The back-story
In 1996, what were to be the founding members of Bike North met at a Bicycle NSW Advocacy Workshop. Keen to improve cycling in their areas north of the Bridge, where there was no existing BUG, they initiated a “flyer by bike” promotion to encourage attendance at an initial meeting.
16 people met and agreed on a vision to create an all-encompassing bicycle user group for Northern Sydney. The ‘Bike North’ name was chosen, and the first Committee elected. Bike North’s first rides programme was created with members contributing their regular rides.
Advocacy played an important role from the very beginning of Bike North. The first campaign – championed enthusiastically by Sue Saczko - was to convert maintenance tracks along railway lines into dedicated cycleways. The campaign was taken to all tiers of government. A section of path between Denistone and Eastwood stations became a prototype, albeit not built to the correct standard and only being short. The Parramatta to Liverpool “rail-trail” followed. Eventually, several sections of path along the railway were included in the NSW Government’s 10-year Bike Plan released in 1999.
Despite the concept being too advanced for the political situation at the time, the campaign cemented Bike North as a key advocate for active transport, a role that it continues to play today.
Bike North became an Incorporated Association (INC9879281) with NSW Department of Fair Trading in February 2003.
The club is now more than 500 members strong, the largest BUG in New South Wales!
Snapshot of our past
Members of the Executive Committee of Bike North from our first meeting in August 1996 to the present are listed in the table below. Refer to the keys below the table for positions and initials.
|
YEAR
|
Pres
|
Sec
|
Trea
|
Adv
|
Com
|
Rides
|
Memb
|
Cchg
|
Other
|
|
2023-24
|
PH
|
BL
|
MG
|
DT
|
SLG
|
GY
|
EM |
PGr
|
|
|
2022-23
|
PH
|
BL
|
GL
|
DT
|
SLG
|
GY
|
SLG
|
AP
|
|
|
2021-22
|
PH
|
BL
|
GL
|
DT
|
x
|
GY
|
BO
|
AP
|
|
|
2020-21
|
PH
|
BL
|
GL
|
DT
|
DCD
|
GY
|
BO
|
AP
|
|
|
2019-20
|
TR
|
LB
|
GL
|
x
|
DCD
|
AP
|
BO
|
x
|
BL (CM)
VB (CM)
|
|
2018-19
|
TR
|
LB
|
GL
|
u
|
DCD
|
AP
|
BO
|
SL
|
|
|
2017-18
|
TR
|
LB
|
GL
|
JH
|
DCD
|
GS+AP
|
BO
|
SL
|
|
|
2016-17
|
TR
|
LB
|
GL
|
u
|
CMc
|
GS
|
TR
|
SL
|
|
|
2015-16
|
DS
|
LB
|
GL
|
PG
|
CMc
|
MH
|
TR
|
AP
|
|
|
2014-15
|
DS
|
TT
|
GW
|
PG
|
u
|
RL
|
TR
|
AP
|
|
|
2013-14
|
DS
|
TT
|
GW
|
PG
|
JG
|
JK
|
TR
|
AP
|
|
|
2012-13
|
DCD
|
TT
|
GW
|
PG
|
SR
|
JK
|
WH
|
AP
|
|
|
2011-12
|
GE
|
TT
|
TMc
|
CN
|
PB
|
DCD
|
WH
|
AP
|
|
|
2010-11
|
GE
|
MBA
|
TMc
|
CN
|
PB
|
DCD
|
SP
|
x
|
|
|
2009-10
|
GE
|
MBA
|
TMc
|
CN
|
KG
|
DCD
|
SP
|
x
|
|
|
2008-09
|
GE
|
LH
|
TMc
|
CN
|
KG
|
MH
|
SP
|
x
|
|
|
2007-08
|
GE
|
LH
|
TMc
|
CN
|
KG
|
MH
|
SP
|
x
|
|
|
2006-07
|
GE
|
LH
|
TMc
|
CN
|
KG
|
MH
|
GilW
|
x
|
|
|
2005-06
|
GE
|
JE
|
BF
|
CN
|
KG
|
PCK
|
GilW
|
x
|
|
|
2004-05
|
GE
|
JE
|
BF
|
CN
|
KG
|
PCK
|
GilW
|
x
|
|
|
2003-04
|
DS
|
AW
|
BF
|
CN
|
WS
|
PCK
|
GE
|
x
|
|
|
2002-03
|
MC
|
YG
|
JC
|
CN
|
x
|
PCK
|
GE
|
x
|
WS (VP)
|
|
2001-02
|
MC
|
AS
|
BF
|
CN
|
DS
|
PCK
|
SG
|
x
|
|
|
2000-01
|
MC
|
AS
|
BF
|
DS
|
x
|
PCK
|
SG
|
x
|
|
|
1999-00
|
DS
|
MC
|
BF
|
x
|
x
|
TE
|
SG
|
x
|
RM (CM)
|
|
1998-99
|
DS
|
ST
|
BF
|
x
|
x
|
TE
|
x
|
x
|
MC (VP)
|
|
1997-98
|
NT
|
SS
|
NT
|
x
|
DS
|
BC
|
x
|
x
|
|
|
1996-97
|
NT
|
SS
|
NT
|
x
|
DS
|
BC
|
x
|
x
|
|
Key to positions
Pre – President. From 1996
Sec – Secretary. From 1996
Trea – Treasurer. From 1996
Adv – Advocacy Officer/Coordinator. From 2000
Com – Communications Manager/Coordinator. From 1996
Rides – Rides Coordinator. From 1996
Memb – Membership Officer/Coordinator. From 1999
Cchg – Coaching Coordinator/Bike 4 Life. From 2011
VP - Vice President
CM - general Committee Member
Key to initials
AP – Alison Pryor
AS – Alister Sharp
AW – Alison Wong
BC – Bruce Campbell
BF – Brian Fong
BL – Brian Lynne
BO – Beth O’leary
CMc – Craig McMurdo
CN – Carolyn New
DCD – Darryn Capes-Davis
DT – David Thomson
DS – Doug Stewart
EM - Elizabeth McNess
GE – Graeme Edwards
GL – Geoff Lyons
GS – Gautam Sridhar
GilW – Gil Webster
GW – Geoff Wells
GY – Geoff Young
JC – Jo Clendon
JE – Jane Ellis
JG – Jeff Greene
JH – Justin Holmwood
JK – John Kyriakopoulos
KG – Keith Griffin
LB – Lyness Beavis
LH – Lindsay Harvey
MBA – Malcolm Beech-Allen
MC – Michael Chow
MG – Melody Guo
MH – Mal Hart
NT – Neil Tonkin
PB – Phil Burge
PCK – Pam & Col Kendrick
PG – Phil Griffiths
PGr- Peter Green
PH – Phillip Hart
RL – Roger Leigh
RM – Rick Mockridge
SG – Stephanie Groves
SLG – Sarah Gillis
SL – Stuart Lee
SP – Stephen Paine
SR – Scott Ratcliff
SS – Sue Saczko
ST – Steve Turner
TE – Tony Evans
TMc – Tony McClelland
TR – Tom Rubin
TT – Terence Turton
VB – Victor Buriak
WH – Wayde Hazelton
WS – Wayne Spencer
YG – Yaffa Gould
u – position unfilled in this year
x – position did not exist in this year