Ulysses heads for the Hills
Ulysses Club Inc . is a social club for motorcyclists over the age of 40 but the great majority of riders are over 50 with a large number of octogenarians scattered throughout the branches . by Greg Martin
It was a Eureka ! moment when Albion Park ’ s Rob Hall came up with the name of a new motorcycle club for older riders back in late 1983 .
“ Ulysses ! Yes , Ulysses ,” exclaimed Rob to his girlfriend at the time , Pat Lynch , who was also no slouch at the putting together of words caper .
“ The club will need a motto too ,” Pat told her beau . “ So might I suggest ‘ Grow Old Disgracefully ’.” Ulysses ? Well-read was our Rob Hall and he well remembered a poem recited in his schooldays .
Alfred Lord Tennyson , the revered English poet , wrote Ulysses back in 1842 . It tells how the Greek hero , Ulysses , now middle-aged and securely in charge of his kingdom of Ithaca , is bored with his current sedentary life and longs to go adventuring once again with his shipmates of old .
A perfect description of the type of men and women who still possess enough spark to jump on a motorcycle when , to quote another poet , Australia ’ s Frank Hudson : their “ youth is spent , and our backs are bent , and the snow is in our hair ”.
From little things big things grow and since 1983 Ulysses Club has matured into a worldwide phenomenon , boasting 16,000 members .
There are 138 branches throughout Australia and countless memberships
TO SUPPORT YOU IN YOUR TIME OF NEED
Compassionate , Personalised Funeral Services in Sydney
Rely on us to :
• Gently guide you through all planning and arrangements
• Assist in obtaining all necessary certificates and registering documents
• Answer all of your questions
• Carry out your requests
• Be there to provide support through this emotional time
Pre Paid and Pre Arranged Funerals Available
Australian Owned & Operated
( 02 ) 9672 6188 SERVING ALL SUBURBS
www . familyfuneralservices . com . au
One of he Hills Ulysses ’ favourite rides is out to St Albans for lunch at Ian and Gabrielle Burns-Woods ’ historic Settlers Arms Inn . Photo : Kathryn Johnston scattered around the globe on all continents ( except Antarctica ) and in New Guinea , Singapore , Fiji , New Zealand and Cuba .
Ulysses Club Inc . is a social club for motorcyclists over the age of 40 but the great majority of riders are over 50 with a large number of octogenarians scattered throughout the branches .
One of the largest of the Ulysses branches is The Hills Ulysses Branch which
boasts a membership of just on 300 , of which a quarter are women and several members in their eighties including 87-years-young Dave Williams .
The branch was a latecomer to Ulysses , forming in 2002 , but its members have embraced the concept with a passion .
Such is the club ’ s reputation for its organisation and having fun , members have joined the club from all over North-West and Western Sydney and the Hawkesbury and still attracts former members on the Northern Beaches and Central Coast .
One of those passionate members is current president , 67-year-old Jon Uidam , who joined the club in 2006 along with his wife Varena , who shares his life-long love of motorcycle riding .
The Independent ’ s photographer , Kathryn Johnston , and I met Jon and several other friendly members at their Saturday morning haunt , the Local Shed , which is housed in historic Mungerie House at Rouse Hill .
“ Motorcycling is often seen as a maledominated world ,” Jon said .
“ But not so in the Hills Branch where we directly account for our success in attracting new members due to our welcoming and integration of women into the branch .
“ I keep referring to an old Dutch saying : ‘ you ’ re never home late when you take your wife with you ’.
“ Many of our ladies are also riders who love riding anything from full sports bikes to three wheeler Can-Am Spyders .”
I asked Jon from what walks of life did his fellow members emanate .
“ Of course many of our members are retired but many are still working full of part-time in different areas ,” he replied . “ Some are former professional pilots , lawyers , ex-military , ex-police or emergency services , accountants , doctors as well as the whole gamut of tradesmen and women .”
The Hills branch conducts , what Jon calls “ impromptu rides ” each week in which a member will suggest a destination for a day ’ s outing and a group , large or small , will mount their bikes and head off .
“ We also have regular weekend rides and two special outings to the Snowy for Christmas and an annual Christmas in July ride to Oberon – some rides are day rides while others can be several days ,” Jon said . Down the two decades since its formation , The Hills Ulysses has raised monies for various worthy causes including funds to help to find a cure for cancer , drought-affected townships and the Special Olympics .
Hills Ulysses has representatives on the NSW Road Safety Council and two members , Debbie Turner and Chris Bell , are the branch ’ s welfare officers who regularly stay in touch with club-mates who are in ill health or just in need of seeing a friendly face .
On February 5 , Hills Ulysses celebrates its 20th anniversary .
Ulysses Club foundation
The inaugural meeting of the Ulysses Club was held in Sydney on 6 December 1983 , when the five people in attendance approved a draft constitution and the Ulysses Club was ready to rock ‘ n ’ roll .
From this meeting a draft constitution was adopted , and the three basic principles or aims of the club were formulated .
1 . To provide ways in which older motorcyclists can get together for companionship and mutual support
2 . To show by example that motor cycling can be an enjoyable and practical activity for riders of all ages
3 . To draw the attention of public and private institutions to the needs and views of older riders
4 . Membership of the club is open to any person , subject to National Committee approval , who has attained the age of 40 years and who holds a current motorcycle licence .
Additionally , the spouse or regular companion of a member , who has attained the age of 40 years , may also be admitted as a member on application .
22 ISSUE 79 // JANUARY 2022 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT