When the Tyre Man Told Us We Were Home: Sinden's of Sydney Road, Manly

Sinden's Centenary, 1927 to 2027

There was a moment coming over the top of Sydney Road when the ocean suddenly appeared ahead of you. Then there he was, high above Sinden's, watching everyone make their way down the hill.

For generations of Manly kids, that was the sign. You knew you were home.

The man on the tyres

The Tyre Man belonged to Sinden's Tyre and Rubber Company at 100 Sydney Road, on the approach into Manly. William Edward "Eddie" Sinden established the business in 1927, and it was associated with Goodyear tyres. Sources place the Tyre Man's arrival somewhere between the late 1920s and 1933.

He stood above a tower of close to 100 tyres stacked around a tall pole, wearing a copper top hat and military boots, with a cigar in hand. His clothes were replaced again and again as sun, rain and southerly weather took their toll. His aluminium face was reportedly modelled on local pilot George Surgeoner, who later flew bombers in England during the Second World War.

Eddie Sinden recalled that motorists would pull over to argue about whether he was a real man or a dummy. He appeared in newspapers, magazines and even a Goodyear promotional film. On 18 April 1963 a new figure was installed, reportedly courtesy of Mackellar County Council.

What locals remember

When we shared his photograph with the Lost Manly community, it reached around 15,500 people and the memories poured in.

Tony Spooner remembered taking the school bus to Balgowlah High in the early 1950s. The children booed the drivers who stopped at the bottom of the hill and put the bus into first gear, but cheered the ones who took a run at it so they could hear the unsynchronised gears complain on the way down.

Wendy Law remembered children calling out, "Don't fall off, Mr Man." Ron Elliott lived on the opposite corner. Rod Scott Young's family lived about six doors from Sinden's. Brian Rout lived in George Street from 1966 to 1971. Phil Andrews remembered him from childhood trips to Manly in the 1950s and 60s, and at 80, Patrick Hedman recognised the scene instantly after driving down that hill hundreds of times.

Taken down, rescued and restored

Even after the old workshop was demolished and apartments went up, the Tyre Man stayed on the block, on a lower pole and slowly hidden by trees. On 7 August 2012 a contractor removed him because his condition had become a safety risk, and he went into storage at the former Manly Council depot in Roseberry Street, Balgowlah. He was not on the heritage register, and a heritage grant request had been declined.

In 2013 Freshwater businessman Keith Tucker rescued him from council storage. Keith's 15-year-old son Jake, his mates and St Paul's Catholic College visual arts coordinator Christopher Boylan spent three months restoring the head.

Today he is stored in pieces on Keith's property near Mt Panorama outside Bathurst, and in 2026 Keith began a new campaign to find him a permanent home back in the 2095 postcode.

Help us finish the story

One part of the story is still missing. Does anyone remember the year Sinden's finally got "tyred" and closed its "wheel house" for the last time? Family recollection says the business continued into the 1970s, with Colin Bennett taking over during that period, but we'd love to confirm it. If you're a former staff member, part of the Sinden family, or have photos or memories, please get in touch.

With 2027 marking 100 years since Sinden's opened its doors, it would be wonderful to see the Tyre Man back where he belongs, telling us we're home.

Lost Manly has restored the Sydney Road photographs as a keepsake mug for anyone who remembers that first sight of the ocean.