Birtles, Francis

Francis Edwin Birtles (1881-1941) was a Victorian overlander well known for his cycling and motor car adventures. During the early 1900s he set numerous records and drew much attention for his cycles between Australia’s capital cities. Following his adventures, Birtles published the story of his journeys titled Lonely Lands, which included photographs he had captured along the way. Birtles next set about adventuring in the motor car. During these cross-country car adventures, he was able to capture fantastic footage of the Australian countryside. In 1912 Birtles was the first to travel from one side of the continent to the other in a single-cylinder Brush car. Then, in 1924, Birtles set the overland speed record for his trip from Darwin to Adelaide. Birtles’ famous Bean 14 car, used for numerous cross country adventures, is still on display at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.