Back in the early 90’s I bought a scooter after meeting, by chance a fellow at the Diamond Creek fair.I had a display of old stationary engines and a few motorbikes all set up around a Camper trailer.
There was an older gentleman taking great interest in a 1950 - 350 cc matchless that I had,after some time he came over and told us that he had ridden one the same to and from workin his younger days and had done so for many years, he continued to tell us how reliable it was in all weather conditions.I just happened to say to him do you think you still could ride one? Yes he replied and Ihanded him a helmet and said go for a ride, he didn't have to be told twice.Around and around the diamond Creek footy oval he rode looking very happy with himself, when he came back he was grinning from ear to ear. Click on photos to enlarge
After he finally got off the bike we all sat down and had a cup of tea and during our talkhe just happened to mention that he had a motorbike at home that he wanted to sell and he continued to tell us it is a Dayton Albatross Diamond, never heard of one of those I replied and where did you get it? My parents brought it with them when they migrated to Australia in the mid-1950s he repliedand continued to explain how they got the bike here, when his family migrated they were allowed only a certain number of suitcases and a large wooden crate (one per family). His father dismantled the bike into many pieces with some parts going into boxes allocated to other various family members, in all three family's migrated on the one ship. Once they were established in Australia he collected all the bits of the bike and reassembled them and it was used for many years as the families means of transport in the Watsonia area.
A meeting was arranged to see the bike and at first glance it didn't appeal to me however my son Daryl said his sister would love it, so the bike found a new home. I noticed when I got the bike home to my shed the number plate was BW, the initials of my mother, Betty Wallace My wife Judy and I went to England and whilst there we visited the Birmingham Motorcycle Museum, they didn't have one of the bikes on display but they did have information and pictures of one. I told them that I had one and they were very sceptical that there was one outside England let alone Australia.
Another twist to the bikes history was that it was ridden to Portland from Hurstbridge where Jim proposed to his wife (now of 40 years) the bike now resides just meters off the Princes Highway, the road he would have used to get to Portland and back then that would have been one hell of a long slow trip.
Details..... Dayton Albatross Diamond
Year...... 1953
Motor...... 2 Stroke 250 cc 2T Villiers
Gearbox.... 4 Speed Heal / Toe Action
Suspension..Front- Earls Forks Coil over Shockers adjustable. Rear - standard shockers
