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About the Club

How it all began:

The original suggestion for a motorcycle club for over 50's was put forward in a letter by Stephen Dearnley published in the August 1983 issue of Bike Australia. This drew two significant responses;
One from Rob Hall, a reader at Albion Park NSW, who suggested the present name and motto for the club;
The other from Peter Thoemig, then the editor of Bike Australia, who sketched the logo and offered support from his magazine if Stephen could get the club off the ground.
This was done at an inaugural meeting in Sydney on 6th December, 1983 when the five people present approved a basic constitution and the The Ulysses Club was duly formed.

From that tenuous beginning it has never looked back and the club now boasts a large and extensive network of members throughout Australia, with sister clubs formed in New Zealand and South Africa, with other countries looking at starting up.

Why The Ulysses Club?

The name comes from a poem of the same name by Alfred Lord Tennyson. It tells how the great Greek hero Ulysses, now middle aged and securely in charge of his kingdom of Ithaca, is getting bored with things around him and longs to go adventuring again with his shipmates of old. It describes very well indeed the sort of person who still has enough spark to go on riding into middle and later years. Too long to quote here, you will find it in any good poetry anthology, such as the Albatross Book of Verse.

Stephen Dearnley, the founder of the club, pictured with a bollard carved in his honour
and standing on the waterfront promenade at Geelong, Victoria, Australia.

What are our aims?

To provide ways in which older motorcyclists can get together for companionship and mutual Support.
To show by example that motorcycling can be an enjoyable and practical activity for riders of all ages.
To draw the attention of public and private institutions to the needs and views of older riders.

What do we do?

We publish a quarterly magazine, the Ulyssian, which contains information about forthcoming events, provides a forum for members' news and views, and carries articles on topics of interest to geriatric bikers.

It also periodically produces a directory which lists members' names and addresses throughout New Zealand so that a stranded traveller may not be too far from help and companionship, or a member can find a convenient neighbour when looking for company on a ride.

Through a number of regional branches, Click Here for a list, it arranges regular meetings, outings and social events.

The Annual General Meeting of the The Ulysses Club is held sometime before the end of April and takes the form of a rally. The rally is held at a different location each year, generally alternating between the North and South Islands and it is a great occasion for widely separated members to meet each other.

At selected rallies the club banner is raised as a focal point where members and their friends can join in good companionship.

Who can Join?

Any person aged 40 years or over, who has an interest in motorcycling or who holds a current motorcycle riders licence is eligible to join. Until you reach the grand old age of 50 you will be a 'junior' member but you will still have full membership rights and privileges. It's just that you might have to help some of the 'seniors' on or off their machines sometime.

How do I Join?

An intending member must complete the MEMBERSHIP PROPOSAL form attached and be nominated by a financial Club member. The completed PROPOSAL form is to be forwarded to the Coordinator nearest to your area. (Click Here for a list of coordinators) To qualify for a MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION form, a prospective member will be required to have attended a minimum of two official Ulysses Runs or Club gatherings with the same branch over a minimum period of two months.

If you reside in an area not covered by a Coordinator you may apply direct to Ulysses National for a MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION form at the following address:

National Secretary
P O Box 72387
Papakura 2244
Email: secretary{at}ulysses.org.nz

See the Join Up Page for more information.

To view the The Ulysses Club of New Zealand Inc. Official Rule Book of the club, Click Here.

The Official Club Rule Book is currently under review and a new version will be the subject of a Special resolution at the 2010 AGM in Christchurch.
To view the revised Rule Book, Click Here.

Club Magazine:

The club produces a quarterly magazine, the Ulyssian. If you wish to advertise in this magazine, then please contact our publishers, Taieri Print. (Email: taieriprint{at}paradise.net.nz*).

To contact the editor of the magazine, email editor{at}ulysses,org.nz*

* Please note that ALL email addresses used in this web site will show {at} instead of the @ symbol and therefore none of them are directly "clickable" . They will need to be manually entered into emails. This is to try to minimise SPAM