NEW BIKE OLD ROAD

On Friday, October 14, 2011, Greg Hirst was down from Sydney collecting material for his radio show and for a TV show he has in the works.

So Heather  http://www.heather-ellis.com/

and Michael

and Georges

and I

met Greg and Tim the cameraman on the Yarra Boulevarde in Kew. We had coffee at the Studley Park Boat House and greg interviewed Georges about his motorcycling life. Georges started in France because he was French, did Europe, rode overland to OZ and did the Americas. He loves Central and South America and has spent a lot of time there.

We had a look at footpath parking in Elizabeth Street in Melbourne.

But the Yarra Boulevarde made the day. Mark Dryden at A1 Motorcycles in Brighton looked after me with a Guzzi V7 Sport for the day. There's nothing wrong with my old beemer but I'm looking at a Guzzi Classic and the Sport was available. I'm no test rider but I know what I like and the Guzzi was a sexy signorina indeed.

The Guzzi liked the Boulevarde and I liked the Guzzi.

The Yarra Boulevarde has a long history. In 1836 a "survey paddock" was reserved east of Melbourne. There was a rough access track to a district survey office. To ensure the safety of horses and "Murphy's Hut", a special constable was hired in 1852. The paddock became a park in 1862. Constable Murphy became "Park-keeper".

Fast forward. After WW1, in the 1920s, a lot of work was done to beautify the river and the park. The area was popular for picnics and parties. Sports grounds, picnic areas and boat houses were established along the river.

Richmond residents were mostly working class and the Great Depression that began in 1929 hit them hard. The "Sustenance Scheme" was set up to employ men in various public works. One was the Yarra Boulevarde. Another was the Great Ocean Road, but that's ano0ther story.

There were several sections of the Boulevarde and the plan was to join them eventually to create a scenic road east into the Yarra Valley.

The Boulevarde was built by hand with picks & shovels. It was controversial from the start. Some Richmond Councillors objected saying that the road would only be used by the rich who could afford cars and that it would spoil the park. Most of it got built anyway.

The section we were on with Hirsty was just 3 kilometres, in a straight line, from Melbourne's CBD. In the 1970s and '80s the Boulevarde was a scratchers' road. The twists and turns following the meandering Yarra made it a heap of fun for riders polishing their cornering skills. Sunny weekends saw hundreds of riders test themselves on "the Boulie".

The road surface got rougher, speed limits were reduced, bicycle lanes built and police blitzes became common.

The Boulie is quieter now. But that's OK. So am I. Car drivers have their automatics and their freeways so less of them take the trip. Today the six kilometres of river road near the city is beautiful and at 50 kph you have time to enjoy it. It winds through a strip of pretty much natural bush. I've had to stop the bike to lift an echidna off the road. 

After a couple of hours riding the Guzzi back and forth along the Boulevarde and coffee with some of Georges cakes at the Studley Park Boat House, I decided not to take the bike back to A1.

Damien Codognotto OAM

Independent Riders' Group

Melbourne