Home-Made Bicycle

This remarkable home-made bicycle, dating back to circa 1899, is a testament to the ingenuity and resilience of Goldfields prospectors. Believed to be the very bicycle described in a 1900 edition of Strand Magazine by G.B. Dunsford of Bummers Creek, near Leonora, it was built using only the materials available in the harsh outback.

Nicknamed “Not a Racing Machine,” this bicycle was crafted by a dryblower known as ‘Mulga Bill’, who is said to have travelled hundreds of miles across the arid landscape on this hand-built contraption. The materials used highlight the resourcefulness of the time:

Forks made from mulga wood
Wheels constructed from old wooden boxes
Tyres fashioned out of old meat tins
A chain crafted from interlaced bullock hide, designed to catch the cogs of the sprocket

While not built for speed, this bicycle embodied the grit and determination of early prospectors, who faced extreme conditions in the search for gold. It is reputed that Mulga Bill pushed the bicycle all the way from Southern Cross to Mount Barker, an extraordinary feat considering the rough terrain and lack of proper roads at the time.

The bicycle’s ingenuity earned it international recognition. It was proudly displayed at the Western Australian stands during the 1901 Glasgow International Trade Exhibition and later at the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition in London, where it was showcased as an example of the pioneering spirit of the Australian outback.

Today, this bicycle stands as a symbol of perseverance and creativity, reminding visitors of the incredible challenges faced by early miners and prospectors, and the inventive solutions they crafted to survive and thrive in the Goldfields.