Photos: Supplied.
The early humans who developed the wheel probably had no idea of the pleasure they’d bequeath to later aficionados of historic vehicles – trains, planes, trucks, boats, cars and buses, all forms of transport that come under the loving wings of the Queensland Historic Motoring Council (QHMC). The QHMC will soon celebrate National Motoring Heritage Day, supported by the Bayside Vehicle Restorers Club, with combined displays of historic cars and bikes and scale models that would make a collector’s knees go weak.
President of the QHMC, Carle Gregory, says that people are usually attracted to historic cars and bikes because of the nostalgia factor.
“They’re reminded of things they saw when they were children or teenagers, and there’s curiosity about how things were back in the ‘olden days’. The old vehicles are works of art; they had real style compared to new cars and you could easily identify the different makes,” he says.
“Another attraction with pre-computerised cars is that you could work on them yourself; if something went wrong you could look at it, identify the problem and probably do something about it.”
There will be a wide range of cars and bikes in the display, which will hopefully include a 1976 Ford Falcon police car, a replica early MG and a three-way hearse*. When asked, Carle admitted that he couldn’t say what his favourite make and model car is, “I love them all!”
A special entrant will be the ‘Gooney Bird’ Dakota DC3, one of the WW2 ‘Biscuit Bombers’ that among many other tasks, dropped food supplies to troops engaged in war zones.
Proceeds of the day will go to the Robert Shannon Foundation and Farm Angels. The Foundation encourages people under the age of 30 to become involved in the restoration and preservation of historic vehicles, by assisting with costs and education fees; Farm Angels supports primary producers impacted by all natural disasters. The Cancer Council will run food stalls in the hall.
Originally founded in 1968, QHMC represents over 100 member clubs, with a total of 13,000 club members and 21,000 historic (more than 30 years old) vehicles. That’s a lot of enthusiasm and love. Those early wheel developers didn’t know what they’d started…
*A three-way hearse can unload a coffin from either side or from the rear. The trip is still one way.
The QHMC National Motoring Heritage Day will be held on May 17, 2025 at Ormiston State School from 7:00am. Entry is cash only; $10 per vehicle, $5 for motorcycles and $2 for the general public. All classic and historic vehicles are welcome.
