One of my readers, Ry, sent a note in which he wondered whether whips were just an Australian phenomena as he had never come across such a thing in the United States.

From my reading and following various Harley Davidson sites in the States I share Ry’s position about whips and bikers in the States.

Many, many books have been written about so called ‘Outlaw Motor Cycle Gangs,’ not only in America but also here in Australia.

The two volumes I refer to mostly when it comes to the ‘Outlaws,’ are:

and,

There is not a single mention of whips in either of the two volumes and personally I’ve never come across another group of motor cyclists, either here or in The States where carrying a whip was a part of the code.

Accordingly, I’m sure that our little group was/is the only group where whips were part of the scene.

If you have seen the photos of my two tiny whips, you could be forgiven for thinking that they are indicative of the general size handled by our group.

You would be right in part but the ‘Boss Man’ carried a real whip. Here he is wielding a genuine stock whip, one of a number specially  made for him.

To preserve the ‘Boss Man’s’ anonymity I’ve hidden his face.

Hearing a stock whip crack out in the bush has a mystical sounds about it. It takes you back in time and space to when stockmen and drovers rode proud in the saddle, delivering cattle  on the hoof to all parts of Australia.

These days, articulated monsters transport the stock and the days of the outback drover are, unfortunately coming to an end.

Hoo roo for now.