Once a bustling port town, Maryborough was home to several factories, shipyards, lumber yards, and a sugar mill.
Hundreds of men were employed in these industries -- so many, in fact, that driving to work wasn't feasible. Instead, the majority of these men rode their bicycles. Every day at 5:00 PM, a whistle would sound, signalling the end of the work day. The factory gates would open and the streets would fill with cyclists, riding five abreast. Police were often required to stop traffic to allow the cyclists through!