Our three-part series on the life of the late Laurie Fox was published in our print edition earlier this year when Laurie celebrated his 90th birthday.
LOCAL legend Laurie Fox OAM may be highly regarded as a motorcycling icon in the Mount Gambier community, but to his seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren, he is simply their loving “papa.”
Described by friends as a “true gentleman,” the Mount Gambier Motor Cycle Club stalwart is perhaps best known for his successful motorcycle business and his legendary reputation at McNamara Park.
However, the humble Laurie is more comfortable talking about the achievements of his children than he is boasting about his own success.
Laurie celebrated his 90th birthday last week and spoke candidly to The Border Watch about his early life, his love for his family and his passion for motorcycles.
Growing up in the late 1920s and ‘30s, Laurie remembered his formative years fondly.
He said it was a “simpler time” and spoke of his happy childhood and his strong relationships with his parents and siblings.
“I had wonderful parents, I didn’t realise at the time they were struggling through the Great Depression,” he said, adding that he only began to understand the hardship his parents faced in retrospect.
Laurie recalled a family tragedy that occurred early in his life and said although the sense of loss had since faded, the memory has stayed with him.
“Originally I had five brothers, but very sadly one of them died before he was three years old,” he said.
“I can just vaguely remember him and I remember him getting looked at by the doctor.”
Laurie’s older brother was diagnosed with a fatal case of meningitis.
“The doctors couldn’t do anything to cure meningitis in those days,” Laurie explained.
“His name was Russell – that’s why I named one of my children Russell and my daughter named one of her sons Russell.
“We keep the name in the family.”
Although he “never had the slightest trouble” with his school work, Laurie left school before he turned 14.
“I left high school after I had achieved the intermediate certificate,” Laurie explained.
“The school wanted me to stay on to gain my leaving certificate and teachers would always tell me I was clever, but I always maintained that I wasn’t clever, I just did the work.”
Ironically, the one subject in which Laurie did not excel was English.
“I still have one of my report cards somewhere that says ‘English needs attention’,” Laurie said.
“I find that quite amusing as I love to write now.”
Despite his academic excellence, a return to the classroom the following year was not on the cards for Laurie.
“When school went back the next year, I had landed a job working in a garage,” Laurie explained.
“My dad had teed it up for me.”
Laurie worked as a driveway attendant at Walkers Garage by day and as a part-time projectionist at the Capitol Theatre by night.
He said his second job at the iconic art deco theatre, which later became the Odeon and is now Mount Gambier’s ten pin bowling alley, instilled in him a love for the movies.
“I still remember carefully lining up the next reel of film and timing the changeover perfectly so the transition between reels would be smooth,” Laurie said.
“I remember the Wizard of Oz screenings were very popular, that was the first colour film we had.
“I was always interested in movies, though I haven’t been to the cinema for a few years now.”
As soon as he turned the legal age of 16, Laurie applied for his road bike licence.
“You couldn’t ride unless you had a road bike licence, though you didn’t have to do anything to qualify except answer 12 questions,” Laurie explained.
“Of course I was at the police station the day I turned 16.
“I filled in the form and I think I got 10 of the 12 questions right – the policeman just said ‘you’re right, here’s your licence’ and off I went.”
At the time Laurie was content to ride his bike around town and had no interest in racing.
“Back in those days you weren’t allowed to race until you were 18,” Laurie said.
“I didn’t really ever have any thoughts about racing a motorbike, none whatsoever.”
The Mount Gambier Motor Cycle Club was inactive during World War II and was reformed following the return of servicemen in 1947.
“I landed the secretary role, a position I held for 14 years, at the same time as I was starting up my business,” Laurie said.
“The late Ron Hellyer was the captain and he was keen to get the track going and he kept pressuring me to have a go at racing.
“Eventually I went out and had a try and ended up getting a third in my first race and that was it – away we went.”
Laurie quickly established himself as a force in sidecar racing, with many first place finishes at local circuits and interstate.
“I had some natural ability for riding sidecars, I never even used to practice between meetings or anything, I never worried about it,” Laurie said.
He explained that the controlling body in Australia, the Auto Cycle Council, would raise funds every year to send Australian representatives to the prestigious Isle of Man race in England.
“A fella I knew quite well who owned a motorbike shop in Ballarat suggested I would be worth sending, but he told me I would need a better bike.”
Part two continues here: Fox leads pack on lucky Norton.
