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A cycling card from the 1930's provides this pen portrait of "Hefty" Stuart.
AUSTRALASIAN CHAMPION, 1933-1934
Holder of Time Honours in 140-mile GippsIand Tour and Warrnambool-Melbourne
RIDES A "MALVERN STAR"
At 21 years Stuart bears a title which places him amongst the immortals of Australian Cycledom, and. on present indications, he has 'already placed his feet on the first rung of a long ladder of success.
He says that any success I have achieved has been assisted materially by my MALVERN STAR, which I have used during my five years of Cycling."
MALVERN STAR World's Super Cycle
In 1935 Stuart was part of the Australian Cycling Team, led by Hubert Opperman and including Ern Milliken, that toured Britain breaking record after record for place to place times. Hefty Stuart died tragically following a fall in a motor paced event held in Melbourne at the Melbourne Exhibition board track in late November 1938. The event was a handicap event similar to the "Austral Wheel" Race but conducted as a motor paced event with each rider having his own pacing motorcycle. Stuart fell near the finish and was hit by the pacing cycle of a rider behind. Ó Rolf Lunsmann, 2000 How you can help Feedback
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WALLY STUART, Australasian Title holder for the 1933-34 Road Season, has been
regarded as a coming man since he stepped into the stern battles of open
competition from Wonthaggi Cycling Club contests, which provided his racing
initiation. As a stripling he was particularly big-framed and the appellation of
"Hefty" has preceded his surname since the public eye first gazed on
the sturdy knickered figure straddling a racing machine. He has been knocking on
the door of success with second fastest times and a brilliant debut in the
Brisbane Six-day race until finally he pushed it open - with absolute fastest
time in the extremely hard Gippsland Tour of 140 miles, and confirmed this
success with the Road Championship in the Warrnambool-Melbourne.