Lot 834

Description

New South Wales Amateur Cycling Union, prize medals in silver (45mm) (5) the first on thicker planchet and has no maker details, the other four marked 'A&C Ltd', one with no silver mark, one with 'STGSIL' beside laurel branch stem, one with 'STG.SIL' at base and the other with 'STGSIL' at base, obverse, Australian arms in the centre, ribbon scroll at sides with initials N.S.W.A.C.U., road racing scene above and track racing scene below, reverse, wreath of laurel, first medal from a different die, medals inscribed as follows, (1) obverse, 'Senior Road Championship', reverse, '100 Mile / Won by / A.R.Strom / 4.52.5.1/5 / 1941', (2) obverse, 'Senior Road Premiership', reverse, 'Won By / Marrickville / A.R.Strom / 1941.', (3) obverse, 'Senior 5 mile Championship', reverse, '2nd. / Won By / A.Strom / 1942', (4) obverse, 'Senior Road Championship', reverse, 'Won by / A.Strom / 1942', (5) obverse, 'Senior Track Premiership', reverse, 'Won By / Marrickville B.C. / A.R.Strom. / 1941-42.' Second last medal with edge nick on obverse, otherwise very fine - good very fine. (5)

Alfred Strom was a NSW road racing champion. At age 29 he and Reginald 'Roger' Arnold, 'The Greatest Australian 6-Day Rider', worked their passages across Europe in 1945 in an attempt to break into the big time. In 1946 the pair competed in and finished second in the four nation cycle race in London. In the 1950s Strom teamed up with the olympian, Russell Mockridge, and began collecting prize money in 6-day events. In 1950 Strom also coached Jack Hoobin to perform the near impossible when he won the gruelling 175kms race at Moorslede near Ypres becoming the first Australian to win the World Amateur Road Cycling Championship. A nice group of awards to an elite Australian sportsman.