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This was forecast to be a very warm day and we were very fortunate to find a gazebo at Jells Park to shade us from the sun. There was also the added bonus of a breeze blowing through it, so there were no dramas with getting sunburnt that day!

We had around the same number of cars we’ve had in previous years (11), but slightly fewer participants (16). We all brought our own picnic lunches, but that Christmas spirit prevailed with cake, biscuits, chocolates and even Bernie’s pickles (yes – there were still some jars left over from the Christmas Party on 13^th December!) being handed out to various members. It all made for a very enjoyable day.

Immediately after the FORDCA Christmas Party had ended around 3 o’clock, several members made their way to this event, and were warmly welcomed by the hosts, Mike & Andrea Kirkpatrick and Tim Mattison and his wife, and members of other Ford clubs. We enjoyed BBQed sausage and a hot or cold drink. It was a very nice way to end what had been a great day! 

We had 37 members and a young guest attend this event in 5 Small Fords, 3 ‘alternative classics’ and a number of ‘moderns’.

Despite a gloomy weather forecast earlier in the week, we had an absolutely gorgeous day for this event, and those like your writer who did not follow the golden rules for eating outdoors of (a) wearing a hat and (b) putting sun cream on all exposed surfaces of their body, paid the penalty of getting rather sunburnt!

With people constantly going round handing out biscuits, cake, candies or jars of Bernie’s wholesome pickle, there was a typically seasonal atmosphere to the party, with everyone catching up with each other and generally having a good time. The lunch, as usual, consisted of a good helping of cooked chicken, provided by the club, served with bread and a choice of salad which, like the desserts on offer afterwards, were provided by members. Nobody went away hungry!

Twelve FORDCA members were present at the Naked Racer Bar for the November monthly coffee and chat, held a week later than normal. It was great to see a member roll up in his newly-restored 1956 100E Prefect de luxe sedan, which looked quite splendid. Another member brought along his new acquisition, but it wasn’t a Ford! It was a Vanden Plas Princess and he got it for a bargain price!

Our December coffee & chat at the Naked Racer Bar in Moorabbin was attended by 13 members in 7 classic cars. It was nice to see our cars lined up together on the grass opposite the Bar as parking can be difficult sometimes.

It was a lovely morning catch-up enjoyed by all, and a pleasant run for our cars.

This year the rally was held in Bairnsdale by the East Gippsland Historical Automobile Club (EGAHC Inc). These rallies have been going since 1980 continuously with the exception of the Covid years.

Day 1… the day was spent travelling up to Bairnsdale. Most of our members made their way on independently, either driving in their classic, or trailering. We all convened at the arranged club room to receive our rally pack and a warm welcome.

Day 2… One breakdown occurred on Day 1 with the 100E Anglia where the upper radiator hose burst causing the engine to overheat. The hose was beyond repair and to get another hose, one member made a round trip back to Yesterford in Melbourne. The rest of our party arrived at the club room at 8:30am for a supplied morning tea and trip briefing before leaving for Maffra via Lindenow. A pleasant drive of 91km before ending up at the Maffra Gippsland Vehicle Collection. The vehicles there were sensational.

Next we went to the Duart Homestead for an organised lunch. From there we had the optional visit of the Stratford Historical Society and Museum and also the district model aero club before a 70km drive back home to the hotel.

All in all, it was a great day followed by us having a meal at the local RSL. There was a comical series of events that left one member without a meal, but he made do on bread rolls.

Day 3…Sunday was the longest run for the weekend with an estimated 230km trip (and the hottest day) so some opted out and took a shorter trip around to Lakes Entrance and found a large market. The rest took the organized trip to Buchan (80km) and stopped for morning tea. Several of the ladies slipped away to check out the local art in the hall across the road. Next was the hardest drive of 60km of tight windy roads, mostly uphill!! There we had lunch supplied by the Country Women's Association (CWA). After lunch was an optional visit to the Viaduct and art centre, from there a further 90km home.

BBQ dinner at the club room for a friendly chat and some entertainment with the Bairnsdale men's choir followed by a lady's band/singers.

Day 4… Assemble at 9:00 at the club room for morning tea followed by a short walk across the oval to the East Gippsland Historical Society building for a tour around this 2-storey building and outbuildings for a lovely collection of memorabilia of everything from kitchen regalia, textiles and antiques to farm equipment of yesteryear.

From there we drove 43 km to an EGHAC member's home where he had a large collection of cars and trucks. A packed lunch was provided. The group moved on to another EGHAC member's display, however the weather turned sour and we decided to go back to the hotel. That evening, presentations were made and we were given a fine dinner including desert and live music. We also cleaned up on the raffles and door prizes.

Presentations were made and one of our members was awarded the People's Choice Award for the best post-1948 vehicle with his 1952 Ford Crestline convertible.

Day 5… Breakfast at the clubrooms and a heartfelt thanks for a great weekend. From there most went home with the exception of a handful who went for an impromptu cruise around the area and an invited trip to a private collection at another EGHAC member's home before the heavens opened up early afternoon. A great meal at the end of the day in an outback pub in Lindenow (built in 1904) with the ambiance to match. The morning after and we all packed up and headed home.

In summary, the weekend was sensational including the few hiccups. The whole trip of the 5 days rally was a total of 630km and including the trip to get there and home, the total for the long weekend was 1,160km.

There were 61 entries from 13 clubs. The home club had the most entries, as expected, but the FORDCA club came second with 10 cars. The organization of the rally was exceptional with marshals at every turning point (or signs for the easier turns). My hat goes off to the organizers! We had a blast!

The next organized rally with the "triennials" is at Warrigal held by the West Gippsland Historical Automobile Club next year.

Cars entered for the rally by FORDCA members were:

a 1951 E493A Prefect sedan (a truly brave little car!); a 1952 Ford Crestline convertible; a 1954 100E Anglia saloon; a 1960 300E Thames panel van; a 1960 105E Anglia de luxe saloon; a 1963 105E Anglia de luxe saloon; a 1964 Ford FD 'Compact' Fairlane sedan; a Ford Fairlane 500 sedan; a 1971 Ford ZD Fairlane 500 sedan; a 1978 Holden HZ Premier sedan and a 'modern'

It was a little breezy, but otherwise an excellent day for a car show – not too hot, not too cold – and apparently records were broken all round! There were large numbers of V8s and Zephyr/Zodiacs, and FORDCA fielded 11 cars, including a rare 1935 Model C De Luxe sedan. The necessary repairs to this car were only completed in the weeks before the event. It had been off the road for something like 13 years. Its owner had it put on the Victorian Club Permit Scheme the week before the event.

The other FORDCA members present with cars that day brought with them a 1937 7W 'Ten' coupe; a 1936 Model CX sedan; a 1948 Ford V8 Pilot sedan; a 1950 A494A Anglia tourer; a 1950 E493A Prefect sedan; a 1950 E83W Thames 10cwt milk float; a 1954 100E Prefect sedan; a 1954 100E Anglia saloon, a 1953 A493A Prefect sedan and a 1960 105E Anglia de lux.

The opportunity was taken to present the owner of the Ford Pilot, with the 2024 Club Entity of the Year Award.

As we would be celebrating the 100^th Anniversary of the establishment of the Ford Motor Company in Australia in 2025, the Ford Flathead Committee decided to have a special cake made, with the intention of giving everyone who brought an eligible car to the FFF in October a piece of it. We were able to get the neice of a committee member to make it for us, and what a lovely job she made of it. I wouldn't have known where to start cutting it! That job was, performed by the Festival Committee's chairman's wife, and what a fine job she made of it! Unbelievably, with anything up to 150 mouths to feed, she managed to have some cake left over at the end of the day!

FORDCA members were to have another treat that day, but things didn't quite go to plan! You see, a member had brought along a 'throw away' BBQ and our new President attempted to do the honours as chef. Unfortunately, it was fired up 'in the open' and it was a bit too windy and as a consequence, the BBQ itself caught fire! However they managed to cook the sausages before it disintigrated, and they were delicious!

One thing about having monthly coffee and chat mornings is that they seem to come round so quickly! It seems like no time before we were gathering at the Naked Racer Bar for the meeting on 1^st October. Phil had spent the previous month tweaking the suspension on his 300E Thames panel van, and brought it on a 'proving run'. David and Peter caused some excitement by bringing their 'alternative classics'. David brought his black 1956 A90 Austin Westminster sedan which he has owned for some time. Peter on the other hand brought along his very latest acquisition, a 1978 Holden HZ sedan. Pam also turned up in a rather nice Mercedes-Benz sedan.

"The weather was kind as I set off in 'Fred', my 105E Anglia, to meet up with other members participating on this run organized by our retired former President", wrote our reporter for this event. "Only a couple of very light showers were present on my trip to the starting point, which was at MacDonalds in Epping.
Six of us gathered there for morning refreshments, and then to head off to Wallan Market at 10am. On the way we picked up a member waiting for us in his Fordson E83W Thames Milk Float at Beveridge. (His wife would meet us at the Magpie & Stump at Wandong for lunch later). The run organizer and his wife headed the convoy in their 100E Anglia, followed by me in my 105E Anglia, and another member in his 107E Prefect. Two more members brought up the rear in their "moderns".

Parking was an issue at this very popular market, and then finding the others within the rows of stalls offering a huge variety of goods was nearly impossible.

So, at 12:15pm we assembled at a meeting point and headed off to our parked vehicles to head off to Wandong.

Drama of the day was with the E83W Thames Milk Float which only appeared (and sounded) to be running on 3 cylinders. The six of us remaining had a wonderful lunch at the Magpie & Stump and with our stomachs full we parted our ways for home."

The Annual General Meeting, General Meeting and Annual Dinner were held on the 27^th July. The meetings were held at the the Wandong Village Hall, but we would retire to the Magpie & Stump pub nearby afterwards for a sit-down, a la carte lunch. We had 48 members attend this event. We had members travel from as far away as Geelong, Lancefield, Bendigo, Strathbogie and Beaconsfield to attend.

At the AGM, there were some changes to the committee. Our long-standing President, one of the founding members of the club, and another committee member were to stand down from the committee and be replaced by two other volunteers. The past President was presented with a special certificate in appreciation of his services.

At the General Meeting, there were changes to the by-laws voted on, otherwise, everybody thought the club was doing well and were happy with the way things are going.

At the conclusion of the meetings, we retired to the nearby Magpie & Stump hotel. We settled down to a very hearty meal in good company.

All too soon, it was time to go home, and as we emerged from the pub, the black clouds were gathering and we returned home by a slightly different route round the northern suburbs of Melbourne to avoid the major roadworks on the Eastern Freeway. This took us through some rather rural areas and kangaroos aplenty were to be seen munching on the fresh wet grass in bordering paddocks.

The attendance for our regular monthly meeting for a coffee and chat at The Naked Racer Bar on the 4^th June and again on the 2^nd July was as usual good. 18 turned up in June and 12 in July, to enjoy a hot drink and perhaps a toastie or cake in good company.

Seventeen members in two Small Fords (a 1954 100E Anglia saloon and a 1963 105E Anglia saloon), three 'alternative classics' and three 'moderns' gathered at Lillydale Lake from 10:00am and departed around 10:15am for what was to be a very interesting cruise through an area bounded by Lilydale, Woori Yallock, Macclesfield, Monbulk and Olinda, cruising up and down hills, past vineyards and farms growing several varieties of fruit; past old wooden shacks surrounded by wrecks one moment and fabulous, architect-designed, modern homesteads surrounded by lush paddocks and immaculate fencing the next. We drove close to the old Gruyere station on the former Lilydale to Warburton railway, and past the old Yellingbo Roadhouse, which seems to have deteriorated somewhat since we were there last in February 2020.

After skirting Monbulk and turning onto the C406 Monbulk/Olinda Road, we realized that we had some time to spare and pulled up alongside The Watering Hole Tavern, which was closed and appeared to be unoccupied.

There we stretched our legs for 20 minutes or so before setting out on the quite challenging climb up the hill to Olinda and our destination, the Mount Dandenong Hotel, where we had lunch. Up to now, the skies had been very cloudy but we had avoided rain and hadn't had to use our windscreen wipers until we got a third of the way up that hill. All of a sudden we had driven into very low cloud, and conditions were rather foggy, and we had to put our wipers and headlamps on!

After lunch, we returned to our cars and set off for the Hahndorf Chocolaterie in Montrose. For the first few kilometres, we were still having to drive very cautiously downhill because of the low cloud/fog, which only dispersed as we approached Montrose. We all managed to park at the Chocolaterie and enjoy a hot chocolate and sample their lovely chocolate confectionery. All good things have to come to a close, and we had certainly had a most enjoyable day in good company.

On the 25^th May, Mike Kirkpatrick (Yesterford) and Tim Mattison (Angry Anglia) held an open day at their premises in Bayswater North and laid on a very nice BBQ for members of various local Ford clubs. There was a good turn-out of mainly later-type Small Fords (Escorts, Cortinas, etc), with only two FORDCA members taking early Small Fords along.

However, it was a car that Mike is currently working on that caused a lot of interest. It was a rare 1935 Model C De Luxe sedan, painted beige with red wheels. It had been on the market for a long time. Mike had bought it earlier this year and has repainted the wheels and has had some mechanical issues to attend to and will probably have to fit a new steering column as the original has too much play in the box.

So, with a bit of luck, we shall see this very nice car back on the road and attending local events again.

Sunday, 18^th May was National Motoring Heritage Day. The Association of Motoring Clubs (AOMC) had advised that they were to hold a gathering on NMHD at The Manhattan Hotel at Ringwood.

Our Club had a drive up the Yarra Valley to Reefton, passing through Wandin, Seville, Launching Place, Wesburn, Warburton and Warburton East. What was to make it all the more interesting was that the well-known proprietors of Yesterford, (who are members of FORDCA!) had very kindly offered to open up the sheds at their home in Launching Place and provide us with morning refreshments. That visit was to add 'the icing on the cake' to what was to be a fabulous day out.

We met at Lillydale Lake from 9:30am, and departed from there at 9:45am, and arrived at Launching Place around 10:15am. There was no difficulty in locating the entrance to their drive, as there was a 300E Thames van parked on the side of Allsops Road directly opposite it, and we parked our cars round the horseshoe-shaped drive ready to drive out of the exit later.

There was a collection of Small Fords, the majority are unrestored, but kept dry and under cover. The real gem, was his very early 1933 'Shortrad' Model Y sedan, which at one time belonged to Harry Cape, the pre-war rally- and racing-driver.

After a very welcome cuppa and biscuit, we continued our drive up the Yarra Valley to the Reefton Hotel, passing through beautiful scenery, with the mountains either side of us cloaked in either mist or haze and the European trees adding various autumnal shades of yellow and brown to the evergreen of their native cousins making for an everlasting memory.

On our arrival at the Reefton Hotel, they had allocated us exclusive use of their special dining room, which had been pre-heated and was nice and cosy and warm, and just big enough for our party of 28, which had come in six Small Fords (an 1939 E93A Prefect sedan; a 1950 A493A Prefect coupe ute; a 1954 100E Anglia saloon; a 1960 107E Prefect sedan; a 1960 105E Anglia de luxe saloon and a 1963 105E Anglia de luxe saloon), three 'alternative classics (a Holden; and Ford 'Compact Fairlane' and an MGBGT) and four 'moderns'.

It was after 2pm when we called it a day and most of us returned directly home to avoid being caught out by the failing light on what had been a beautiful autumn day.

We had our best attendance so far this year for this recurring event, with 15 members attending. They came in three Small Fords (an E493A Anglia 10hp saloon; a 100E Anglia saloon and a 107E Prefect sedan) and two alternative classics (a Holden 48/215 and an Austin A40 convertible) and a number of moderns.

As usual, we enjoyed a good catch-up over a hot drink and maybe a cake or two.

The Springthorpe Car Show is a very special show open to all vehicles of all ages, so you are likely to see anything from a true veteran car to an up-to-the-minute Lotus or Lamborghini. The club had 5 members in three Small Fords. We brought with us a 105E Anglia de luxe saloon, 100E Anglia saloon and a 100E Escort.

As has become the norm, we were allocated a spot in the south-east corner of the Village Common at Macleod. We had a fairly large group of Porches parked on the opposite side of the footpath to us.

Our cars, although small in number, still attracted a lot of attention from visitors.

We had 12 members and two guests attend the Kalorama Rally in 7 Small Fords, an alternative classic and a modern. The Small Fords were a 1939 E93A Prefect sedan; a 1950 A493A Prefect coupe utility; a 1954 100E Anglia saloon; a 1960 100 Escort wagon; a 1960 107E Prefect sedan; 1960 105E Anglia de luxe saloon and a 1963 105E Anglia de luxe saloon. The alternative classic was a 1976 Volvo 760 GLE sedan.

The majority were to participate on the mystery run from The Manhattan Hotel in Ringwood to the Kalorama Oval. Departing from the hotel around 9:30am, we were to travel through the suburbs of Ringwood North and Warranwood and then on a long stretch of Bryson s Road skirting Warrandyte South to Wonga Park, thence Chirnside Park, Mooroolbark, Kilsyth, Kilsyth South to Alchester Village and The Basin, then the long, twisty, steady climb up the Dandenong Ranges to Sassafras and thence to Olinda and the Kalorama Oval, arriving there round 11am.

It was a most enjoyable run through leafy suburbs with great views of the Dandenong Ranges. The stretch from Alchester Village to Sassafras abounded with cyclists who I always seemed to catch up with at the approach to a sharp bend to the right, and hence had to be aware of unseen cars coming down the hill before overtaking them!

At Kalorama, we were directed to a position in the centre of the oval. Once parked up, we set up our picnic chairs behind our cars and commenced to enjoy the rest of the day, sampling the delicious BBQ sausages and burgers available from the local CFA s stall and entertaining our many visitors.

There was a good variety of makes and models of cars on the oval and there were again good displays by the Vintage Drivers Club, and the Austin 7, Riley and Wolseley clubs.

We had glorious weather for the event, but as it was getting rather warm and uncomfortable, we packed up and headed for home around 1:30pm.

The weekend of 22^nd/23^rd March was a busy one for the club, with events on both the Saturday and the Sunday. The club had been invited by the Rowville Men s Shed to put on a display of our cars at their annual open day on 22^nd March. In return, we could help ourselves to some free BBQ sausages and coffee or tea. If that wasn't enough, we were also given a goodie bag before we left! Amazingly, we had 13 FORDCA members and 4 guests turn up in 7 Small Fords, three alternative classics and 3 moderns. The Small Fords were a 1934 Model Y sedan; a 1950 A494A Anglia tourer; a 1953 A493A Prefect sedan; a 1954 100E Anglia saloon; a 1960 100E Escort wagon; a 1960 105E Anglia de luxe saloon and a 1963 105E Anglia de luxe saloon. The three alternative classics were a Ford Fairlane; a 1969 Mustang and a Jaguar sedan.

Soon after arriving at the Men s Shed, a large flock of yellow-tailed black cockatoos flew over us (their flight is so graceful!) and we were to admire two pairs of wedge-tailed eagles soaring high above the nearby hills. After being thanked by Men s Shed officials for our display, we started to leave for home around 2pm, having enjoyed every minute of it.

Unfortunately, when the owner of the Model Y came to leave the site, his car wouldn't start, resulting in a hoard of experts surrounding the engine bay giving various suggestions as to what could be the cause. Eventually it was established to be an electrical fault and after a jump start, they had the car up and running and made it home to Hallam without further ado.

We were looking forward to the run around Geelong, but the weather forecast for Sunday was pretty terrible so several members decided to go in their moderns. As it turned out, the forecast was correct and the weather on the way to Geelong was terrible.

Fourteen members in two small Fords, an alternative classic and four moderns met at Myers Reserve in Bell Post Hill at 10:15, and set off around 20 minutes later on a scenic tour around the outskirts of Geelong past a couple of historic bluestone bridges, past the "Dog Rocks" (granite boulders) on Dog Rocks Road, then onto the car park at the Fyansford Paper Mill. The paper mill is now an historic site and is home to craft and novelty shops and a cellar door. It was interesting to read about the history of the mill, which was built in 1878, and produced quality writing paper, wallpaper and newsprint. Well worth a look.

We then had a short drive to the Fyansford Hotel for lunch.

After lunch we headed off again for a tour of Geelong Central, weaving our way past many historic and significant buildings, then along the seafront past Eastern Beach. We continued onto Melbourne Road then turned into Mackey St for a browse through the Pivot Vintage Market.

Upon leaving the market we looped around past the Spirit of Tasmania Terminal and headed on toward Melbourne Rd, with the now deserted Ford Factory on our left. We paused for a while outside the front of the factory.

Some of our party then decided to head for home while the rest followed our hosts back to their place for a very welcome afternoon tea. After a cuppa and a bit of a natter it was time for us to push off for home.

As part of the Ford Flathead Festival, we were invited by the National Steam Centre to provide some historic cars for the Steamfest on the Labor Day Weekend. It was left entirely to the various clubs' discretion to provide cars.

Come the day, we had a very good turnout of 10 members in 6 Small Fords and two 'alternative classics'. The Small Fords were a 1934 Model Y sedan; a 1949 E493A sedan; a 1950 A494A Anglia tourer; a 1960 100E Escort wagon; a 1960 105E Anglia de luxe saloon and a 1963 105E Anglia de luxe saloon. The two alternative classics were a 1954 Ford MkI Zephyr Six sedan and a Ford Falcon 351 GTi sedan.

The event commemorated 100 years of Caterpillar and there were representatives of the marque parked all over the site, some of them active in displays and others stationary. There was a huge tractor parked next to where we sat for our picnic which frightened the wits out of us when it was started up!

We were parked next to a huge display of stationary engines, most of which were diesel powered. It was a cloudy but warm day and the temperature at lunchtime was 32°C and getting hotter. Around 2pm we'd had our fill of diesel fumes from the stationary engines and as it was getting hotter, we made for home. It had been an enjoyable day out with our cars.

We had 11 members attend this time and they brought along a 1950 E493OA/B Anglia 10hp saloon; a 1954 100E Prefect sedan; a 1960 107E Prefect sedan; a Holden FX sedan and 1976 Volvo 760 GLE sedan.

We welcomed a new member from Baxter who was making his first appearance at a club event.

It was another excellent catch-up on what was a glorious autumn day.

15 members attended the first Social Evening for this year.

As usual, a very pleasant evening was had by all present, and needless to say, the food was good too!

Two members (husband and wife) who brought with them a 1954 MkI Zephyr Six sedan and a 1954 100E Anglia saloon represented the club at this event. As has become the norm, they were parked with other British Fords in the south-western corner of the site with plenty of shade available.

There was a shower or two during the day but that did not deter folk and there was a large and interesting gathering of cars of British and European makes.

'The Bar' had recently been used by a film-making crew and exhibits, etc had been moved around a bit, so our regular, large table wasn't available. The staff made alternative arrangements for us, and we were still able to sit together in a rectangular formation and enjoy each other's company and a bit of sustenance.

On Sunday (2nd February) we attended Small Ford Sunday, hosted by the RS Owners Club Victoria, who had relocated the show to its old haunts at Bundoora Park, Bundoora. The show had last been held there in 2012. The weather forecasters had predicted it to be 38°C in Melbourne that day, however, 8 members attended, and six were to bring with them a 1954 100E Anglia saloon; a 1960 100E Escort wagon and a 1963 105E Anglia de luxe saloon. Two more members were to come in their moderns and spend some time chatting to us.

Apart from a highly-modified E4930A/B Anglia 10hp saloon and a Mk1 Zephyr 6 sedan, our 100E's were the oldest cars at the show. There were also a significant number of 105E Anglias there this year, most being modified in some way or other. The Zephyr-Zodiac Club Melbourne had a fine display next door to us, and I shouldn't have to mention that there were large displays of Escorts, Cortinas, Capris, Focuses and Fiestas. There could have been up to 400 cars on display this year.

Luckily, we had a shady spot to sit in whilst at the show.

We had the customary joint run with the Early Ford V8 Club Victoria (EFV8CV) on 26^th January and it was FORDCA's turn to host it. We planned for us to visit Healesville for a ride on the Yarra Valley Railway's 153hp Walker railcar (ex-Victorian Railways).

We gathered at Lillydale Lake for a 9am start and cruised through Mount Evelyn, Wandin and Seville to Woori Yallock, where we picked up the Koo Wee Rup – Healesville Road. We travelled on country roads with glimpses of beautiful mountain scenery and arrived at Healesville railway station in time for some of us to catch the 10am train to Tunnel Hill and back. Those who couldn't be accommodated on that train (the railcar only carries 35 passengers!) were able to go on the 11am train. The Yarra Valley Railway is rebuilding the old railway line from Healesville to Lilydale as far as Yarra Glen. There is a tunnel (one of only a handful of railway tunnels in Victoria) mid-way along the line and this is as far as trains can go for the present. The track has still to be re-laid/refurbished beyond there.

After we had all had a train ride, we rejoined our cars and made our way through Healesville town centre to the Healesville RSL for lunch. Just after 2pm, most of us drove the short distance up the Maroondah Highway to the Maroondah Reservoir Park, where we had afternoon tea. We all made our own ways home from there.

We had 30 people participate on the run, and surprisingly the majority (22) were FORDCA members. They brought with them 5 Small Fords, 5 V8s, two 'alternative classics' and a number of 'moderns', and we were able to park in the Goods Yard at Healesville Station.

This has now become established as the first car show of the New Year in Victoria and is hosted jointly by the RACV and AOMC, and held in the beautiful grounds of Cruden Farm, the late Dame Elisabeth Murdoch's home. All profits from the show this year went to the charity Redkite.

8 FORDCA members and a guest attended this show, and brought with them a 1934 Model Y sedan; a 1937 Ford V8 coupe ute; a 1954 100E Prefect sedan; a 1960 100E Escort wagon and a 1963 Ford Thunderbird. The guest brought a 1969 Ford Mustang.

All Ford vehicles (except Model T's and Model A's, which had their own separate parking areas) were parked together in a long line against a fence at the eastern end of the site.

The Austin 7 Club was celebrating its 75^th Anniversary and attempted to have 75 examples of the car at the show.

There were also large displays of Jaguars and Rolls Royces, plus lots of displays by other car clubs. It was reported that there were 500 cars there, but seemed more like 1,000 on the day!

This year the RACV provided an Austin 7 coupe utility (very appropriate!) and a Holden wagon from their heritage vehicle collection.

On the 8^th January it was a lovely Melbourne summer's day and 11 members all gathered at the Naked Racer Bar to kick off our first club event for 2025. The date had to be changed for January due to New Years Day falling on the first Wednesday of the month.

Being the summer holiday period, it was quieter than usual at The Bar. We soon seated ourselves at the large table and placed our orders for sustenance then proceeded with lively chatting amongst ourselves. There were 3 club cars present, and being quiet on the street, no one had difficulty parking.

All in all a great way to start the New Year.

At our previous coffee and chat on the 14^th December, we had 9 members at the Naked Racer Bar on what was a very nice, warm summer day, all enjoyed a good catch-up and some light refreshments. 

We were able to park in our usual spot at Jells Park, which appeared to have had the road markings repainted white since last time. Otherwise, the oak tree we sat under was a little older and we were a little wiser!

We had another good turnout. 17 members plus two guests from Brisbane, Queensland turned up in 9 small Fords, dating from 1934 to 1960, two 'alternative classics' and three 'moderns'. It was good to see two members come all the way from Lancefield to join us; it seems a long time since we had any members outside Melbourne attend this event, and we're sure they enjoyed it as much as we did. They brought with them the news of their new acquisition - a green 105E Anglia de luxe saloon that originated from South Africa via W.A. and Bendigo. From pictures, it looks very nice and we look forward to seeing it at a club event in due course!

The day was overcast and warm but windless and was ideal for our picnic. We had lots of people come and chat to us and take photographs our cars.

A member chose to bring his very tidy blue 1954 Zephyr 6 sedan, which was making its debut at a club event, and had many admirers.

We wish to thank all who participated for making it such a great day. It was a lovely way to end what has been a fantastic year for club events.

This was our penultimate event of 2024 and we had a beautiful summer day for it. 39 members and two guests attended, and brought with them 7 Small Fords, two 'alternative classics' and a plethora of 'moderns'.

A number of members gathered at Lillydale Lake that morning and travelled in convoy to Sugarloaf Reservoir via Coldstream and Yarra Glen.

The picnic area we used is in a beautiful location and was occupied by another, multi-make car club when we arrived there. Thankfully, they had just had a 'breakfast run' and were to leave soon after we arrived.

As is the normal practice at this event each year, the club provided everything except the salad and desserts, which members were asked to provide, and we all ended up having a delicious chicken salad with all the trimmings!

Despite the remoteness of our picnic site, we had a constant stream of visitors admiring our cars and asking questions about them and our hobby.

We had a great day catching up with everyone, especially our country members, who had come from Beaconsfield, Benalla and Geelong. We packed up around 3pm and made our own way home.

14 members attend the last Social Evening for this year. Many of us had recently been participants in the Rally of the Valley, so this was the main topic of discussion!

A young member from Castlemaine also attended and we were very glad to see him. He had recently begun working in Melbourne, and is hoping to attend these meetings regularly in future.

A very pleasant evening was had by all present, and the food was good too!

The November meeting at the Naked Racer Bar was held a week later than usual, due to some of the regulars returning from Shepparton on the usual date (the first Wednesday of the month). It was a very wet morning, and most participants came in their moderns, but a husband and wife team braved the weather and brought their 1936 Model CX sedan and 1956 100E Prefect sedan respectively. And yes, this was because it was a special occasion – it was their wedding anniversary! And 10 more members were there to help them celebrate.

As usual, we all enjoyed a good catch-up over a cuppa and in some cases, a delicious cake, sandwich or toastie.

The Rally of the Valley was held over the period 1^st to 5^th November inclusive and hosted by the Goulburn Valley Motor Vehicle Drivers Club (GVMVDC) and was based in Shepparton. It was the first time our club has ever participated on this rally, which is held every three years.

The GVMVDC is one of three clubs that take it in turn to hold a rally over the Melbourne Cup Weekend each year, the other two being the East Gippsland Historical Automobile Club (EGHAC) based in Bairnsdale, and the West Gippsland Historical Automobile Club (WGHAC) based in Warragul. We had no trouble in persuading 19 club members to attend the GVMVDC for a fun event in north central Victoria.

Our long weekend away was to cover five days, from the Friday to the Tuesday inclusive, with the first and fifth days to be devoted to driving to and from Shepparton. However, four couples opted to stay an extra night and came home on the Wednesday to avoid the holiday traffic returning to Melbourne on the Tuesday.

We had wonderful weather for the duration of the rally. A short thunderstorm early one morning did not affect the day's play.

The itinerary was as follows:-

Day 1 (Friday): Six members in three cars gathered at Lillydale Lake and drove up to Shepparton in convoy via the Melba Highway with a lunch stop at Yea. The rest made their own independent way to Shepparton.

That evening we went to the GVMVDC clubhouse to register, collect our 'goodie bags' and have drinks and nibbles.

Day 2 (Saturday): The first run of the rally took us northwest to Deniliquin via the C358 Barmah – Shepparton Road and the B75 Cobb Highway. We had morning refreshments at Barmah, in a park close to the Muray River, opposite the Barmah Hotel, which is the only pub in Victoria located north of the latter river!

In Deniliquin, we visited The Depot, a reasonably new museum devoted to all forms of road transport. Vehicles were mostly of American design, with only a handful of British cars on display. We had lunch at this venue, and afterwards, we returned to Shepparton.

Early that evening, all FORDCA members had dinner at the Shepparton Club.

After 7:30pm, there were special presentations at the GVMVDC clubrooms that evening, one of them about Oscar Piastri, the new Formula One star.

Day 3 (Sunday): Our run this day was via the Goulburn Valley Highway to Tocumwal, passing through Numurkah and Strathmerton. We had morning refreshments at the Tocumwal Aviation Museum before a self-guided tour of the museum, which contained four full-size aeroplanes, including a 1930s De Havilland Dragon Rapide air liner, plus a large-scale model of a B-24 Liberator bomber.

We then drove to Barooga, still in N.S.W., which seemed to be full of golfers, where we had lunch at the Barooga Sporties Club. We then drove back over the border and visited Cactus Country, near Strathmerton. By this time, it was quite hot and some of us had a struggle to walk round the huge site.

We returned to Shepparton by the Goulburn Valley Highway and had the evening free to do what we wanted. Again, all FORDCA members chose to dine together, and had dinner at the Shepparton RSL.

Day 4 (Monday): We met up at the GVMVDC clubhouse first thing before setting off on a comparatively easy day.

We visited Southern Rod & Custom on Provincial Crescent, Shepparton and the MOVE museum in Kialla, 5kms south of the city centre. The former specialized in restoring cars to an extremely high standard, at an unearthly cost (up to $500k), for very wealthy owners.

We had lunch at the MOVE museum, which has been given a huge facelift in recent times, before being allowed to roam freely through the exhibits and Barclay's Antiques and Collectibles next door.

We had the rest of the afternoon to do what we wanted before attending the rally dinner at the Peppermill Inn Hotel, which was quite close to our motel. A FORDCA member's 1964 Ford 500 'Compact' Fairlane was voted the 'Car of the rally' by participants, and a FORDCA couple won the award for the best pre-war car with their 7W 'Ten' sedan. A lot of our members won raffle prizes. It all helped to make it a very enjoyable evening and a memorable way to end the rally.

Day 5 (Tuesday): The GVMVDC laid on a fabulous farewell cooked breakfast at their clubhouse, after which most participants returned home. Of the four couples that stayed the extra day, one couple spent the entire day touring the 'Moooving Art' cows spread throughout the city and did not come on our run to Colbinabbin via lunch at the Rushworth Hotel to see the painted grain silos later that day.

We celebrated that night with a special 'pizza party' at the motel.

Day 6 (Wednesday): One couple returned home early 'solo ', the rest of us waited for a member to collect a repaired wheel/tyre before setting off for home at 9:15am via a refreshment stop at Seymour.

In the week leading up to this event we had quite a lot of rain and, as a consequence, the grassed area at the National Steam Centre was quite soggy on the day before this event. However, the oval on which the dragline stands was still firm and usable, thank goodness, and the event went ahead.

The day of the event dawned cloudy but warm and bright and was deemed to be 'just right', as evidenced by the large number of participants we had on the day. It is estimated that we had 120 'standard' cars and about 50 hot rods/customs.

There was a big turnout by The Early Ford V8 Club Victoria, and good turnouts from the Model T Ford Club, the Model A Ford Club, our guests the Zephyr – Zodiac Club Melbourne and FORDCA. FORDCA had 21 members turn up in 9 Small Fords.

A good time was had by all, looking round the wide variety of cars and catching up with members from other clubs.

We had a glorious spring day for the October 'chat' and this no doubt contributed to the fact the Bar was very busy and parking nearby was at a premium.

Thankfully, we had reserved our table and we needed it as we had a record attendance of 14 members who came in 4 Small Fords, 2 'alternative classics' and 5 moderns.

Again, we enjoyed light refreshments in good company and attempted to sort out the problems of the world.

A FORDCA member offered to hold a BBQ at his premises in Garfield North. So, we tied it in with the monthly coffee and chat meet held at nearby Garfield on Sunday, 22nd September and our host also invited some of his neighbours and some members of The Early Ford V8 Club (of which he is also a member). Combine it all with a beautiful spring day and the result was a very enjoyable day out!

We gathered at the services at Officer South on the Pakenham By-pass from 8:30am and around 9am set off in convoy for Garfield via the by-pass and the Nar Nar Goon-Drouin Road.

When we got to Garfield, we discovered that the road through the township was packed on either side with cars of all types and makes and it was a case of finding a space to park your car wherever you could. Some were able to park their cars relatively close to the centre of town, others weren't so fortunate and had to park at the Drouin end of town.

We were allowed about 90 minutes to look round all the cars and enjoy a coffee and chat with other exhibitors before our host appeared in his two-tone brown A493A Prefect sedan to collect us. He took us on a short tour of the local area which resulted in us joining the Princes Highway at Bunyip, travelling in the Melbourne direction. It enabled us to move over to the right-hand lane in plenty of time for the right-hand turn to Garfield North. Had we gone direct to that turn, there is only a very short distance between the exit from the Garfield road to the Garfield North turn-off, and it can be quite dangerous to move over to the right-hand lane in such a short distance with so much fast-moving traffic on the Highway. Going via Bunyip was a very clever move on our host's part.

We parked in a paddock close to our host's home and made our way to his garage area, where our host had arranged a display of four horse-drawn vehicles. He was to give us an interesting talk on those vehicles before inviting us to partake of the BBQ which had been cooked by his grandson. We were also provided with hot or cold drinks. After a couple of hours socialising, we all made our own way home.

FORDCA had 20 members and two guests attend this event in 6 Small Fords, 4 'alternative classics' and 2 moderns. Our host's other guests brought with them a variety of cars including a Maserati sports car.

We had 10 people attend the monthly morning coffee one who came on his classic Norton motor cycle, very appropriate, considering the venue.

Parking outside the venue was at a premium again, the problems with the grassed area on the opposite side of the road having not yet been resolved.

We all enjoyed a good catch-up over a cuppa or two and, in some cases, a delicious cake or sandwich!

It turned out to be a great day at Marong for the Federation Picnic. Despite the warnings of severe weather to come, we had one member drive all the way from Melbourne with his A494A Prefect coupe ute, which he left on the trailer as the weather looked quite menacing. Another couple from Bendigo brought their similar ute on the back of a 1966 Ford 700 truck, and a couple from Lancefield brought their beautiful 7W 'Ten' coupe. The Smith family also had 4 of their cars there as well. They were an Austin A30 saloon; an A493A Prefect sedan, a 100E Escort wagon and a 1937 Ford V8 sedan.

All the vehicles were set up around the outside of the oval. There were also about 40 veteran and vintage cars ready to commence their week-long rally around central Victoria called the 'Golden Oldies Tour'. We were allowed to leave the oval earlier than usual as the storms were approaching, but overall, it was a very good day.

There was a traditional start to the Club run with an initial meeting point at Ferntree Gully Maccas, which was unusually busy there that morning. Five minutes after the appointed time of 10:45am, we made our way through the car park traffic jam and headed off along Burwood Highway towards Belgrave and on towards the car park at the Puffing Billy Railway's trestle bridge at Selby for a photo opportunity.

After Puffing Billy had passed (amid much waving) we set off again and veered right at Selby towards Aura Vale Lake. Shortly we were stopped again at the level crossing waiting for Puffing Billy to pass (more waving and tooting!), then proceeded onwards to end up at Cardinia Reservoir.

The plan was to pass through the reservoir grounds and exit onto a back road but unfortunately the back gate was locked. You know what they say, "The best laid plans of mice and men……" So, after a bit of a detour, we picked up our planned route and arrived at the Pine Grove Hotel for lunch.

After lunch we all headed home with various members peeling off to head their own separate ways.

We thanked the Run Coordinator for organizing an enjoyable and scenic drive, which once again was well patronized with 21 members attending.

We had 17 members present at the event. The food selections were very good and allowed for all tastes. We had a minor celebration this evening as one of our members was retiring from the workforce the next day!

A most pleasant evening was had by all present, and after a good two and a half hours of socialising we all went our separate ways home.

Back in January this year, we had a very successful run with The Early Ford V8 Club Victoria to the Mornington Tourist Railway, and the railway in appreciation of our car display, asked us to bring our cars to their Rock 'n' Roll Day later in the year.

We had three members turn up their classic cars. The Early Ford V8 Club were also there and had a good attendance, so there were plenty of classic cars on display.

The Victorian Railways steam locomotive No. K163 had been fired up and was waiting for us to board its train for a very comfortable and smooth ride to Mornington and back, which was lovely on such a beautiful, sunny day.

When we returned to Moorooduc, the rock 'n' roll band on the platform had fired up and we stepped from the carriages onto the platform in the middle of rock 'n' roll dancers swinging away to the music.

All in all, it was a great day - well organised and enjoyed by all.

Our monthly 'Coffee & Chat' sessions on a Wednesday are growing steadily and seem to be getting bigger each month. August boasted 12 members around the big table.

We had a lively session and it was excellent to meet our newest members. Our cars were parked up on the street wherever they could, as the grassed area opposite the venue was still soggy and cordoned off.

FORDCA's combined Annual General Meeting and Annual Dinner was held in Wandong on Sunday, 14^th July. The AGM was held in the beautiful Public Hall in Rail Street, Wandong and the Club hired a private caterer to provide our three course lunch, which was delicious. We had a record attendance of 51 FORDCA members, which included a couple who joined us on the day. Members travelled from as far away as Castlemaine, Geelong and Strathbogie to attend.

As usual for mid-July, it was a day of frequent showers, interspersed with bright sunshine and only one FORDCA member brought a 'Small Ford' that day. With all the white utes and SUVs in the car park, it resembled the car park at a major building site!

The annual reports had been circulated to participants beforehand, so the business of the AGM, including the election of officers (no changes!) was over quickly, and there was a brief interlude before a General Meeting was held. In that interlude, a member was presented with a special Certificate of Appreciation for donating some car parts to the club. A few points were raised and discussed during the General Meeting. We were soon tucking into the self-service lunch, which was ably served by some of our lady members. After lunch, it was great to catch-up with members from far and wide.

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