The Ride That Started It All: How Two Cyclists Sparked Pedal Power
Fifty years ago, two ordinary commuters decided they had had enough of dicing with death on Canberra’s roads. What started as a simple act of frustration became the beginning of a movement that would forever change cycling in the Canberra.
The Moment That Sparked a Movement
In August 1974, the National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) announced a major rethink of Canberra’s transport network. The plan aimed to reduce car dependency by improving public transport, limiting parking, and introducing a bicycle path network.
Not everyone saw the point. The Canberra Times questioned whether the city really needed bike paths, arguing there was “no proven demand” for cycling infrastructure.
That criticism did not sit well with Howard Rawson, a CSIRO scientist who regularly rode to work from Weetangera. For Howard, the issue was not a lack of demand but a lack of safety. In a letter to the editor, he described his daily commute along Belconnen Way as “a continual dice with death,” battling fumes, close passes, and the indifference of drivers. His message was simple: the city needed safer conditions if cycling was to thrive.
When Two Riders Met
One of those who read Howard’s letter was Bill Crowle, a forester who had recently taken up cycling to work from Scullin. Like Howard, he had found Belconnen Way intimidating and had started seeking quieter backstreet routes.
Bill reached out to Howard, and together they came up with a bold idea: a demonstration ride to show the city that cyclists were here and that they mattered.
Howard’s wife, Anne, who worked at Parliament House, used her political connections to bring local MP Ken Fry on board. Flyers were handwritten and photocopied at work, then distributed through bike shops, CSIRO, and the ANU. The word spread quietly but effectively.
Canberra’s First Protest Ride
On Monday, 21 October 1974, around 50 cyclists gathered at the corner of Coulter Drive and Belconnen Way. With police escorts at the front and rear, the group set off during peak-hour traffic, rolling past queues of cars on their way to Civic.
For many onlookers, it was the first time they had seen cyclists moving in numbers, united in purpose. Channel 7 turned up to film the ride, interviewing participants at the top of the hill near Macarthur Avenue and later in Garema Place, where the riders gathered to hear from speakers and share their vision for a more bike-friendly Canberra.
The demonstration may have been small, but its message was powerful. Cyclists deserved a place on the road and in the city’s transport planning.
A Legacy in Motion
In the months that followed, a new sense of momentum built. Riders began meeting, talking, and organising. From those conversations, Pedal Power ACT was born, a volunteer-driven organisation determined to make Canberra safer and more welcoming for people on bikes.
Howard, having achieved what he set out to do, soon stepped back. “It was clear there were so many people enthusiastic about getting something like Pedal Power going,” he later reflected. “All I wanted was a cycle path from my home to my work, and blow me down, that was one of the first ones built.”
Fifty Years On
Half a century later, Canberra’s network of bike paths stretches for hundreds of kilometres, a direct legacy of that first demonstration ride. Even The Canberra Times, which once doubted the demand for cycling, has since called for greater separation between bikes and cars to keep riders safe.
Pedal Power continues the mission Howard and Bill began: making cycling accessible, enjoyable, and safe for everyone. Their story is a reminder that real change does not always start with policy or planning. Sometimes it begins with two people, two bikes, and a simple belief that things can be better.
