Let’s take a deep dive into the extraordinary tale of Francis (Frank) Beaurepaire, the man who founded Beaurepaires 100 years ago.
Frank Beaurepaire was born in 1891 to Francis Edmun De Beaurepaire and Mary Inman.
Beaurepaire had an unusual talent for swimming during his schooling when he became the school champion at Wesley college, with his own unique style which was referred to as the crawl, a modification of the trudgen stroke.
He won his first Victorian title at just the age of 14, the start of his very successful swimming career.
He continued to win three titles at the national championship in Perth, then traveled to London to compete in the Olympic Games representing Australia.
Beaurepaire was undefeated in 41 championships where he set 4 world records for 300 yards, 200m, 300m, and 500m. He was awarded best Athlete of the year by the Helms Athletic Foundation of America.
Beaurepaire then continued to rise to his next big calling. In 1922, a swimmer was attacked by a shark at Coogee Beach in Sydney. Jack Chalmers, a lifesaver at the time, swam out to the swimmer to pry him out of the jaws of the shark. Beaurepaire, in true Olympic form, swam out to assist in the swimmer's rescue and helped bring the badly wounded man to shore.
Chalmers and Beaurepaire were awarded £500 and the gold medal of the Royal Humane and Shipwreck Society of NSW by the Senator of NSW, Mr. C. W Oakes. The Senator declared the bravery the pair demonstrated during the rescue was equal to the highest honor acts for bravery in the military.
The prize money that Beaurepaire received was used to lay the foundation of the tyre business empire Beaurepaire’s.
But his success didn’t stop there.
He was knighted in 1942, to then be known as Sir Frank Beaurepaire. He turned to politics where he became Lord Mayor of Melbourne for 2 years. After an unsuccessful attempt at a seat in Senate, Beaurepaire settled a member of the Victorian Legislative and was a caveat in bringing the Olympic Games to Melbourne in 1956.
Beaurepaire died in 1956 and unfortunately, he didn’t get to witness his beloved Olympic Games which were held in Melbourne.
Sir Frank Beaurepaire’s legacy still lives on within Australia’s most trusted tyre retailer Beaurepaires. A business founded on offering industry experience, expertise, and unmatched customer service.
Beaurepaires is celebrating 100 years of not only industry excellence, but also employee fulfillment and customer satisfaction. Frank would be proud.