The Nomads Motorcycle Club is an
outlaw motorcycle club
An outlaw motorcycle club is a motorcycle subculture generally centered on the use of cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals that purport to celebrate freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, ...
in Australia with a large number of chapters and members nationwide. It was founded in Newcastle in 1968.
A number of countries have motorcycle clubs called "Nomads Motorcycle Club", e.g. Australia, South Africa and Germany,
and there is a
Nomads
A nomad is a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the po ...
gang in New Zealand.
History
Nomads MC was founded in Newcastle , Australia, 1968. Since then the club has expanded to all states and territories across the country.
[Nomads bikie gang may have disbanded in Victoria](_blank)
'' Herald Sun'' (6 April 2023)
Patch / motto / colors
The Nomads patch consists of a skull wearing a helmet. The helmet has wings and a swastika. Behind the helmet are a set of pistons. A small set of wings are also seen beside the "NOMADS" text.
The Nomads colors are black and white.
Chapters
The club has chapters throughout Australia, but none in other countries.
Rough geographical locations of the chapters are as follows:
* Nomads
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
chapter
* Nomads
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
chapter
* Nomads
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta () is a suburb and major commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta Riv ...
/
Girraween, New South Wales
Girraween is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Girraween is located 30 km west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Cumberland Council and is part of the Greater Western Sydn ...
/
Wetherill Park, New South Wales
Wetherill Park is a suburb in Greater Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wetherill Park is located 34 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Fairfield.
The ...
chapter (Western Sydney)
* Nomads Sydney /
Marrickville, New South Wales
Marrickville is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Marrickville is located south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the largest suburb in the Inner West Council local government ...
chapter
*North coast
Byron Bay, New South Wales
Byron Bay (Minjungbal: ''Cavvanbah)'' is a beachside town located in the far-northeastern corner of the state of New South Wales, Australia on Bundjalung Country. It is located north of Sydney and south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a hea ...
chapter
*
Blacktown, New South Wales chapter
*
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
chapter
*
Gold Coast
Gold Coast may refer to:
Places Africa
* Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana:
** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642)
** Dutch G ...
chapter
*
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...
chapter
*Hobart chapter
*Launceston chapter
*
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
chapter
Well-known members
John Thomas Browne – First Nomads National President
“Metho” Tom Browne - a well known member of the Sydney chapter, Tom was a respected figure among the outlaw clubs of the city.
Tom went on to become President of the Sydney chapter, then ultimately became the first National President.
Tom owned Blacktown Harley Davidson, which was targeted with a firebombing during a dispute with the Rebels MC in 2005, the estimations of the cost of damage are around the $1 million mark.
Metho Tom was diagnosed with cancer in 2007 and died later in April 2008, members of The Bandidos, The Lone Wolves, Highway 61, The Hells Angels, the Black Uhlans, the Gladiators and even The Comancheros and The Rebels came together to bid farewell to Tom Browne, with 1000 bikies that rumbled through the streets of western Sydney, it was one of Australia's largest bikie funerals.
Scott Orrock – Nomads National President / Hells Angels
Scott Orrock was the Nomads National President and had been involved in several high profile events including the shooting at the Nomads Newcastle clubhouse in September 2004 (see "Crime / In The Media" section below for more information).
He has owned multiple tattoo shops including "Skin Deep Tattoo" in
Newtown, New South Wales
Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west, is located approximately four kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, straddling the local government areas of the City of Sydney and Inner West Council in the state of New So ...
.
In December 2009, Scott Orrock patched over to the Hells Angels, bringing with him several members of the Nomads. This move was one of the reasons for the escalating violence between the Nomads and Hells Angels over the coming months, including his vehicle being torched the following day.
Crimes and events
2004 – 12 September 2004. Parramatta Member Sam Ibrahim, National President Scott Allan Orrock and Paul James Griffin travel to the Nomads Newcastle clubhouse for a meeting accompanied by approximately 40 other members. A fight broke out at the clubhouse, with Newcastle Sgt-At-Arms, Dale Campton, being shot in both knees by Ibrahim. Newcastle chapter member Mark Chrystie was also shot in both legs. A third Newcastle member had his Nomads jacket and ring taken, before being bashed. In May 2006, Campton became a police informer and provided details of the crime.
2006 – May 2006. Newcastle Sergeant at Arms, Dale Campton, becomes a police informer, providing them details of the fight with the Parramatta chapter on 12 September 2004.
2006 – December 2006. Ibrahim, Orrock and Griffin are arrested for the 12 September 2004 attack on the Newcastle members. As part of Ibrahim's arrest his unit in Parramatta is raided by police. In the raid police uncover weapons, ammunition, a bullet proof vest, walking stick sword and nunchucks, leading him to also be charged for 11 weapons and property offences.
2007 – April 2007. The "Skin Deep Tattoo" store in Newtown, Sydney, which is owned by Orrock, is shot up.
2008 – October 2008. Ibrahim, Orrock and Griffin are acquitted of the 2004 attack at the Newcastle clubhouse.
2009 – 27 February 2009. 14 Nomads are inside the Sydney chapter clubhouse in Marrickville when gunmen wearing balaclavas enter. Three Nomads are shot in the legs and lower torso before the gunmen leave the building.
2009 – 3 December 2009. A Toyota Soarer vehicle owned by former President Scott Orrock is torched. This attack comes the day after he patches in to the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.
2015 – 30 January 2015. 13 members of the Nomads are arrested following a raid on their clubhouse in Wetherill Park, Sydney. Most of those arrested were charged under recently brought in legislation making it illegal to consort with convicted offenders. The Wetherill Park clubhouse was shut down as part of the raids.
2015 – May 2015. 12 people associated with the Nomads, including 2 high ranking members, are arrested in raids across New South Wales and Adelaide. The group includes mainly members of the Adelaide chapter. Charges against the 12 people include soliciting to murder, kidnapping, blackmail and assault. Included in those arrested were the Adelaide chapter President, Adelaide Sgt-At-Arms and the New South Wales Vice President. Police advise that the crimes "were committed as a result of the victims not undertaking the required acts set out by the Nomads" and that the victims were either Nomads members or associates.
Books / movies / TV
While there are no books specific to the Nomads Motorcycle Club, multiple books detail the events that they have been involved in.
Nomads Book – ''Gangland Sydney'' by James Morton and Susanna Lobez. Find out more on Amazon (link opens in a new tab).
Nomads Book – ''Biker Gangs and Transnational Organized Crime'' by Thomas Barker. Find out more on Amazon (link opens in a new tab).
Enemies and allies
Nomads MC enemies:
*
Rebels MC
The Rebels Motorcycle Club is an outlaw motorcycle club. At its peak in Australia, it had around 70 chapters and over 1,000 members and associates nationwide, making it the largest club in the country. It was founded by Clint Jacks in Brisbane, ...
(Australia) are enemies.
*
Finks Motorcycle Club, Australia.
Nomads MC allies:
*
Hells angels
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is a worldwide outlaw motorcycle club whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporati ...
See also
*
*
List of outlaw motorcycle clubs
This is an alphabetical list of outlaw motorcycle clubs.
Outlaw motorcycle clubs
See also
* List of outlaw motorcycle club conflicts
* List of motorcycle clubs
* List of criminal enterprises, gangs and syndicates
References
{{Bike ...
*
Nomad (motorcycle club membership) A nomad is a member of a motorcycle club (which may or may not be an outlaw motorcycle club) or similar club who is not a member of a specific charter of the group.
Some nomads live in geographical areas that have fewer than the required numbers to ...
References
External links
{{OutlawMotorcycleGroups
Outlaw motorcycle clubs
Gangs in Australia
Motorcycle clubs in Australia
1980 establishments in Australia
Organizations established in 1980
Organisations based in Sydney