1963 Australian Track Cycling Championships Explained

Venue:Brisbane, Australia (amateur) / Melbourne, Australia (professional)
Date:2–9 March 1963
Velodrome:Hawthorne Park Velodrome (amateur) / Olympic Velodrome (professional)
Events:18
Previous:1962
Next:1964

The 1963 Australian Track Cycling Championships were held from 2–9 March 1963. The amateur titles were held at the Hawthorne Park Velodrome in Brisbane, while the Professional titles were held concurrently at the Olympic Velodrome in Melbourne.

Amateur Championships

The amateur championships were held at the Hawthorne Park velodrome, Brisbane. The championships were marred by a bad fall when ex-Olympian Lionel Cox fell and crashed head first into a lamp post. Visiting riders believed this (and other falls) were in part due to the poor track conditions.[1]

Senior Men
1,000m Sprint [2] T. Harrison (Vic) R. Clark (Qld) I. Chapman (W.A.)
4,000m Individual Pursuit [3] Henk Vogels (W.A.) Dick Paris (NSW) Bob Baird (SA)
4,000m Team Pursuit [4] Victoria (Paul Bowker, Ian Browne, Vic Browne, John Hind) New South Wales (Dick Paris, John Bullen, John Lawrence, John Hardacre) TBC
10 Mile Scratch Race [5] R. Clark (Qld) Paul Bowker (Vic / Carnegie) J. Bullen (NSW)
2,000m Tandem Mal McCredle, Ron Bonham (NSW)Lionel Cox, John Hardacre (NSW)TBC
Junior Men
1,000m Sprint Gordon Johnson (Vic) Keith Bannon (NSW) Hal Galloway (NSW)
5 Mile Scratch Race Gordon Johnson (Vic) Keith Bannon (NSW) V. Smith (Vic)

Healing Shield Winners: TBC

Professional Championships

The professional championships were held at the Olympic Velodrome in Melbourne, with some events being held on the same night as the 1963 Austral Wheel Race. The championships brought together Australia's best professional sprinters, including Ron Grenda, Barry Waddell, Sid Patterson and Dick Ploog. Grenda was the upset winner in the 1,000m sprint, after Barry Waddell was disqualified in the final. The 1963 championships also saw the emergence of Graeme Gilmore (racing as a junior), who later went on to win multiple local and international races

Senior Men
1,000m Sprint [6] Ron Grenda (Tas) Barry Waddell (Vic) Dick Ploog (Vic)
5,000m Individual Pursuit John Perry (Vic) Alex Fulcher (NSW) Peter Panton (Vic)
5,000m Team Pursuit [7] Victoria (Sid Patterson, Barry Waddell, John Perry, Peter Panton) Tasmania New South Wales
1 Mile Scratch [8] Ron Grenda (Tas) Charlie Smith (Vic) Barry Waddell (Vic)
5 Mile Scratch [9] John Perry (Vic) Ron Grenda (Tas) Sid Patterson (Vic)
10 Mile Scratch Barry Waddell (Vic) Sid Patterson (Vic) John Perry (Vic)
Junior Men
1,000m Sprint [10] Graeme Gilmore (Tas) Marshall Summers (Qld) Terry Lyons (W.A.)
1 Mile Scratch E. Strudwick (W.A.) Marshall Summers (Qld) R. Glover (NSW)
5 Mile Scratch Graeme Gilmore (Tas) Terry Lyons (W.A.) B. Rogers (S.A.)
2,000m Team Pursuit [11] Tasmania Victoria tbc

Rubina Joy Cup: Tasmania

Notes and References

  1. News: Cyclist Hurt In Title Fall. The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 March 1963.
  2. News: Cycling: National Championships. The Sydney Morning Herald. 10 March 1963.
  3. News: Vogels takes Cycle Sprint. The Canberra Times. 9 March 1963.
  4. News: Victorians Win Pursuit Title. The Age. 6 March 1963.
  5. News: Cycling. The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 March 1963.
  6. News: Tasmania Dominates Cycling. The Canberra Times. 11 March 1963.
  7. News: Top Quartet Meet in Cycling Title. The Age. 6 March 1963.
  8. News: "Forgotten" Amateur in Brilliant Austral Win. The Age. 4 March 1963.
  9. News: Cycling Titles At Velodrom. The Age. 6 March 1963.
  10. News: Upset Cycling Win to Grenda. The Age. 7 March 1963.
  11. News: Tasmanian Cyclist in Sprint Title Victory. The Age. 11 March 1963.