Malvern Star

Malvern Star was established by Tom Finnigan on the winnings from the Austral Wheel Race in 1898 to build bicycles. In 1903 he open his first shop in Malvern, a suburb of Melbourne.  In 1920 the company was sold to a Bruce Small. It became the biggest bicycle manufacturer in the southern hemisphere having over 100 shops and over 1000 agencies by 1945. Each year production was 50,000 bicycles.

To take advantage of this network Bruce Small contracted Airzone to make radio's under the Malvern Star brand. 

Essentially Airzone chassis' in a custom case, production lasted around 10 years until Airzone folded.

The distribution arm of Malvern Star was bought by Electronic Industries (Astor).

Malvern Star radios, being quite rare, go for large amounts of money.

Malvern Star bicycles continued production  in Australia until 1970, and the brand, though experiencing various ownership changes, eventually returned to Australian hands before being sold to New Zealand's Sheppard Cycles in 2011.  

My first bicycle was a Malvern Star received on Christmas 1969.

Page last updated August 2025