Are you one of the 4 million Australians who ride a bike?

Even if not, come listen to social historian Marc Sebastian Rerceretnam discuss the fascinating history of cycling and the changing social perceptions of ‘a cyclist’ in Australia’s most populous city, Sydney.

About the book

Cycling as a pastime and sport has been around since at least the 1820s, a mere decade after the European invention of the "hobby horse," the pedal-less two-wheeled predecessor to the bicycle. The new technology encapsulated speed and personalised freedom and was a sensation in the Australian colonies by the late 1800s.

Unknowingly, Australians were at the forefront of bicycle development. It was an advantage that was tragically ignored and eventually lost to manufacturers in Europe.

Sydney's Cycling Communities sets out to trace the evolution of cycling's pioneers and unsung heroes, spanning two centuries from 1820s. It examines the changing social perceptions and status of 'a cyclist' in Australia's most populous city, Sydney. The history of cycling in Sydney is a product of the social, economic, and political landscape of the day. At any given time, it is not difficult to see in the sport and culture of cycling a reflection of the prevailing ideas and stories surrounding what it means to be an Australian.

About the author

Marc Sebastian Rerceretnam is an independent researcher, published author, social historian, and trainer. He has a Ph.D from Sydney University and is the author of the 2021 book, A History of Immigrant Roman Catholics and Converts in Early Singapore 1832-1945. The book was nominated for the Anthony Reid Prize in Southeast Asian Studies in 2022, and the National University of Singapore, Singapore History Prize in 2024.

Marc received a history grant from the Inner West Council in 2018 and 2024, a fellowship with Singapore's National Library Board in 2019, and just completed a lecture for Singapore's National Heritage Board (NHB) at the Asian Civilisations Museum in February 2025.

In April 2025, he published the book Sydney's Cycling Communities.

About the event

5:30pm - Light refreshments

6-7pm - Author talk

7-7:30pm - Book sales and signing