About Us

The history of any event, person or group of people is easily forgotten by many if the details are never recorded and shared - Blacktown Harley Owners Group has proudly kept records of all events and members from its beginning in 1992.

To have the ability to resource old newsletters, articles from newspaper cuttings, and photos, allows our Chapter members to understand more about the mighty Blacktown HOG and the great people that have contributed effortlessly to allow all members to ride their Harley-Davidson with friends.

No one person deserves a special mention. However, combining the contributions made by Tom Browne the Sponsoring Dealer, past and present Top Table and Committee members and all the Chapter members in full, it is no wonder that we are now celebrating our 20th Anniversary and still going strong.

The Beginning We all know that the HOG was started in USA in 1983 as an initiative of the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company and achieved some 33,000 members in the first year. Today there are in excess of 1,000,000 members worldwide, spread amongst 1,400 Chapters in 60 different countries. In Australia, OZ HOG was established in 1987, and sponsored by Peter Stevens Motorcycles. OZ HOG holds.

The distinguished honour of being the original foundation Chapter established in Australia and of being the first outside of North America. The name suggests that it could have been considered that this would be the one and only Chapter within Australia. However, in 1989, the NSW HOG Chapter was formed, sponsored by Fraser Motorcycles in Sydney and once again, the name suggests that this would be the only Chapter within NSW.

As for our Chapter, well, the idea started on the journey back from the 1992 National HOG Rally in Darwin, over the Easter Long Weekend. A group of about four riders from Western Sydney planned their big trip (4,000 odd kms) and thought it prudent to take some spares with them just in case of any breakdowns. Blacktown Harley (who were then in Tattersall Road Blacktown), was asked if they could provide some parts and the Chapter would pay for what they used upon their return.

Tom lent them some parts and so after experiencing a fantastic HOG Rally and having a great ride up and back from Darwin, the idea of having a HOG Chapter based in western Sydney with Blacktown Harley-Davidson being its sponsor was discussed on their journey north and put to Tom on their return. The people that were on that trip were Ron & Pam Franolich, Peter & Fay Walker, Sharon Hoff and Joe & Dot (on four bikes). It took some six months before the Blacktown HOG Chapter became the second HOG Chapter in the Sydney basin, but it was to be assessed in six months by Chris Winkley and Warren Fraser to see if the Chapter should continue. After six months, there was a strong group of members who were following the HOG Charter, and with membership growing at a steady pace, there was no reason to stop having a second HOG Chapter in Sydney - Warren Fraser, the Harley importer/distributor, agreed it could stay.

At the 1992 NSW Chapter AGM, one of the items on the agenda was to consider the formation of a “Western Sydney Chapter” and as a result of this the Blacktown HOG Chapter was formed in September 1992, sponsored by Blacktown Harley-Davidson.
The Top Table consisted of the following Charter Members:
Sponsor - Tom Browne;
Director - Ron Franolich;
Secretary - Peter Bond;
Treasurer - Sharon Hoff.
General Committee: Noel Baker, Mick Rogers and Peter Walker. Peter Mennell and Kevin Moroney were added in December 1992.
Membership was 32 Full and 7 Associates.

The first official ride was on the 20th September 1992 to Brooklyn and the original meetings were held at the Blacktown City Leagues Club on the 2nd Tuesday of every month. This was changed to the Prospect Hotel in December 1995. The first BHOG Newsletter was published in January 1995 as a booklet to be later changed to an A4 sized publication in January 1996.

In summary, we should all thank our foundation members and Tom Browne for their tenacity and support to establish a great HOG Chapter, one we should all be proud of.

Written by Rick Van Leeuwen (Past Historian)