Opperman, Sir Hubert (1904-1996), was perhaps the greatest Australian cyclist in the history of the sport. Opperman was Australia’s champion road cyclist in 1924, 1926, 1927, and 1929. He captained the Australian teams that competed in the Tour de France in 1928 and 1931. In these month long races, he repeatedly outlasted European riders. He won important road races in Europe, including the Bol d’Or in France in 1928 and the Paris-Brest-Paris road race in 1931. He created world records for time (24 hours) and distance 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers).
Hubert Ferdinand Opperman was born on May 29, 1904, in Rochester, Victoria. He served in the Australian Parliament from 1949 to 1967. Opperman was minister for shipping and transport from 1960 to 1963 and minister for immigration from 1963 to 1966. He served as high commissioner to Malta from 1967 to 1972. He was knighted in 1968. Opperman died on April 18, 1996.
