What does an early 50s FX Holden in the Queensland museum have to do with a Greek-Australian celebrity? Well, the owner of that automobile was George Kyprios who died in 2009 at the age of 82.
George’s larger-than-life antics in his FX Holden throughout Brisbane in the 50s and 60s, inspired the 1960s song ‘Rock’ n’ Roll George’ becoming an indelible piece of Australian living history immortalised in lyrics:
‘Up and down Queen St / past the city hall / who’s that in the driver’s seat / it’s Rock’ n’ Roll George.’
Rock n’ Roll George became famous cruising the streets of inner Brisbane in his 1952 FX Holden- The urban myth is that he saw this beautiful blonde on the corner outside the Black Cat Casket Agency (presently Hungry Jack’s in the Queen Street Mall). And that next time he went round she was gone so he kept driving around the block for years trying to find her, a long lost love.
A recognisable identity through his beloved FX and flat-top haircut, George was born of Greek parents and raised in Brisbane’s West End. The car was bought for him by his mother, while the Rock ‘n’ Roll number plate was a gift from some friends about 50 years ago. In the days of the Cloudland dances and cruising down pre-mall Queen Street, with the windows down and the car radio blaring out rock n’roll – George was the city’s original Brylcreem bodgie’ and the king of Brisbane’s bodgie and widgee rockers. For four decades George was a regular sight cruising the streets in his FX until the late 90’s. The car and George became inseparable.
George loved rugby league, boxing, horse racing and cricket and he didn’t care very much for the way he was portrayed. George Kyprios’ worked as a presser, luggage manufacturer and with the Golden Circle cannery before retiring at 62 from his last job at the Government Printing Office, however he still owned, loved and drove the FX Holden until he passed away.
George Kyprios’ funeral was held at the Greek Orthodox Church in West End. George was celebrated in a display at the Queensland Museum, the centrepiece of which was his faded yellow FX Holden complete with the “Rock n Roll” plate above the licence number. The exhibition is now over but a replica FX has been built and will be driven around Australia as part of the Queensland Museum’s 150 year celebrations this year. Watch out for it!
Today, the once robust Australian car culture is constantly suffocated by nanny-state speed limits, over-use of traffic lights, speed camera’s and road laws designed to fatten government coffers rather than save lives – Would George have received the same ‘rock n’ roll’ cult status, or would he be branded a hoon?