, spread over eight placings and four special prizes. The prize list for the 25th Anniversary weekend in 2006, then known as the Murray McLeay Memorial, totalled $1000.00.
A field of 45 lined up for the first race, with the honours going to Peter Hilston, off a 23 minute handicap. Fastest time went to local club member Ron Giles.
The club received tremendous support in its formative years from Mr and Mrs I.D. McIvor. Mrs McIvor served as patroness for many years, believed to be the only patroness of a cycling club in NZ.
Four club members have managed NZ teams – Alan Hewitt and Matt Scott have taken teams to Australia, Graham Sycamore was manager of the 1984 Olympic Cycling Team and Trevor McLeay took the 1986 Junior Team to the World Championships.
Graham Sycamore was awarded Southland Sports Administrator of the year in 1983.
Glengarry had a proud tradition of producing top NZ cyclists. In its first year, 1962, Les Booth and Murray McLeay won medals at the NZ Championships and Graham Sycamore won an Empire Games trial.
Many NZ titles have been won by club riders, including Les Booth, Lin Booth, Murray McLeay, Ron Giles, Graham Sycamore, Trevor McLeay, Errol Barker, Barry Harcourt and Glenn McLeay.
Les Booth represented NZ at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica, Barry Harcourt at the 1981 World Veterans Championships in Austria and Glenn McLeay at the 1986 Junior World Champs in Morocco. Booth and Harcourt were further honoured by being awarded the Southland Sportsman of the Year award, and McLeay received the outstanding junior award at the 2005 ceremony.
Efforts were made to establish the club’s headquarters at Surrey Park in the formative years with Kew Bowl becoming the home for all Southland Cycling activities.
The Glengarry Amateur Cycling Club celebrated its first 25 years of existence on the weekend of August 15-16th 1986.
FIRST ROAD RACE FOR WAIKIWI CLUB
The Waikiwi Amateur Cycling Club held its first road race on Saturday 26th May 1962. Formed a year earlier, the club organized a 25 mile graded mass start. The course race began at Waikiwi, traveling through Wallacetown, Makarewa and the North Road area.
Grades for the 25 mile race:
A Grade: R. Giles, B. Clearwater, P. Robinson, W. Ainge, R. Marshall, T. Ineson, G. Stewart, G. Neil, J. Hawke, K. Henderson.
B Grade: K. Skeggs, V. Wilson, R. Milne, G. Cousins, P. Hilston, L. Finnerty, T. Crawford, M. McLeay, A. Olliver, L. Ashby, W. Robinson.
The club included promising young riders including Peter Robinson and Graeme Stewart. Other rides to be included in the inaugural season included a 32 mile handicap to Winton and return and a 55 mile handicap from Waikiwi to Hedgehope, Mataura and finishing in Gore.