ANA
ANA was an Australian motorcycle marque manufactured by Martin John Shelley at the ANA Cycle Works in Melbourne from 1910 to 1919.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
ANA was an early Australian motorcycle brand associated with the ANA Cycle Works at 430 Rathdowne Street, Carlton North, Melbourne. The marque was manufactured by Martin John Shelley during the period from 1910 to 1919, when motorcycle production was still characterized by small specialist makers, frequent experimentation, and the use of engines and transmissions sourced from different suppliers. ANA motorcycles were not defined by a single, consistently documented powertrain. Instead, surviving references identify the use of engines from several manufacturers, including Fafnir, JAP Precision, and Abingdon King Dick, together with Sturmey-Archer gearboxes. This variety reflects the operating model of many early motorcycle producers, which assembled machines from commercially available components rather than developing every major mechanical system in-house. The brand's Melbourne location places it within Australia's early motorcycle manufacturing history, although the available reference material does not establish the size of its production, its dealer network, model names, technical specifications, or sales performance. ANA appears to have ceased manufacture after 1919 and is therefore a defunct historical marque rather than an active motorcycle business. Its surviving significance is primarily archival and historical: it documents the emergence of locally produced motorcycles in Australia and the international supply relationships that supported early twentieth-century motorcycle engineering. A photograph of an ANA motorcycle held by Museums Victoria is associated with a 1922 reference date, but that date should not be interpreted as evidence that the marque was still manufacturing motorcycles at that time.
History
ANA emerged in Melbourne during the formative period of Australian motorcycle manufacturing. The marque was produced at ANA Cycle Works, located at 430 Rathdowne Street in Carlton North, by Martin John Shelley. Its documented manufacturing period ran from 1910 through 1919, spanning the years immediately before, during, and after the First World War. At that time, motorcycle production commonly relied on a combination of local assembly and imported mechanical components. Small manufacturers could enter the market without designing a complete engine or transmission, instead integrating proprietary units supplied by specialized engineering companies. ANA's surviving description illustrates this approach. The marque used a range of engines rather than one standardized power unit. Identified suppliers include Fafnir, JAP Precision, and Abingdon King Dick. The motorcycles also used Sturmey-Archer gearboxes, linking the Melbourne manufacturer to internationally recognized component makers. The use of multiple engine sources may indicate changes across production runs, adaptation to component availability, or the requirements of different machine configurations; the available reference does not provide enough information to distinguish among those possibilities. The brand's documented production ended in 1919. No reliable information in the supplied reference establishes a successor company, a later revival, production volume, model range, pricing, export activity, or formal corporate ownership. ANA is consequently best understood as a defunct historical motorcycle marque rather than a continuing consumer brand. Its importance lies in the evidence it provides of early Australian motorcycle assembly and of the component-based manufacturing practices that characterized the industry in the 1910s. A Museums Victoria photograph of an ANA motorcycle is cited in connection with the marque and carries a 1922 reference date. The existence or dating of a surviving example does not by itself demonstrate continued ANA production after 1919; it more securely indicates that an ANA motorcycle remained identifiable and documented in the early 1920s. Further research in Australian industrial directories, motorcycle periodicals, registration records, and museum collections would be needed to reconstruct the marque's complete model history and commercial reach.
- 1922
ANA motorcycle documented in a museum photograph
[1]A Museums Victoria photograph is cited as showing an ANA motorcycle in an early-1920s historical record.
- 1919
Documented manufacturing period ends
[1]The documented production period for ANA motorcycles concluded after operating through the 1910s.
- 1910
ANA motorcycle production begins
[1]Martin John Shelley began manufacturing ANA motorcycles at the ANA Cycle Works on Rathdowne Street in Carlton North, Melbourne.
Products and positioning
An early Melbourne motorcycle marque producing locally assembled machines from a range of established proprietary engines and gearboxes.
Motorcycles · 1910
ANA motorcycles
The ANA marque covered motorcycles manufactured in Melbourne during the 1910s. Available documentation identifies several engine sources—Fafnir, JAP Precision, and Abingdon King Dick—and Sturmey-Archer gearboxes. The range therefore appears to have varied mechanically across its production history, although specific model names, engine capacities, frame designs, and performance figures are not established by the supplied sources.
Recent events
ANA launched a dining service aboard a parked Boeing 777[2]
Reported:
ANA launched a paid dining experience aboard a parked Boeing 777 at Tokyo Haneda, serving first- and business-class meals.
ANA wins Asia-Pacific Decade of Airline Excellence Award[3]
Reported:
ANA received the Decade of Airline Excellence Award for the Asia-Pacific region.
ANA and Peace Winds Japan mileage donation campaign[4]
Reported:
ANA announced a mileage donation campaign for ANA Mileage Club members in partnership with Peace Winds Japan. Members could exchange accrued miles for yen to support healthcare workers, with proceeds intended for medical supplies and other necessities.
Sources4 sources
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