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• A Tribute to Patterson
  British Cycling writer John Garland writing in 1949 on Sid Patterson's Amateur Career
• End of and Era
  Greg Griffiths' tribute to Sid Patterson

In the late 1940s Australia, then a nation growing, developing  and emerging from the privations of the war, was searching for heroes.   Don Bradman had retired from cricket and  Hubert Opperman had retired from cycling.  Opperman's departure left a huge gap into which stepped two of Australia's greatest sportsmen.  Russell Mockridge, probably Australia's finest all round cyclist and Sid Patterson a giant champion of the track.  The two started as keen rivals in amateur track races and no doubt spurred each other on to ever greater performance. Later they pursued separate careers, Mockridge, first as an amateur track rider then as a professional road racer, Patterson as a professional track rider.

Sid Patterson rode for Malvern Star.  In doing so he inherited and carried with honor the mantel of Hubert Opperman.  Malvern Star's publicity material in the 1950s featured his successes prominently.  However, unlike Opperman Patterson made his  name through the cut and thrust of competitive professional racing rather than through staged endurance events.  Sid Patterson was a champion racer with achievements on the track that would be unthinkable today.

• Born, Melbourne, 14 August 1927
• Began competitive cycling at 13, and while still in his teens won every Victorian and Australian title between the distances of 1,000 meters and ten miles.
• Olympian, 1948 London Games.
• Won every Australian track championship in 1949 (sprint, time trial, 1 mile and 5 mile.)
• Won World amateur sprint championship in 1949 in Copenhagen.
• Won World amateur pursuit championship in 1950 in Liege.
• Two silver medals at the 1950 British Empire Games.
• Turned professional in 1951.
• Won world professional pursuit championships in 1952 (Paris) and 1953 (Zurich).
• Won Victorian professional championship 1964 for the seventh time.
• In 1967 had twelve consecutive Australian championship wins.
• Retired from competitive cycling in 1968.
• Died, Melbourne, 29 November 1999

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