Rupert Jeffkins  ... continued.

The Final page.

Rupert Jeffkins should be remembered as Australia’s first International racing driver. He left the country as a 21 year old during the first years of last century to experience the world of motoring in its formative years. After gaining experience in Europe and the United Kingdom he moved to the United States. There he became further immersed in motoring and automobile racing initially as a promoter and riding mechanic and later as a driver. He was selected to drive factory entered cars for such makers as Velie, Schacht and Mercer and competed with and against the very best drivers of the era.                                                        

Following his return to Australia he became involved with motor racing promotion which was curtailed due to the war. Later he became involved with the ill fated Roo car project which exhausted his financial security and sadly ended his years in an institution for destitute men sustained only by the old age government pension..

Sources

1. William Jiffkins death certificate. Rupert Jiffkins birth certificate.

2. Rupert Jiffkins marriage certificate

3. Jeffkins publicity in The Motor in Australia November 1913

4. Jeffkins publicity in The Motor in Australia November 1913 / Racing on the Rim  by               Dick Punnett / Beach Racers by Dick Punnett /Daytona Beach – 100 years of Racing by           Harold D Cardwell Snr

5. Daily Freeman Tribune 5th July 1910                                                                                          Website wcase.netins.net/web/marjned/racing.html

6. Waterloo DailyTimes Tribune 28th August 1910 / Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette 5th                 September 1910

7. Carrol Sentinel 11th October 1910.

8. Fastest in the first- a complete history of the inaugural 1911 Indianapolis 500 published            by The Belcher Foundation / Indianapolis Star 28th May 1911

9. Des Moines Daily News  8th June 1911/ Racine Daily Journal 9th June 1911

10.     New York Times 6th August 1911 / Waterloo Reporter 24th August 1911 /Oakland                   Tribune 25th August 1911 / Indianapolis Star 26th August 1911/ Titusville Morning                 Herald 26th August 1911 / Phil Harms research at www.motorsport.com/stats/champ/

11.     Phil Harms research at www.motorsport.com/stats/champ/  Indianapolis Star 10th                    September 1911

12.     Phil Harms research at www.motorsport.com/stats/champ/ / Oakland Tribune 14th                   October 1911

13.Oakland Tribune 24th October 1911

14.San Francisco Chronicle 17th and 18th March 1912

15.New York Times 5th May 1912 / Oakland Tribune 4th and 5th May 1912 / Great Auto             Races by Peter Helck

16.New York Times 30th May 1912 / Atlanta Constitution 26th May 1912 /Indianapolis               500 mile history by Floyd Clymer /Indianapolis 500 Chronicle by Rick Popley / The                 Indianapolis 500 by Jack C Fox /Indianapolis Motor Speedway – 100 years of racing by           Ralph Kramer

17.Oakland Tribune 18th September 1912

18.Oakland Tribune 4th and 10th October 1912

19.Australian Sport through time – 2006 Edition  published by Random House

20.Wellington Evening Post 14th June 1913 / Adelaide Advertiser 22nd September 1913

21.Referee 5th November 1913

22.The Motor in Australia  November and December 1913 / The Australian Motorist                    November and December 1913 / Herald  various issues in November 1913 / Argus 22nd            November 1913 / Referee 26th November 1913

23.Herald 6th December 1913

24.The Motor in Australia  January 1914

25.Referee 11th February 1914 / Sydney Morning Herald 12th February 1914 / Newcastle              Morning Herald 12th May 1914

26.Referee 16th June 1915

27.National Archives of Australia

28.The Motor in Australia  January 1917 / Argus 1st December 1916 / Argus 30th                          November 1916

29.The Australian Motorist 1st August 1917 / Referee 29th August 1917 /Referee 12th                   September 1917 / The Motor in Australia October 1917 / The Australian Motorist 1st               November 1917 / Restored Cars #42/ The Australian Motorist 1st August 1918

30.Referee 18th June 1919 / The Australian Motorist June 1919 / Sydney Morning Herald             30th June 1919 / Referee 2nd July 1919

31.The Motor in Australia 1st August 1919 / Referee 30th July 1919

32.Sporting Globe 27th December 1922 / The Australian Motorist 1st January 1923

33.Goulburn Evening Penny Post 16th February 1926 / Cessnock Eagle 30th July 1926 /                Argus 9th April 1931

34.The Age 22nd February 1940

35.Register of admissions and patient records of Liverpool State Hospital and Home /                   Rupert Jeffkins death certificate / Liverpool Cemetery records

Thank you to Brian Lear for this informative an entertaining account of the life of our first International racing driver...Rupert Jeffkins.