Don’t call me Cyril!
Born in 1935, Cyril John Findlay ‘borrowed’ the road licence from his father Jack at age 15 and used it to get a competition licence from the ACU of Victoria. From that day onward, he was Jack Findlay, and for the next seven years he took in as much racing as he could afford, at his local circuits Fishermen’s Bend in the heart of Melbourne, and Darley near Bacchus Marsh, one hour west of the city. There were also annual bashes at the incredibly narrow Victoria Park circuit at Ballarat, and occasionally at Mount Panorama, Bathurst. It only amounted to around ten outings a year, so in his spare time Jack honed his mechanical skills working as a race mechanic with speedway rider John Board.
Later years:
Jack’s worsening emphysema caught up with him. A lifetime non-smoker, Jack reckoned he developed the crippling disease through being crouched over the fuel tank of a racing motorcycle for most of this life, and inhaling the vapours of the sometimes exotic brews. The travelling aspect of the position became more and more difficult and Jack retired to a quieter life. That life became a battle with increasing immobility, so much so that Jack was unable to travel to Australia to witness the unveiling of a statue of himself, erected in the main street of his home town of Mooroopna in 2006.
The life-size bronze, depicting Jack on his Isle of Man-winning Suzuki TR500, is the work of Phil Mune, who has several other major works to his credit. Financial support for the cost of the work came from many sources. The FIM, Jack’s employers after he retired from the saddle, contributed $6,000, a figure matched by Motorcycling Australia. Michelin also came to the party, as did numerous local business and individuals.
To log your find: please take a picture of yourself, your GPSr or an item depicting your team at the statue, then add it to your log.
Photo and description credit to: Jack Findlay: Don’t call me Cyril - Old Bike Australasia (oldbikemag.com.au)
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.