Tom Wallace Special

[Typhoon Ken]

G'day All,

Well I have been bitten well and truly by the resto bug after doing my first one, a Speedwell Rover seen here http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=45479 No where as good as some of the bikes I see done by the members here but I've done a Ladies Speedwell to match the Rover, another Men's Speedwell, I just finished a 50s Ladies Speedwell and I am starting on a MS 2 Star Ladies. I did say I was bitten by the bug.

In the process of finding bits and pieces I spotted an old 26in Tom Wallace Special on Fleabay. It was identical to the one I had as a young bloke growing up in Brisbane. Dad purchased it from Tom Wallace on Lutwyche Road, Lutwyche if my memory serves me right. So I just had to buy it, although it was in Brisbane. My son picked it up and I'll bring it back to Sydney after Christmas. In the mean time I contacted Idrcycles here to see if I could source a set of decals from him and he pointed out that the seat tube decal is not the same as the ones he's seen before. So any input from the subject matter experts on here would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,

Ken

[Wallace special]

Hey mate yeah I just purchased one my self but in green has the same decals as yours except the down tube has a big "special on it . Would you be able to tell me the number on your seat post clamp ? Mines v837 and I'm trying to establish an age . But I thought they had the same decals on the seat post tube . Sorry I'm not much help but she's a nice old rig.

[Wallace special]

Hey mate yeah I just purchased one my self but in green has the same decals as yours except the down tube has a big "special on it . Would you be able to tell me the number on your seat post clamp ? Mines v837 and I'm trying to establish an age . But I thought they had the same decals on the seat post tube . Sorry I'm not much help but she's a nice old rig.

[munga]

pre-1642. i know this because there is no tassie on the headtube

[Wal42]

Didn't Tasmania exist after 1901 (that was the year it became an Independant State of Australia), so prior to that I think it was part of Victoria, so you must be out in your dates munga, it must be pre-1901.

[Dan]

pre-1642. i know this because there is no tassie on the headtube

pre -1642 would make it a Thom Wallacejiuwhuizen.

[munga]

Didn't Tasmania exist after 1901 (that was the year it became an Independant State of Australia), so prior to that I think it was part of Victoria, so you must be out in your dates munga, it must be pre-1901.

ah, but the island of van diemans land existed before 1901. i see no tasmania on that headtube, indicating that it never existed when the frame was built.

[WyvernRH]

I think what you have there is an Austral rejuvenated and repainted by Tom Wallace at some point.
Cheers
Richard

[ldrcycles]

This is the 'normal' seat tube decal, Typhoon Ken's is the first one i've seen with the headtube decal on the seat tube as well.



EDIT: I knew i had seen those lugs somewhere before Richard!

[Typhoon Ken]

Hey mate yeah I just purchased one my self but in green has the same decals as yours except the down tube has a big "special on it . Would you be able to tell me the number on your seat post clamp ? Mines v837 and I'm trying to establish an age . But I thought they had the same decals on the seat post tube . Sorry I'm not much help but she's a nice old rig.

I haven't got the bike yet, I'm in Sydney and it's in my son's garage in Brisbane. The limited pictures I have shows a number on the drive side dropout 12741.

Nice theory about Tassie but I reckon it's just the politically incorrectness of leaving it off so they could fit the mainland on there at a decent size (just no room for Tassie). At what time did Malvern Star drop Stars and Swan their Swans from their headtubes. At a guess Tom Wallace was just imitating them with the Australia stampings.

It has an integrated headset but braised on seat stays so 50s-60s, I reckon the bike I had as a kid in the early 70s was the same colour but can't remember the headtube.

Thanks for the thoughts so far.

[ldrcycles]

As Richard said, it's an Austral bike, they were the ones who had those headtube lugs, and at some stage Tom Wallace has done a respray on it. It was very common back in the day, Cecil Walker in Melbourne is one example.

I don't know much about Austral but i have seen a few old rims and cottered cranks that were stamped Austral, whether it's the same maker or not i don't know.

[Typhoon Ken]

I did say I needed help from the Subject Matter experts, good on you Richard. I found this thread and yep it's an Austral http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5856.

If it was good enough for Tom then when she gets the treatment it will be good enough for me so I will keep it as a Special. The bike has a story and I don't even have it yet.

Thanks all.

Ken

[bicyclepassion]

Austral frame number 12741.
I agree that the frame is an Austral, repainted and re-equipped by Tom Wallace. The frame has French ends, first seen in Australia in about 1929, and used by many of the major brands in their road racing frames from then until the late 1930's. They were still occasionally used in road frames right up until about 1950.
The 'French' ends were shown in Malvern Star catalogues for road racing models from 1929 until 1936/37.
Assuming it is an Austral from the Malvern Star factory, and assuming that it was made for 27" wheels, not 28", the frame is probably from the 1935 to 1937 period.
Most of the other parts look like 1960's, so that may be when the repaint was done.
The chainwheel and cranks may be earlier, and if you are lucky, will have a date code on them.
Interestingly, I have an Austral frame in my collection, with the same lugs, but 'club' ends, frame number 12682. They were possibly made in the same period?
It will be interesting to get some better pictures later on so we can compare the two.
Warren

[LG]

Didn't Tasmania exist after 1901 (that was the year it became an Independant State of Australia), so prior to that I think it was part of Victoria, so you must be out in your dates munga, it must be pre-1901.

Sorry - off topic, I think we need to re-study Australian history. The first European settlement in Australia was in Sydney, followed by Hobart, other parts of Van Diemens Land were then settled (including Launceston). A John Batman and others departed Launceston in the 1830s to settle the Melbourne area. So really, the Melbourne area should be seen for what it is - part of Tassie's north island.

Tassie missing from the map - don't mention the 1982 commonwealth games...

[bicyclepassion]

Which leads me to comment on my ongoing search for one of the rare 'Tasman' bikes, supposedly made from just after the first world war until about 1940. These had head lugs with maps of Tasmania in them, where a Star, Swan, Australia map etc would be on Mainland/mainstream brands.
I have been told by the old stagers that these bikes had a fancy seat bar decal with a map of Tasmania in it, but the rest of Australia was left off, as there was not enough space in the panel for the Mainland, and it would have upset the delicate balance of the artwork. I dont know how true this is.
Has anyone seen one of these bikes, or have one for sale? Even a photograph would do at this stage.
Warren

[LG]

Probably not exactly what you're looking for Warren, as it's missing the Tasmania lugs, but this is one of my frames and appears to be from a similar era.

I have seen a frame with those lugs, but for the life of me can't think where.

[Typhoon Ken]

Good Stuff. Thanks for all the replies, I was trying to identify the decals and ended up with a different bike!.. As soon as I pick her up I'll take some better pics and get them posted up.

Cheers,

Ken