Last year we achieved an excellent display of eight-hundred-plus vehicles at Mornington Racecourse, on a perfect summer’s day. The start at the Westernport Marina at Hastings was certainly more popular this time around. For this year’s event, thanks are due to the Fairfax Community Newspaper Group for providing valuable publicity for the Rally, that certainly worked.
As a part of the promotion for the event, we were able to run a competition for a ride in an early Vintage Ventura bus (Charabanc) to The Vintage Ventura busthe Mornington display area. The competition was over-subscribed and some consolation prizes were given to those who didn’t quite make it to the actual bus ride. For a chance to win a trip on the bus this year, click on the ‘Bus Ride Entry’ button on the left.
Right: The Vintage Ventura bus. Photo: Craig Douglas.
Craig Bennett receiving the ABCCC’s donation
Last year’s RACV Great Australian Rally’s success was the result of a considerable amount of work put in by the Rally Advisory Committee. The success was such that we managed to raise $60,000 to hand over to our friends at Peter Mac Cancer Institute. This was done at a ceremony at the RACV Club on 5th March. Present in the photograph above are, left to right, Colin Brown (ABCCC, Rally Organiser), Craig Bennett (Peter Mac CEO), Tony Pettigrew (ABCCC President) and Professor Peter Chandler (President and Chairman of the RACV Board). Also present for this most auspicious occasion were Ron Pittard (Fairfax), Colin Moss (Fairfax), Brian Kelly (RACV), Gordon Oakley (RACV General Manager – Motoring and Mobility), Professor Lester Peters (Peter Mac), from the ABCCC were – Pat Douglas, Ray Higginson, Don Kinsey, Peter McKiernan, Nello Mafodda and Mike Allfrey.