Kenneth Ross

Ken Gordon Ross (11 August 1900 – 1 March 1974) was one of Australia’s finest all-round cyclists, whose career spanned track and road during the vibrant inter-war years.

He competed in his first novice race as a 16-year-old in March 1917 and then joined the Central Cumberland League Bicycle Club, quickly establishing himself as a rider of exceptional promise.

At 20, Ross boarded the R.M.S Omar in Sydney for a six-week sea voyage to Europe, competing from 1921-1922 on the tracks and roads of France, Italy, Belgium, Denmark and Germany, where he proved popular and successful against much more experienced riders. His grit and versatility earned him a warm reception from European fans and peers alike. He was offered contracts during the Berlin Six Day to continue riding in Germany, but global politics prevented this, with authorities reacting to a ban the Australian government had enforced on German citizens at the time.

Back in Australia by late 1922, Ross became a fixture in summer track carnivals - regularly contracted by promoters such as Jack Campbell - and in the winter he dominated long-distance road races.

In a career that spanned track, road, sprints, motor-paced and Six Day events, Ross proved to be a genuine all-round star. On the track, he won the Sydney Six Day race three times - making him the most successful rider in that event’s Australian history. On the road, he shone in the famed Goulburn to Sydney: fastest time on three occasions - including a victory from scratch in 1928.

Ross competed professionally until 1937, three years after being hit by a car while training for the Centenary 1000.

He wasn’t just successful, he was beloved. Contemporary reports hail him as “Australia’s most popular” rider of his era thanks to his strength, endurance and sportsmanship. In the words of legendary cyclist Sir Hubert Opperman, Ross was among the nation’s “greats”.

Memorabilia from his feats at home and abroad are held by the National Museum of Australia, comprising the Ken Ross Cycling Collection. His grandson, Mark Walters, has further underlined Ross’s enduring legacy in an An Abridged History – a comprehensive text on his life and career, pieced together from national and international archives, as well as personal letters, postcards and scrapbooks. 

“I was just turning 10 when he passed away. I knew that he’d been a cyclist but at 10 you don’t really appreciate the scope and breadth of what he did,” Walters said.

“In ’25 he moved to the Central Coast and bought the orchard, so he went from fully professional to semi-professional. The commitment with the farm precluded him from going back over to Europe or the US.

“He probably could have achieved more, but that was him – he was pretty humble, a quiet sort of guy and just loved his racing but never got involved too much in the politics of it.”

Ross’s legacy extends beyond cycling. Described as a doting family man, his grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great great-grandchildren, have gone on to achieve their own notable sporting success, from surf-living championships to playing for the Matildas and in the NRL.