His beloved scooter now sits proudly on display at the Swansea local history museum in his old municipality of Glamorgan Spring Bay, Tasmania, along with some unique French helmets and the boots from his role as Clunk in the first Mad Max movie.
Cadart’s battle with leukaemia has meant he and his family have moved to Queensland.
Since rolling ashore in Australia in 1972, the Frog (as he became affectionately known) has had a significant impact on motorcycling in Australia.
Mad Max director George Miller came to see Bertrand looking for assistance for his planned low-budget film, needing help with the appearance of the bikes to be ridden by the fictional Toecutter bikie gang. Cadart obliged by providing his iconic self-designed fairings, and even appeared in the movie as Clunk.
The expatriate Frenchman made his home at Bicheno on Tasmania’s east coast and in 2007 was elected mayor. Among his many achievements was making Glamorgan Spring Bay Australia’s first ‘motorcycle-friendly municipality’.
He covered 65,000km on his beloved 600cc Silver Wing scooter, but it’s probably best not to dwell on the speeds with which he visited meetings and other council events.
While Cadart has left Tasmania in his rear-view mirror, he has vowed to continue riding for as long as his health allows.
Peter Thoeming
