27/05/2026
It's a great event to save.
Iconic Australian Postie Bike Grand Prix Faces Uncertain Future
The future of the Hunter Valley’s most iconic and uniquely Australian events is now in jeopardy, with organisers of the APBGP urgently calling on the community for financial sponsorship & hands-on volunteer support to ensure the 2026 event can proceed.
Scheduled for Sunday, October 18, the APBGP has become a much-loved fixture on the Cessnock calendar, attracting thousands of visitors to the region and around 70 teams annually from across Australia. But without committed sponsors, volunteers, and practical support, this year’s race may not happen.
The APBGP is entirely community-run. Every barrier, pedestrian bridge, marshal point, and safety measure is made possible through volunteers, sponsorships, donated services, &community goodwill. Add to this, the free family entertainment in the grounds, our grid girls, photographers, marshalls lunch packs, along with a multitude of many other things are all made possible through donations & volunteers. It is all the little things that add up to make one big event to bring to our community.
Since its inception in 2014 & spearheaded by local police sergeant & passionate motorcycle enthusiast Dave Robinson, the event has grown into a nationally recognised spectacle featuring retired Honda Postie Bikes racing a challenging 1.45-kilometre circuit through the streets of Cessnock — weaving past local homes, through the TAFE grounds, & around rerouted business operations including Coles deliveries.
What spectators see on race day is only part of the story - it is months and months of hard work, all of which is done on a volunteer basis by a very passionate & dedicated committee.
Behind the scenes, volunteers contribute countless hours to transform the city centre into a functioning race circuit before packing it all down again within hours of the event finishing, and continue with the final pack down & clean up in the days after the event. Local businesses donate services, organisations provide equipment & expertise, & even inmates from the local Cessnock Correctional facility assist with clean-up efforts.
But after more than a decade of operation, the event committee is now facing increasing pressure from rising costs, volunteer fatigue, & a shortage of technical & operational support.
This event simply does not happen without passionate people standing behind it.
We are incredibly proud of what the APBGP has become — not just as a race, but as a major community event that showcases Cessnock to the rest of Australia. But passion alone cannot build a racetrack, fund infrastructure, or provide the manpower needed to safely run an event of this scale.
The economic benefits of the APBGP extend far beyond race day itself. The event injects significant tourism dollars into the Cessnock LGA each year, with accommodation providers booking out, pubs, clubs , cafes and restaurants experiencing increased trade, & local businesses across the region benefiting from the influx of visitors throughout the weekend.
We are now urgently seeking financial sponsors - this is tax deductible, volunteers for event set-up and pack-down, skilled trades and operational support, in-kind services and equipment, grid girls, community organisations willing to assist
This event belongs to the community & if the community wants to see it continue, we need people to step forward now. Whether you can contribute financially, volunteer your time, lend equipment, or bring specialist skills — every bit of support matters.
If you or your business are keen to see this event continue and would like to support the 2026 Australian Postie Bike Grand Prix, please contact the organising committee with your expressions of interest to the following email addresses.
General enquiries: [email protected]
Sponsorship: [email protected]
Grid Girls: [email protected]
Please share this post and help us keep the APBGP alive. 🏁
