TBH the exact year is a bit iffy, but here’s the story!
The Australian National Science Fiction convention was to be in Melbourne, and as one of the fun events they put on a Dalek race. The BBC had published plans on how to build one that a person could ‘wear’ and move around in. I don’t remember how these plans were distributed (pre-internet days of course) but we in the Sydney Science Fiction Foundation got hold of them and determined to compete.
The basic idea what a Dalek-shaped shell, the top half could be lifted off so the pilot could get in and out, and the grill was flyscreen so they could see out. The bottom rim had trolley caster wheels on it so they could push it around and change direction. The arms and head-gun were I think just painted broomsticks or something.
It was to be built in the backyard workshop of one of our parents; as an engineer he quickly decided the design was hopeless and needed more mobility in particular! He ended up building the thing on the frame of a tricycle, that had pedals directly attached to the front wheel.
Once built we moved onto the testing phase; I and a then-friend who I’ll call G were the selected candidates for the pilot position (being young and male), to see who could move it the fastest. I failed the audition as I pushed the pedals too hard initially and they spun in place, the poor Dalek hardly moved at all. G however took more care and the Dalek took off like a shot! Not such a bad thing as G was after all a state champion swimmer and pretty fit at the time.
Somehow we got the thing down to Melbourne, I forget that detail too. So the great day dawned! From what we could see everyone else had stuck to the BBC plan and I guess was banking on their pilot to push theirs the fastest on the little castors they all used.
They’d laid out a course in IIRC a carpark somewhere, the contestants had to get to a goal and then back to the start line the fastest. In the middle was an obstacle course, so maneuverability was part of the test.
And they’re off! G shot out to the lead while the others were just getting going, bumping into each other (visibility was VERY poor!) and so on. By the time the second runner got to the obstacle course G had reached the goal and was on his way back! As inevitable as the sunrise, they met in the middle of the obstacle course - neither could get past the other. We in the Sydney support group started calling out “Shoot him now! Shoot him now!” … the rest of the crowd, mostly Melbourne supporters, looked around at each other - what do they mean ‘shoot’? There was no weaponry in the BBC plans?
No, but there was weaponry in our Dalek! G took a minute or two to prepare and arm it, while we called out again “Shoot him now! Shoot him now!” Concern rising in the others.
Then G got everything together inside, and fired! A stream of cold whiteness shot out of one arm of our Dalek, a direct hit! The enemy Dalek fell back in confusion and despair, and our guy was through for an epic win … you see, we’d had the foresight to use an aluminium pipe (I think from an old vacuum) for one of the arms and had secreted a fire extinguisher inside, for just such an eventuality.
Sadly so far as I know no film was taken of the great day.
