Chris Davy

Motorcycling identity CHRIS ‘CHICKENMAN’ DAVY passed away at home on 18th August. Chris featured in OBA 76 in the article on the 1977 Ampol Around Australia Motorcycle Competition with sidecar passenger Wayne “the Brain” Keeping.

He is survived by his two children Paul and Robyn and will be interred in Ipswich (or Ippy) as Chris fondly called it. Chickenman was a Fitter and Turner, father, philosopher, muse, a poet, home – grown engineer and just a great friend to many he came in contact with, either through work or socially. Last time I saw the Chickenman was when he passed through Townsville on his way back to Ippy from Darwin, driving a Hyundai Getz with left hand passenger seat removed and replaced with a slab of plywood as a base for his bed; his version of a Winnebago. Chris was on Facebook and had a couple of short motorcycling clips on YouTube, Chris Davy Iron Man is one, negotiating a gravel hillside track in his single-wheel drive Ural and sidecar. Why Chickenman? He was named after the radio serial of the ‘60s and ‘70s of a caped crusader whose signature call was “He’s everywhere, he’s everywhere”. Any social event, function or workplace where Chris would be sighted the call would erupt “He’s everywhere.” A good friend and missed by all. ■

From George Shephard