32 :OLD BIKE AUSTRALASIA
In the earlierJunior TT he worked his way up to
8th place behind a string of works machines but was
forced to retire with machine gremlins. Just three
weeks earlier, he had celebrated his 30th birthday.
Following the Isle of Man, Roger lined up for the
Dutch TT at Assen on June 29th. He only gained a
start when English Guzzi star Bill Lomas crashed in
practice and was unable to start, but Roger made the
most of the opportunity, finishing eighth in both the
350 and 500 races. Two weeks later was the fourth
round of the Championships, at the fast and
dangerous Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, but
on the same day there was an international event in
East Germany which offered much better starting
money for the impoverished privateers. Roger and
his travelling companion Dick Thompson were soon
on the road to East Germany to compete in the
annual races on a 7.6km public road circuit in the
Thiringia province known as Schleizer Dreieck which
had been in operation since 1923.
It had been a long journey to Europe for Roger,
who worked at the Mudgee radio station, 2MG,
eventually taking the role of the breakfast
announcer at the station. Roger and his elder
brother Aub were keen riders, having honed their
skills on their parents’ farm, and both competed at
the local Miniature TT circuit which held a big annual
event following the Easter races at nearby Bathurst.
There were similar dirt circuits scattered around the
district, including Girraween near Bathurst, but
Roger was more interested in the tar and after
ROGER BARKER
Roger on a MAC Velocette in a 1955
scramble at Merriang, Victoria.Roger (left) enjoying a drink with
his great mate and employer Doug
Fugger at Yarrawonga in 1955.Jack Ahearn leads Roger Barker onto the main straight
at the November 1956 meeting at Mount Druitt.