Malvern Star
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Malvern Star was once Australia's largest[citation needed] and most well-known[citation needed] manufacturer of bicycles.
The first Malvern Star operation opened in a small shop at 58 Glenferrie Rd, in the Melbourne suburb of Malvern and was established by Tom Finnigan with the winnings from the 1898 Austral Wheel Race. Finnegan specialised in touring and racing bikes, which he called 'Malvern Stars'. The business grew in tandem with the rising popularity of cycling in Australia, and prospered despite burgeoning competition from English and American firms. Part of Finnegan's succcess included gaining the endorsement of Don Kirkham, one of the best-known cyclists in Australia. In 1921, the business was bought by Bruce Small, who a year later went into partnership with 17-year-old racer Hubert Opperman. The new company enlarged the shop (now at 185 Glenferrie Rd) and expanded with outlets in Gardenvale and a new headquarters at Prahran. Malvern Star revolutionised the Australian bicycle industry by offering finance for the purchase of its machines as well as through large-scale manufacturing, franchising and national retailing. Opperman's cycling skills helped promote Malvern Star and helped make both a household name in Australia[1].
In 1970 the companies trading under the Malvern Star banner were purchased by the Dutch multinational Phillips, who sold Malvern Star in 1980 to Raleigh, the British Manufacturer, giving it a major share of the Australian market. Changes in the ownership of Raleigh's parent company led to Malvern Star ending up under the banner of Pacific Dunlop in 1992.[2]
