Thank you Pat Raymond of Pambula

Bega Tathra Safe Ride has had lots of support from a wide range of people. Local historian Pat Raymond has provided us with wonderful information about the ANZAC Cyclist, Henry William Bellchambers, and pioneering long distance cyclist, Sarah Maddock. Pat recently wrote to us and described how she started researching the formation of the first cycling club for Bega. From information in one of the Sydney newspapers, it appears that it was up and running by July 1894. Pat went back over the 1894 newspapers to look for an article on the formation of the club but again found nothing, which surprised her although some of the issues had missing pages. Gaps in the historical record where there is no mention of the cycling club (e.g. 1898 and 1899) probably indicate that the club was an intermittent enterprise.

Pat has supplied a huge amount of fascinating information on the cycling history of the Bega Valley and for her excellent research we have appointed Pat our Honorary Historian!