15/10/2026
We recently sat down with Jim Hayman over coffee, where he opened the family photo album and shared memories of his Dad Eric Hayman, the early business and life around South Melbourne.
Jim then took us back to the original Hayman Reese premises at 276 City Road, a building he remembers from childhood and one that is remarkably still standing today. Established in 1941, the business initially focused on bicycle spokes before expanding into towbar manufacturing in 1951.
As Jim explained:
“Dad built a trailer for his bikes to start with, his own bikes. Then he got a trailer and a caravan, so he needed a towbar. Someone else saw what he had made and wanted one too. Gradually, the bicycle-spoke work and the other jobs moved aside, and the towbar business became the business.”
Beyond the workshop, Eric was also a mad-keen fisherman, a tinkerer and someone who enjoyed helping others.
“Dad liked helping people. He liked tinkering… That was his way.”
What began as a practical solution in a small South Melbourne workshop would become the foundation of Hayman Reese.
Swipe through for a personal look at where the story began.
