Kenneth William Kirkman

• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Dec 21 2018, 22:29:30 UTC

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Ken Kirkman was one of the best speedway riders that came out of Australia in the early thirties. As you will read in these notes he had a ten year career, although he showed great potential during his 1934 solo trip to Great Britain, he did not get the team chances he deserved. there is no doubt that a second season overseas would have cemented his rise to the top.

After the first Australian Pioneers arrived in Britain in 1928 there was a shortage of Australian youngsters coming on in the homeland. Ken was the exception, a top man at Coleman Point, Lismore, Parramata, Liverpool NSW Sydney Showground, Brisbane, Melbourne and Bathurst.Ken was second in the Australian Championships 1931 and 1932. Raced in England and New Zealand in 1934 and rode for Australia, as a reserve, against England in 1938

Kenneth William Kirkman was born in Bathurst in 1911. He was the eldest of three brothers and one sister, his father Milton Kirkman was one of 10 children all were born in Bathurst. His Great Grandfather came to Australia on the ship Angus Ewing in 1842 from Bolton Le Mores England. Ken's mother Cathran was 95 when she died in 1981. The family lived in Bathurst when Ken was first racing in the speedway. (there is a lot of memorabilia of his in the Bathurst Museum)

Ken was educated at old Howick school, Bathurst, then became a Linograph operator by trade working for the Western Press in Bathurst profession and then worked for the newspaper in Dungog. a small rural town in NSW.

He started racing speedway at Blayney NSW with Bluey Wilkinson in 1929, they shared a Douglas belt driven machine, by the time Bathurst speedway opened in 1930 they had their own Douglas DT bikes He went on to race at Wentworth Park, Parramatta, Liverpool, Cox's Paddock, and the Royal . He set the fastest time at the first Wentworth Park meeting. By this time he had come under the mechanical wing of ace tuner Fred Hibberd who had returned from England. Fred had tuned for Huxley, Arthur and many of the stars in England finishing his tour with Belle Vue Aces as their chief mechanic. The Douglas made way for a Rudge in 1931.Ken continued to ride for Wentworth Park in the 1932/1933 season. In November 1933 he represented NSW against QLD at

Ken's form continued to improve, he then raced in Brisbane, travelling there and back by road with Frank Arthur and Dick Sulway. On his return to Sydney he was appointed captain of the Royales team. Now he was on a 20 yard handicap. He beat Wally Little, Dick Sulway and Jock Hollis in match races. At first Hollis, an experienced rider, refused to meet the up and coming star, but gave in to public pressure.

Ken came second in the Australian Championships for two years running in 1931 and 1932. born in 1935. He was back for the second meeting at the Royale where he was spotted by visiting promoter John S Hoskins when Ken was a member of the NSW side that met the visiting Wembley Lions in 1933. Hoskins recognised Ken"s potential and signed him for the Wembley Lions for 1934

He travelled to England on the SS Jervis Bay, leaving his wife Dorothy in Australia. His travelling companions were Charlie Ogden, the Wembley chief mechanic, Wally Little and Jim Millward.The trio arrived at Hull on April 23 1934. When they arrived in London by train they were met by Lionel van Praag, in his MG Magnette, Lionel gave them a hair raising drive through the streets of London to the Empire stadium.

The Lions team was very strong at that time. Lionel van Praag was a member of the team which also included George Greenwood and Ginger Lees. Ken was unable to gain a full team place spending the season as the captain of the Wembley Cubs reserve team. His form was terrific top scoring for the Cubs with a total of 79 points from 12 meetings. He scored three full maximums during the season, for some strange reason he was never given a full run in the senior team. His only appearance on the track in the teams colours was as reserve in the ACU cup match with West Ham in September when he scored 2 points. He named as a reserve in the Cup final at Belle Vue but was not called on to ride.The Lions went down 33-71 on that night. .

Returning to Australia after his last meeting at Wembley on September 18 1934 He arrived home on Tuesday 4th December.to see his son Colyn David Kirkman, for the first time.Colyn was born while Ken was on the boat home on the 19th November 1934.

Ken then raced in Sydney before going to NZ with Ray Taylor in early 1935. Ken and Ray raced at Monica Park in Christchurch with great success. Sadly they were there when their Wembley team mate Charlie Blacklog lost his life on the the track at Monica Park, Christchurch.

He retired from speedway in 1936. but surprised everyone by resuming his career at the Sydney Show ground on October 30 1937. With old team mate Wally Little the pair rode unbeaten in a team named the rest that beat the Mascot. team.

A call up as reserve for the crucial third test at the Show ground on January 20 1938. Ken replaced Queenslander Charlie Spinks but failed to score, the Australians won 30-24.Note this information is from the Sydney Morning Herald, all other records do not mention Ken.

1938 saw Ken once again in the Australian solo championship for the third time, he scored 5 points. Bluey Wilkinson took the title over Jack Milne and English iron man Joe Abbott. Wally Little was involved in the new speedway at Wollongong which opened in June 1939. Ken agreed to ride there, this was his last season.

By Tony Webb. Speedway Writer and Historian

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Individual_Speedway_Cham...