Page turner: Author and Journalist Rachel Syers with her new book about Sir Bruce Small, which looks at his friendship with Rochester legend Sir Hubert ‘Oppy’ Opperman.
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The untold stories of Sir Bruce Small are about to shine the spotlight on Seymour and dozens of towns that played special parts in his extraordinary life journey as a legend in sport and politics.
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Mr Small’s legacy, which may be familiar to some Australians, includes building the Malvern Star bicycle brand from one store in Melbourne into a household name last century.
He became a pioneer of Australian cycling through his mentorship and management of scores of famous cycling champions, including the iconic Hubert ‘Oppy’ Opperman.
A new book about Sir Bruce highlights Seymour’s part in his incredible journey, from humble beginnings to his name appearing in hundreds of news headlines over the decades.
The official biography, titled Sir Bruce Small: From Malvern Star To Mr Gold Coast, reveals fascinating details of Sir Bruce’s life, from touring the world with Oppy, finding fame in France and winning ‘The Ashes’ of cycling in the UK, to travelling to towns all over Australia and New Zealand with his promotional team of meter maids and bikini models to reel in holidaymakers to the Gold Coast.
Author Rachel Syers said Sir Bruce Small’s visit to Seymour in 1979 with his bikini-clad promotional assistants was an excellent example of why he was known as a ‘messiah of tourism’.
“He toured from Tasmania to Tokyo selling the beach lifestyle of the Gold Coast and was heralded for sparking the tourist boom that transformed Surfers Paradise from a seaside haven into a tourist mecca,” Ms Syers said.
“Seymour seniors are going to love reminiscing over how regional towns were involved in the Sir Bruce Small story, while the younger generation will no doubt learn some surprising history around the region.”
Piece of history: After Cyclone Daisy heavily impacted the Gold Coast in 1972, Bruce Small flew into Melbourne Airport with the Golden Girls looking to promote the Queensland city. Pictured are Gold Coast promotions officer Doug Roughton, Miss Gold Coast 1972 Elizabeth Geia, Debbie Cohen, Sir Bruce Small, Marie-Louise Howie and Rondi Davies.
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www.coralseamedia.com.au
Sir Bruce was a tourism promoter extraordinaire in his retirement years as Gold Coast Mayor.
On his Cinderella Tour promotion, he visited Seymour with Miss Beautiful Beach Girl at a time when he was known as Mr Gold Coast.
During that tour, Sir Bruce gave away a Gold Coast holiday to the lucky lady whose foot was squeezed into the Gold Coast slipper.
“I wonder if someone in the town will remember who the lucky lady was with the slender feet,” Ms Syers said.
The 1979 tour also included Cheltenham, Colac, Swan Hill, Hamilton, Portland, Camperdown, Mildura, Shepparton, Bendigo, Echuca, Kerang and Warrnambool.
“The historic part all the regional towns play in this book is really quite remarkable considering Sir Bruce and Oppy were world famous and travelled the globe more than a dozen times,” Ms Syers said.
Ms Syers spent years uncovering stories and insights from meticulous research and 100 personal interviews with family and friends, and even world champions and political leaders who knew him best, including an exclusive with Oppy’s son Ian Opperman.
She believes many readers will enjoy the 260 stunning photos from a bygone era and the many untold details finally recorded for history to acknowledge.
Sir Bruce Small: From Malvern Star To Mr Gold Coast was launched on Wednesday, March 13, at the 150-year-old historic Melbourne Cricket Club Library in the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Special guests from the Sport Australia Hall of Fame attended the VIP event, including the Maillot Jaune Club (Yellow Jersey Tour de France Club), AusCycling and Small and Opperman family members.
