Harold ParsonsPrint Page

The monument commemorates motor cyclist Harold Parsons, who was accidently killed in 1921. 

The Victorian Motor Cycle Club erected the monument with subscriptions coming from all parts of Australia. The monument was a double-sided drinking fountain with access one side to the schoolchildren and the other to pedestrians. Following vandalism the monument was re-erected and moved to its present location in 1989.

Harold Albert (Ranji) Parsons was born in 1893 and lived at 22 Hoddle Street, Richmond. He became a mechanic at Turner Brothers, Harley-Davidson agents in 1916.

He won many motor-cycling championships in four states and in August 1920 established a world record for 24 hours with a ride of 1114.25 miles on his Indian Scout 600cc. In 1921, he and a mechanic friend were trialing their cycles when Parsons collided with a straying horse, and later died in hospital, Over 1000 people attended the funeral and 100 motor cyclists formed a guard of honour.

It was arranged to unveil the Harold Parsons memorial on Sunday, June 24. This memorial, which takes the form of a drinking fountain, has been erected on the corner of Punt and Bridge roads, East Melbourne, so that it is accesssible to the Yarra Park State school children and also to the general public. Mr. A. A. Farthing, M.L.A., will unveil and present the memorial on behalf of the Victorian Motor-cycle Club, to the school committee. All members of the V.M.C.C. are particularly asked to be present and to form up together in a spot which will be reserved for them. Motor-cyclists who do not belong to the V.M.C.C. are also invited to be present to witness the unveiling of the first memorial ever erected in honor of a motor-cyclist, who was also looked upon upon as Australia's greatest rider.
Sporting Globe (Melbourne), 20 June 1923. 

Location

Details

Dedication