Looking more like a small car chassis than a billycart, it’s hard to believe that the Furlong family’s take on the classic racing contraption is their first.
But for the inventive family – dad Pete is an architect and builder, while 10-year-old Orly is a passionate tinkerer – building their green billycart came naturally.
Their creation will be one of about 25 billycarts to race in North Melbourne’s inaugural Queensberry Cup on Saturday afternoon.
Pete Furlong with his children, Orly and Lenni, lead a pack of Queensberry Cup billycart racers.Credit:Justin McManus
Pete and Orly, with the help of eight-year-old Lenni, have spent five weeks putting together their cart, which they modelled on a 3D computer program before creating a mock-up.
The cart is built with wheelchair wheels and steel that has been cut, rolled and welded. It also has car-like steering.
“Orly and I went completely over the top,” Pete said. “It’s been a phenomenal amount of work.”
It had involved late nights, weekends and even some time off this week, he said. He was installing the brakes on Friday.
“We did some road-testing yesterday, and it went seamlessly,” Pete said. “The kids were overjoyed; it was amazing. It’s super-light and super-fast.”
Pete was feeling quietly confident, then added: “But you never know.”
The cart has been dubbed “Orvi” – a portmanteau of the names of Orly and his best friend, Levi. Orly will compete in the open category, while Levi will race in his age group.
Ariel Valent, the director of North Melbourne’s neighbourhood house The Centre, organised the Queensberry Cup to inject some community celebration and bring back the art of the billycart – which was used as far back as the 1880s in Australia and was popular until about the 1980s.
Billycart racers are preparing to hit the racing track with their creations on Saturday.Credit:Justin McManus
Valent said the traditional activity suited the atmosphere of the “inner-city yet strangely village-like North Melbourne”.
There will be other usual community festival elements, including food and drink stalls, music and arts performances and a dog show.
Just under 200 metres long, and starting at North Melbourne Town Hall, the billycart racetrack zigzags downhill along Queensberry Street, with obstacles in the shape of a speed hump and roundabout.
Like all serious races, there are rules: carts must meet strict size dimensions, as well as the wheels, and they must not be powered by pedals or a motor.
The owner of a local service centre has been named “head scrutineer” to check the carts for compliance and safety before they race.
Valent said: “We’ve made it so it will be thrilling but hopefully not ridiculously dangerous.
“The vehicle will be very important, and the skill and courage of the driver.”
He said he was proud to see so much teamwork behind the builds.
The Peter Mac Mens Shed opened up its facilities for billycart building, and it is where The Centre volunteer Peter Wright worked on his machine, made with timber painted red and gold, inspired by Flash Gordon. It also has classic rope steering and a comfy cushion seat.
Wright said he wouldn’t be driving his cart, nicknamed “Pistol Pete”, because he had lost two toes to diabetes this year, but he has invited a neighbour to take the reins.
Wright said he lived in community housing and had been supporting locals who had experienced homelessness to attend the men’s shed to build billycarts. He said he felt bolstered by the community spirit.
“It’s been fantastic,” Wright said.
After seeing his cart test the road on Wednesday, he was feeling positive. “It went – that’s the most important thing.”
The Queensberry Cup races run from 1pm, with the finals starting about 4pm. Street festivities will continue until late.
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