Falkner Hope Bartlett (1892 - 1984)

Born 1892 in Waverley, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Died 1984 at about age 92 in New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Hope Bartlett is Notable.

Falkner Hope Bartlett was born in 1892 in Waverley, New South Wales (Australia). Hope, as he was known, was the older son of Charles Bartlett and Ada Gale. ^[1]

His need for speed was fueled when Hope started as a works rider in 1910 on the belt-driven Zenith motorcycle. ^[2]

Hope's first job was a trainee wool buyer, but that was soon abandoned in favour of something more exciting; taking over the motor service previously operated by George Harrison and running a daily motor service (bus company) between Nowra and Moruya from 1924, and later went as far as Bega, Eden and Cooma. He lived on his Kinghorne Street premises at Nowra for around thirty years. While his business allowed him to drive, Hope was passionate about motor racing and he is considered by some to have been well ahead of his time. ^[2]

He was as successful on oval tracks (especially the 1.4-kilometre concrete Maroubra Speedway) as on the road or at hillclimbs, and on two wheels as on four. He was known as a wizard on the sand at the Gerringong Beach course. Between 1931 and 1948, he competed in several Australian Grands Prix. ^[3] Twice during the 1930s he crossed the Tasman Sea to win the prestigious New Zealand Cup, firstly in a Vauxhall and then in a Bugatti. During his motor racing career than spanned more than forty years, he drove a Sunbeam, MG, Dixon Riley, and a Jaguar. The XJ Jaguar powered Hope to victory at Bathurst's famous Mount Panorama circuit in 1951, after which he hung up his goggles and helmet aged 59 years. ^[2]

He was as adapt on water as on land and, as a member of the Royal Motor Yacht Club, won many speed boat titles. ^[2]

He passed away, aged 92 years, in 1984 in New South Wales. ^[4]

Whilst Hope never married and had no children of his own, he helped raise his nephew from the late 1930s, future Australian racing car driver and engineer, Frank Gardner.

Hope Bartlett was posthumously inducted into the Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame, in the Speedway Cars section, in 2019. ^[5] Frank had been inducted two years earlier.

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Birth Index #37918/1892
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} South Coast Register, 2 Oct 2018; accessed 1 Feb 2021
3. ↑ Driver Database; accessed 1 Feb 2021
4. ↑ New South Wales Death Index #15032/1984
5. ↑ Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame; accessed 1 Feb 2021