Memorials

In a Facebook post dated 16th March 2026, written by Doug Holland about the passing of Larry Hickmott:

RIP Larry Hickmott

Larry passed away in England over the weekend after weeks of an unusual and debilitating illness.

Larry had been on a nostalgia trip in Australia earlier this year but he cut that short to return to his UK home as the illness was making life very difficult.

Larry started racing with the Nowra club in 1974 and quickly developed into a rider with a hard attacking style. He represented NSW on three occasions in Australian junior road championships with his best result being a seventh position.

Larry’s favourite local win was the George Johnson Memorial in 1977.

Larry raced in many of the states leading events and when his family moved to Brisbane circa 1980, he continued his competitive racing there.

  Larry had worked as a photographer in Nowra and he continued with that career path in Queensland with one of his portfolios as a fashion photographer on the Gold Coast.

Larry’s best cycling result while he lived in Queensland was third in the Top End Tour in the NT.

Larry moved to the UK to see how he would fare, racing in many events but realising he would not achieve his dreams as a competitor. He changed focus and switched back to photography, becoming the UK’s leading cycling photographer. Larry worked for British Cycling for many years, travelling the world doing a pictorial coverage at World Championships etc.

Larry then established his own business and set up the web site and facebook group, Velo UK.

Rest in peace now Larry, you are remembered fondly.

Top left photo: Larry leading on a climb in the George Johnson Memorial. He won this event.

Left photo: Larry leading Garry Porter on this hill effort.

Top right photo: Larry and his sister Maureen at a track carnival.

Bottom left photo: on the job with Velo UK.

In a Facebook post dated 28th October 2025, written by Doug Holland about the passing of Garry Moon:

RIP Garry Moon

The cycling community has lost another champion. Garry passed away on Monday morning after a short illness.

Garry Moon raced with the Nowra club in the late 1970's and into the 1980's. Through that time Garry was known as a hard, honest bike rider. He won eight club championships across the different disciplines and was a scratch rider in the handicaps for most of that time, gaining many fastest time awards along with numerous wins.

I personally had the greatest respect for Garry. He was really one of the good blokes.

Garry started racing as a juvenile in local events and then at state level through into the juniors (now under 19's) where he was a highly rated A grade rider and a scratch rider in the state handicap races alongside Moscow Olympian Graham R Seers and national representative, David Perry.

Garry twice won the Shoalhaven region schoolboys championship and this took him to state level and above.

Garry concentrated mostly on local and southern division events after juniors as he also concentrated on his apprenticeship and career as a baker.

Condolences to Garry's family and friends. Remember him with fondness.

Top left photo: Head down, Garry Moon leads the chase in a Nowra interclub event at Cambewarra.

Top right photo: Garry Moon leading Tom Miskelly and Garry Porter.

Right middle photo: Garry receives an award from another of the Nowra club champions, Mick Tamplin.

Bottom left newspaper clipping Larry Hickmott replied on the original Facebook post: "So many lovely names in that clipping Doug Holland".

In a Facebook post dated 28rd January 2024, written by Doug Holland about the passing of John MacLean:

RIP John McLean

Former Nowra Velo Club (Nowra Cycle Club in his time) member John McLean has passed away in Bundaberg quite recently, at the age of 82.

John had started his bike racing life with the Nowra club in that latter half of the 1950’s and quickly rose to prominence as class rider.

In his early years John won all state road and track championships as a junior and then moved easily into the senior competition. We now know seniors as the elite riders.

John represented NSW at Australian track championships in 1959 and 1960 and then after a time away from racing he was in the NSW team at the Australian track championships in 1971.

John was a prolific winner in events at McCabe Park in Wollongong in it’s hey day, winning handicaps, scratch races and madison events.

In 1960 John won the 160 kilometre Nyngan to Dubbo road race. In 1961 John crashed in the NSW road championships and did not record a finish but was selected to race the Australian Professional Road championships which were being held in Nowra on that occasion.

This race was won by Tasmania’s Neville Veale and John finished in 5th position.

He followed this by racing in the Newcastle six day race on the Towsend Oval velodrome.

After a break from racing to marry the love of his life, Diane and set up a home life John returned to racing in 1968 with the Nowra club’s reformation after the club had been in recess for several years.

John trained long and hard to regain his form of old and in 1969 he returned to his winning ways by taking out a NSW pro open race treble when he won the Sid Parrish road race at Albion Park, the Sutherland to Nowra race and the Cootamundra Classic.

Following these events, John raced in the seven day NSW Sun Tour where he won the Bateman’s Bay to Nowra stage on the second last day of racing.

During 1970, John and Diane set up their business, McLean Cycles in Nowra and both became heavily involved in club and business affairs. This tested John’s training time but he raced the state events throughout the year and once again raced the NSW Sun Tour that year over nine days. John made in onto the podium again in this event. He was racing on the track over the following summer and was selected on the NSW team once again, this time to race the Australian Pro track championships at Port Pirie in South Australia.

From then John carried on with his business ventures and racing when time allowed with the Nowra Club and in NSW open events. HE was once again selected to represent the state of NSW in the Australian pro road championships in 1974.

John and Diane and the family relocated to Queensland in 1979 and after some time setting up a new business and building a new home, John returned to racing in that state.

As I am unaware on much that John did with his bike racing in Queensland, I will leave it there.

John has left his mark on the record books in NSW pro racing.

RIP John McLean.