Under the Chequered Flag
Ken Duperouzel
Stalwart of the West Australian scene Ken Duperouzel passed away in July, aged 88.
After attending a course at a business college and working in a few jobs, in 1951, Ken set off on
a great adventure to ride his 1948 model 350 AJS across Australia with his friend Gerry Smith on a
350 Douglas. Back in those days, the bitumen finished at Southern Cross in WA and then the road
became a rough dirt track for hundreds of kilometers before the bitumen started again near Port
Augusta in SA. They had to advise the police at each stop and the police would telephone or in
some cases telegraph to the nearest roadhouse for the people there to keep an eye out for them.
Ken continued to Tasmania for a six-week visit and ended up staying six months because he liked
the place so much. After that, he headed up the eastern coast to ride his motorbike to Bathurst in
New South Wales where the famous Mount Panorama race circuit is located.
In 1952, he entered the Clubman Race there during the Easter Classic. Ken met his soon-to-be
wife Audrey while he was in Bathurst working a part time job at the local Edgell’s factory where
they were both packing vegetables. The couple did all their courting on the back of Ken’s bike and
when he raced in the Easter Classic at Bathurst, Audrey was there cheering him on. When they
decided to get married, Ken came back to Western Australia as he couldn’t get a permanent job in
NSW. Over the next year, they both skimped and saved for their wedding and wrote regularly to
each other. Audrey finally flew to WA and they were married on the following day on 15
September 1953. Ken had several salesman type jobs while Audrey raised the four kids.
Then on 1 April 1963, Ken and his brother Jack, who had recently been discharged from the
Navy, set up WA Chain Saws Sales and Service and they became the State Distributor for Stihl
Chainsaws. The company continued to grow and was very successful. In his 40s, Ken was able to
import a stunning, Italian racing red, 350cc Aermacchi racing bike and he raced it for several years
at Wanneroo Raceway before finally hanging up his leathers for good. Ken was the President of
the Motor Cycle Racing Club of Western Australia and was made a Life Member of that
organisation in 1972. Ken led several Australian motorcycle racing teams, made up of Bryan
Hindle and other top Australian riders at the time, to events in South East Asia, including the
Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesian and Penang Grands Prix.
After 22 years in business, Ken retired at the age of 55 and he and Audrey set off to travel the
world. In 2008, they travelled to Doha in Qatar in the United Arab Emirates to watch the very first
Motorcycle Grand Prix to be held there under lights. Ken and Audrey had been married for more
than 62 years when Ken passed away. From Ian Duperouzel
Geoff Mack and Tabbi Francis photographed
by theDaily Telegraphthe day after their arrival
in Sydney, sans sidecar.Geoff Mack
In OBA 32we featured the exploits of GEOFF
MACK,who has died in Queensland aged 94.
Geoff wrote the iconic song, “I’ve been every-
where” in 1959, which was recorded by many artists
worldwide, including the American country music
legend Hank Snow, and the Australian version by
Lucky Starr, both in 1962. Over 130 cover versions,
using different towns and places from New Guinea to
Africa, have been recorded by famous artists, includ-
ing Johnny Cash. The success of the song resulted in
Geoff being inducted into the International Songwrit-
ers Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee in 1963.
Geoff (born Albert Geoffrey McElhinney in
Melbourne in 1922), was an accomplished performer
by an early age, playing for Australian troops in
Borneo and later in Europe. It was while in Germany
that Geoff met the love of his life, English dancer and
comedienne Tabbi Francis, and they went on to
perform together in Paris and throughout the Middle
East. When it was time to bring his new bride home
to Australia, Geoff bought a Panther Sloper, fitted it
with a sidecar which was loaded with parts and
possessions, and with Tabbi on the pillion, they set
off from London in September 1954. Thirteen weeks
and 13,000 miles later they reached Sydney – the
sidecar now devoid of anything other than a chassis.
The Panther is now permanently displayed in the
Tamworth Visitors Centre, the town where he has
received numerous country music awards.JSGeoff and Tabbi at
Tamworth with the
Panther which is now
in the Visitors' centre.LEFT Ken Duperouzel, aged 22, about to set off on his
great adventure. BELOW Ken with his pride and joy, a
new 250cc Aermacchi, at Wanneroo Park.