Answers to Tassie Treasures

Just picked up latest OBA and came across the photo from Jeff Frankcombe on Page 77 (his third photo). That one is dead easy as it was one of the first photos I found on the TMCC, ten years ago when I started research – before “Trove” came on line. It appeared in the Launceston “Weekly Courier” on Saturday December 15th 1906 on page 23. In 1904 W.H. King, one of 3 sons of John King (motorcycles) broke the Launceston to Hobart record with a time of 4h 17min on a 3 1/2 h.p. Minerva. This photo is of him smashing the record with a time of 2h 53min. with this 7-8 h.p. Peugeot (most likely a current model). It was taken outside the (William) Golding and Sons Jewellers shop in 56 Liverpool Street with the two sons Arthur and William Jnr. who were the official time keepers at the finishing end. The Launceston to Hobart record for solo sidecar and cars was contested from 1903 until 1929. Bikes usually did a one way and the cars two ways. I think the cars did this because the bikes usually beat them so they bragged about the two-way record. All three in the photo were members of the Tasmanian Automobile Club now known as the Tasmanian Motor Cycle Club. Ken Young Launceston