A photo of a poster which reads 'Malvern Star, The cycle of Opperman, famed the world over'. A drawing of a man in a blue jumper and red shorts rides a red bike, overlaid on many newspaper headlines saying 'World's greatest cyclist', and a map of the U.K. outlined in red.
Malvern Star (Firm), Malvern Star the cycle of Opperman famed the world over, 1934, nla.obj-137061160

Tobacco, beer and poker machines - sport has a long history of being used to sell things.

Sporting entrepreneurs know that fans will pay to see their champions. Gambling, admission tickets, memberships, media, advertising, endorsements and sponsorship all provide ways to generate income from sporting spectacles.

These forces have seen elite Australian sport slowly shift from a proud amateur tradition to an increasingly commercial focus. This move to professionalism was resisted by some sports bodies, such as the Olympic movement and rugby union, but by the end of the twentieth century the best athletes had embraced being paid to play. It was only fair that athletes needing to train full-time should be paid for their hard work and compensated for the possibility of injury.

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The National Library of Australia acknowledges Australia’s First Nations Peoples – the First Australians – as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land and gives respect to the Elders – past and present – and through them to all Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

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Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this website contains a range of material which may be considered culturally sensitive including the records of people who have passed away.

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