Roger’s obituary by Arthur New in the NSW Motorcyclistsaid, “Scrambles,
trials, sports days, picture nights, were all shaped to success by his dynamic
personality. Road racing was, of course, his favourite section. Roger’s riding,
sometimes astounding, was dominated by his drive to better himself, even
at times to the point above normal endurance. His selection as Isle of Man TT
representative was the fulfilment of an ambition that had obsessed him for
many years. His appreciation of good food, clothes and music, his ability to hold
the floor with a joke that was always suitable to the company, his varied career
from cab driving to radio announcing sets Roger up as one whose intellect
demanded of him more than one would expect in a racing motorcyclist.”
A measure of Roger Barker’s charisma and esteem was that even in a small
town in East Germany, 2,000 people attended his funeral. Barker’s family and
Doug Fugger had requested his body be returned to Australia, but there were no
facilities for keeping the body in the extreme heat so he was buried in the
grounds of a church in Schleiz. Among the mourners were Dick Thompson, Eric
and Harry Hinton. Some weeks later, it was reported that the body had been
exhumed and flown to Melbourne for burial in Heidelberg Cemetery. The funeral
was held on Monday 5th August, with the hearse carrying a large wreath bearing
Barker’s Victorian racing number 9. The coffin was draped in the Harley Club’s flag.
In October, the Roger Barker Memorial Senior Classic was held at the Fisher-
men’s Bend circuit in Melbourne, and won by veteran Maurie Quincey from Ron
Miles and Tom Phillis. The Nortons of both Quincey and Miles were wearing new
Rimond fairings. Ironically both the minor placegetters were to lose their lives in
coming years while racing in Europe.
Flat out on Darley’s main straight.
On the back section of the narrow
Darley course in 1956, Roger leads
Maurie Quincey (8).