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Welcome to the 8th cache by Blatherskite.
Read the plaque as some clues are in it.
Here is an “Oppy tunity” to find a cache in Rochester.
A micro cache placed here on 05/08/2008.
Sir Hubert Ferdinand Opperman, OBE, MBE, KCSj, champion racing cyclist, RAAF officer, successful politician and Diplomat and often referred to as “Oppy” by Australian and French crowds, was born at Rochester, Victoria on May 29, 1904.
Like most eminent and contemporary Australians, Hubert Opperman is essentially a man of the people who commenced his distinguished career as a newspaper copy boy with a burning desire to become a Champion of the wheel.
He joined a cycling club at 15 and two years later had won his first road race.
Under the guidance of Malvern Star bike shop owner Bruce Small, “Oppy” set forth on a cycling career that inspired envy and awe.
In an incredible 21-year-old career as a professional racing cyclist, “Oppy” won all manner of competitive cycling events including the Blue Riband for fastest time three times in the famous Warrnambool to Melbourne Classic, and, twice winning from scratch, and three times being the fastest rider in the prestigious Goulburn to Sydney Classic.
Throughout the 1920's and 1930's, “Oppy” was the dominant figure in Australian cycling.
He won the Australian Road Championship in 1924, 1926, 1927 and 1929.
In 1928 he entered the 24-Hour Bol D'Or, a gruelling event which the French were so afraid of losing that saboteurs tampered with his bike, causing his chain to break an hour into the race. “Oppy” took over his interpreter's street bike, which had heavy mudguards and upturned handlebars. Effectively he was out of the race for about an hour. But Opperman was determined, and rode the old bike for 17 hours without dismounting and was many laps behind when his Malvern Star bike was repaired. He pressed on and with four hours to spare, hit the lead. He won the race by 30 minutes to the cheers of 50,000 French citizens yelling "allez Oppy". Seeing that he was on track to beat the 1000km record, his trainer asked him to go on. Opperman first stopped and declined, but relented after his trainer and the cheering crowd persuaded him to go on. He cycled 1h 19mn more alone on the track to beat the 1000km, and spurred on by the crowd, continued racing against the clock, setting a record of 910 kilometres for the 24 hours.
He received a hero's welcome when he returned to Melbourne later that year.
1st place in the 1265 km Paris – Brest – Paris Road Race of 1931 was the highlight of his sporting career. Five kilometres short of the finish, four riders overtook him but he found the strength to regain the lead 50 metres from the finish line and became the only non- European to have won the event.
That year he was voted Sportsman Of The Year by a French Newspaper.
Back in 1930, at the Melbourne Motordrome, 'Oppy' rode 100 miles behind pace in 90 minutes and 38 seconds. After a career studded with success at home, and abroad, Opperman went out from his sport in a blaze of glory, when aged 36 years, he either broke, or established numerous State, National and World records in an incredible 24 hours of continuous unpaced, cycling on the old Sydney Velodrome.
Many of his distance records were not broken until decades later.
The World was at war, and 'Oppy' joined the R.A.A.F. where he rose to commissioned rank whilst serving his country.
In the post-war years 'Oppy' stood for the Liberal Party in the Victorian electorate of Corio, which he won and held for 17 years under Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies. Oppy served with great distinction as Chief Government Whip and later was elected to Cabinet both as Minister for Shipping and Transport, and as Minister for Immigration. In 1967 he was appointed as Australia's first High Commissioner to Malta.
As a politician 'Oppy' was just as successful as he was as a racing cyclists, as demonstrated by his rise to Ambassadorial level in Government. Sir Hubert Opperman, born in Australia, by a union of direct German migrant stock is typical of the average Australian of his era. He retired from Public life in 1972 and settled in Melbourne, which hosted so many of his great cycling and life feats. Under pressure from friends, both sporting and political , and despite reluctance, he became his own biographer in 1973.
'Pedals, Politics and People' was published in 1977.
The action of Sir Hubert Opperman happened more than half a century ago and was headline stuff in the World's press at the time. Opperman received recognition for his achievements and his superlative record in sport and life cannot be ignored.
It is important that present day cyclists know of the deeds of the Champions of the past, for without that knowledge inspiration is absent.
Through determination and dedication he built the gift of a sporting talent into something tangible enough to permit him to scale his own 'Everest' in his Native Land.
Opperman mixed record setting and breaking among his achievements.
Here are some of his major performances.
Australian Unpaced Road Records:
1000 Miles. Opperman (1938) 63 hr 37 min 30 sec.
12 Hour. Opperman (1939) 264 miles.
24 Hour. Opperman (1939) 506 miles 396 yards.
Capital to Capital:
Sydney to Melbourne. Opperman (1929) 39 hr 42 min.
Brisbane to Sydney. Opperman (1936) 47 hr 10 min.
Perth to Adelaide. Opperman (1937) 09 days 06 hr 01 min.
Perth to Melbourne. Opperman (1937) 11 days 04 hr 05 min.
Perth to Sydney. Opperman (1937) 13 days 09 hr 22 min.
Melbourne to Sydney. Opperman (1938) 37 hr 06 min.
Adelaide-Melbourne-Sydney. Opperman (1938) 02 days 18 hr 16 min.
Track Records
5 Miles ( paced )1926. 04 min 42s
10 Miles ( paced )1926. 09 min 32s
100 Miles ( unpaced)1926. 04 hr 22 min 39s
100 Miles ( paced )1930. 01 hr 39 min 38s
1000 Miles ( paced )
1932
28 hr 55 min
One Hour ( paced )
1930
59 miles 629 yards
24 Hours ( paced )
1932
865 miles
24 Hours (unpaced)
1940
489 miles 596 yards
Abroad:
Paris - Brest Road Race
1931
First place.
Paris - Brest - Paris
1931
726 miles non stop
French Bol D'Or - Tandem - Paced
1928
First place - 565 miles in 24 hours
Lands End to John O'Groats in Britain (then 889 miles). British cycling authorities decided to recognise unpaced rides between these two points as official records in 1897. C.J. Maher, of Wellington, broke the standard 5 days 18 hours and 48 minutes. In 1908 G.A. Olley registered 3 days 5 hours and 20 minutes. In 1934 Hubert Opperman reduced the record time to 2 days 6 hours and 33 minutes
In 1991, Sir Hubert and Lady Mavys attended the centenary celebrations of the Paris – Brest – Paris race and he received the Gold Medal of the City of Paris.
Sir Hubert Opperman’s legacy is commemorated every year with the Opperman All Day Trial, an Audax (cycling) ride held annually in early November where teams of three or more cyclists ride a minimum of 360km in 24 hours.
The City of Knox, where Oppy spent the last years of his life, has dedicated and named several trails and cycleways around the municipality after famous races which Opperman won. They have also dedicated an annual bicycle event, ‘The Oppy Family Fun Ride’, after Oppy. The fun ride is part of the annual Knox Festival held each March.
On April 24, 1996 and at the age of 91 “Oppy” died of a heart attack, whilst on his exercise bike in his home in Wantirna, City of Knox, Melbourne. It was a week before the couple would have returned to Rochester for the annual Grand Prix races. A State Memorial Service was held at St. Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne on Wednesday, April 24.
At the service, Bishop John Bayton while delivering the address said “Sir Hubert Opperman quite literally pedaled his way into the Kingdom of Heaven”.
His trusty Malvern Star bicycle was donated to the museum in Rochester, Victoria.
The “Oppy” museum is housed in the Rochester Railway Station and is open for inspection by request to the Rochester Tourist Information Centre, which is open Monday to Friday 9am to 12 noon, or by phoning Mr. Jack Anderson (03) 5484 2127 or Mr. Peter Anderson (03) 5484 3000 BH or 0418 505 214.
Further information is on the website www.rochester.org.au
Political offices
Preceded by
Shane Paltridge
Minister for Shipping and Transport
1960–1963
Succeeded by
Gordon Freeth
Preceded by
Alexander Downer, Sr.
Australian Minister for Immigration
1963–1966
Succeeded by
Billy Snedden
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
John Dedman
Member for Corio
1949–1967
Succeeded by
Gordon Scholes
The cache is hidden at:
S36 21. (the birth year of "Oppy") ABCD- 1158
E144 41. (the year "Oppy" unveiled this monument) ABBD- 1086
To reach GZ, answer these two questions.
Q1. The year "Oppy" was born? (ABCD)
Q2. What year did he unveil this monument? (ABBD)
Final location MAY be affected by Buildings, trees and metal objects.
The GPS device you use may put you a few metres out!
BYO Pen, and can you please leave a message that outlines your experience in locating the cache rather than a one word or acronym message
A one word or Acronym log will be DELETED
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
zntargvp ernpu nobir urnq urvtug naq pnzbhsyntrq gb oyraq va