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Finlay Brothers:
A part of Victoria's bicycle and motorcycle heritage
An April 1936 scene of RACV motorcycle patrols outside the Elizabeth Street premises of Finlay Brothers.
Courtesy of the RACV Heritage Collection. |
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Welcome to the Finlay Brothers History Site.
This website aims to preserve the bicycle and motorcycle heritage of Finlay Brothers - a business in Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, from 1900-1961, which built and sold Barb bicycles and were the agents for many overseas motorcycle brands, most notably BSA's.
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BARB CYCLES
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Did you ride a Barb
bicycle?
These bicycles were
the first items sold by
the fledgling Finlay
Brothers business in
1900. They were used
for leisure, transport,
competition and more.
Read more...
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MOTORCYCLES -
BSA'S & OTHERS
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Finlay Brothers were
a part of Melbourne's
early motorcycle precinct.
Finlay Brothers held
numerous motorcycle
agencies, but are most
well remembered for
their sales of the
British BSA motorcycle.
Read more...
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A WEBSITE - WHY?
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So that a tangible
record of the Finlay
Brothers history is
maintained.
This online resource
provides information to
accompany the Barb
Cycles, vintage BSA's,
and other Finlay Brothers'
memorabilia into
their cycling and
motorcycling futures.
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ABOUT US
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This website is maintained
by family descendants,
with numerous contributions
of advice, stories, photographs
and memorabilia having been
gratefully received from family,
friends, collectors and
enthusiasts.
If you can contribute further
information, we would welcome
you to make contact.
Erica Finlay
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
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A significant contribution
has been made to this
website by Keith Gales
- a gentleman who
worked for Finlay Brothers
from 1948 until 1960.
Keith has kindly
allowed excerpts from
his memoirs to be
used within this website
and has thus provided
us with some fascinating
insights into Finlay
Brothers and the
motorcycle industry of
the time.
A very special thanks
is extended to Keith for this contribution.
Keith as a 14 year old
message boy in a 1948
Finlay Brothers staff
photograph.
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To contact us via email: enquiry@finlaybrothershistory.info
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RECENT NEWS:
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August 2013:
Rod Charles (who has been of significant assistance in
compiling this website) has recently published a book
which comprehensively details cycling history in
Geelong from 1869 to 1914. The book covers a very
wide scope of cycling history, and of relevance to
Finlay Brothers' history is the fact that it makes
several references to both James Finlay and Finlay
Brothers:
"A Whirr of Many Wheels:
Cycling in Geelong 1869 - 1914"
by Rod Charles
Further details available here.
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August 2013:
Paul and Charlie Farren have recently released a
book that showcases part of their amazing
collection of vintage bicycles and describes their place
within our history. Yes, a Barb bicycle is included
in this book!
We are also very lucky to have two of the Barb bicycles
in their collection displayed within the 'Barb Gallery'
section of this website.
"Bicycling through time:
The Farren Collection"
by Paul & Charlie Farren
Further details are widely available online.
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YouTube Videos:
We have uploaded two
YouTube videos of some
Finlay Brothers items.
Click on the following links
to see the footage:
Barb bicycle head badge
Barb ladies bicycle
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RECENTLY ADDED PAGES:
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"Motorcycle correspondence"
Detailed motorcycle quotes and business letters from 1921, 1929 and 1945.
Read more...
Added 16th September 2013
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"Built for speed..."
An inside look at an early Barb with some very interesting racing features.
Read more...
Added 23rd August 2013
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"A Barb returns to the M.C.G."
An amazing story of the preservation of a Barb thought to have been a racing cycle of Bob Finlay's (including the great work of Kenn Dickie).
Read more...
Added 3rd July 2013
Image courtesy of the Australian Gallery of
Sport and Olympic Museum (AGOS-OM)
collection (1993.2931.14).
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"A Sprung Frame Barb with a 'Cyclo' derailleur"
An interesting Barb with a history of life at an air force base during World War II.
Read more...
Added 23rd June 2013
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"Motorcycle promotions - keeping a high profile for the business"
Some great photographs of the events Finlay Brothers were involved in.
Read more...
Added 23th June 2013
Photograph by Sutcliffe Pty Ltd -
Illustrative Photographers.
Courtesy of the Kennedy family.
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"Bound for Melbourne - a truckload of Goggomobils"
A fascinating photograph from the Goggomobil era.
Read more...
Added 23th June 2013
Courtesy of the Buckle family.
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"Newswheel Staff Newsletters"
A glimpse of an earlier era of motorcycle sales.
Read more... - June/July 1952
Added 23th June 2013
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