On 28 June 1931, Aubrey Melrose won the prestigious Harley Scramble at the famous Rope Works Circuit at Buckland Hill in Mosman Park, opposite Cottelsoe Beach on the outskirts of Perth (WA).

It was Melrose’s second Harley Scramble.  The 30-year-old, who cofounded the event with Roy Charman in 1928, won the 4th Harley Scramble showing the heavier Harley V-twin riders what a lightweight BSA 250 was capable of.  He would also go onto win the event for a third time in 1935 on a BSA, after winning  in 1929 on a Harley Davidson.

In 1931, 21 of the State’s leading motorcyclists were invited to compete for the prestigious Harley Scramble title, with only ten riders lasting the distance – four circuits of the four-mile course in the morning and afternoon. 

Although a shot-gun start was later introduced, but abandoned because of the safety risk, this year the riders started in pairs with the low powered machines given the advantage of starting first on a harder track and clearer pathway. Previous winners and place getters from previous events were the last to start.

The 1930 winner Roy Charman secured the fastest time in the morning, with Melrose in third, 13 seconds behind J.Kiely, whose machine broke down in the final stages of the second race.

Aubrey Melrose, who was one of Australia’s earliest Isle of Man contestants witnessed scrambles during his stay in England in 1927 and bought the idea back home.  He called the original event on 17 June 1928 the “1928 TT Scramble”. But as this title meant little to the reporter at The West Australian newspaper, he nicknamed it “The Harley Scramble” and the name stuck!

The riders rode heavy bikes (like 1000cc Harley Davidsons and 500cc B.S.A.s) with suspension being non-existent.