In 1987 two Sydney dykes went to the New York Pride Parade and amongst all the glitter, glamour and spectacle, 1000 Dykes On Bikes weren't very hard to miss. Kimborley O'Sullivan and Kath Savona thought “that looks pretty damn amazing, we can do that for Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras” and thus the start of Dykes on Bikes in Australia was born. When they came back they went around to all the lesbian venues leaving pamphlets advertising that they were forming a club to ride in the 1988 Mardi Gras. A grand total of 15 bikes rode that year, but it was the start. The next year there was 25 bikes and then it grew by degrees till it boasted around 250 bikes for our 10th anniversary in 1998.

In 1991 we first began leading the Mardi Gras parade as our numbers had grown to where we averaged around 200 per year in our membership. We were riding a diverse number of motorbikes including your basic postal bike, our very proud motor scooters and then anything from your Japanese bikes through to Ducatis, BMW's and Harleys. Logic dictated that we go first due to the constant possibility of overheating of bikes due to our willingness in pleasing (and teasing) the crowd if we went too slowly behind the other floats, and so we got to set our own pace at last. Blowing our horns and going Vrrroom, Vrrroom! “ Loudly ” , we are the perennial crowd favourite. Something about a quite large group of women revving up their engines certainly strikes a chord.

Over the years our membership numbers have steadily accumulated to include a diverse range of like-minded individuals that enjoy bikes, women & fun!