‘55-‘56-‘57 Chevrolet Club’s 50th Anniversary Dinner

Hello again everyone,

Reporting live from the Renoir Ballroom, Conca D’oro.   Riverwood N.S.W.

Last Friday evening 118 of us lucky ‘55-‘56-‘57 Chevrolet Club of Australia members and friends celebrated in fine style our 50th Anniversary at this magnificent venue here in Riverwood N.S.W.

Check out our commemorative 50th anniversary cake.

As you can see in the photo (above) they are replicas of the mighty 

‘55-‘56-‘57 Chevy’s in 3 separate cakes to be devoured later in the evening once all the formalities were over. Who ever was responsible and went to all this trouble to design and create these 3 masterpieces it was well worth while, because let me tell you from the horses mouth, they were scrumptious.

First of all I would like to thank the organising committee from the Club that worked so hard to make our evening the success it was. Their choice of venue was superb.

Conca D’oro went above and beyond to make our 50th Anniversary so special. Nothing we asked for was too hard and they made us feel so relaxed about the whole process. The food, service and all the workers made our night so special.

Not too shabby for a bunch of Chevy enthusiasts, punching way above our weight

John McCoy-Lancaster was our illustrious Emcee for the evening, John is one of our long term ‘55-‘56’-‘57 club members and made sure the evening kept moving right along.

I am the new kid on the block, I have only been a club member of the ‘55-‘56’-57 Chevy Club since 2018 and was fascinated listening to the various tales that were being told by ex Club Presidents and  long term members ranging back to 1974 when we were all young, good looking and without a care in the world.

Parked outside the Conca D’oro Renoir Ballroom on Belmore Road in Riverwood we parked John Fenato’s ( present Club President) ‘55 Chevy 2 door Bel Air and yours truly’s ‘57 Chevy 2 door Bel Air to give the suburb  some real class for the evening. 

Believe you me there were plenty of onlookers and spectators taking multiple photos of our 2 Classic Chevy’s parked by the curb as they wandered down the footpath outside the Conca D’oro Renoir Ballroom. (see photo below)

How brilliant do our 2 Chevy’s look parked outside Conca D’oro for the evening.

These evening make it all worth while, belonging to a Car Club where you can meet up with people that share similar interests as yourself. The car fraternity are a wonderful bunch of people and always willing to give you a willing hand when you need that extra bit of information that you can’t get out of a catalogue.

Friday nights ‘55-‘56-‘57 Chevrolet Clubs 50th Anniversary Celebrations was a night to be cherished.

Thanks for the memories.

Stay safe, and look after each other.

Regards

Ken Warburton. ( very proud owner of a ‘57 Chevrolet 2 door Bel Air, and loving it)

“Sheila” introduced to the Wednesday Wanderers.

Hello fellow Petrol Heads,

Now that my 1931 Model A Ford slant window (all metal) 4 door Town Sedan has arrived back on terra firma here in Sydney after a 19 years hiatus in America I welcomed the old girl back to Australia with a visit to the (under construction) Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport.

“Sheila” about to visit our new Western Sydney international Airport.

Along with another 28 enthusiastic Model A Ford Club member we visited the (under construction) Airport, however before we all ventured out to the Airport we all met at the very impressive Kemp’s Creek Bowling Club for lunch (see photo below).

Happy little Vegemite’s waiting for lunch at the Kemp’s Creek Bowlo Club.

Being a retired Trolly-Dolly with 34 years service flying for Qantas International Airways out of Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport I was very keen to see how our Government is about to spend $11 Billion of our hard earn’t tax payer dollars to build the Western Sydney International Airport. 

Our new Airport will be a State-of-the-Art piece of infrastructure, planned and designed with 21st Century thinking.

The new Airport is located 44 kms or 27 miles west of the Sydney CBD. The Airport has been named after Nancy-Bird-Walton, a female aviator pioneer in Australia who trained female pilots in World War ll.

Artist’ impression of the new Airport that is due to open in 2026.

The airport will open initially in 2026 with a single runway and facilities to cater for up to 5 million International and Domestic passengers. By 2031 the Airport will feature a dual-parallel 3,700 mtrs or 2.3 mile runway, 60 mts or 200ft wide system, allowing the Airport to handle approximately 80 million passengers per annum by 2050.

It is fantastic to see that eventually our new Airport is well on the way. Various National Governments have been procrastinating for well over 35 years to bite the bullet and finally make the decision to go ahead with this wonderful initiative to eventually bring another International Airport to Sydney that will take us into the 22nd Century, not before time.

I will be looking forward to my 1st departure flight from Nancy-Bird-Walton International Airport in late 2026, I never thought that I would live long enough to see that day.

Hope that every one is well and looking forward to the future.

Cheers for now from the “Trolly-Dolly”

T - Minus 3 Months. Sylvanvale Pre-WWll Vintage Car Show. Sunday 17th Sept.

 

Hello again from the engine room of our very well oiled organising committee here in the “Shire”. 

Our team have their noses to the grindstone now with less than 3 months before we hit the bitumen in the Sutherland Shire Council Car Park in Flora Street which is only a stones throw away from Sutherland Train Station.

Now that we are entering the final straight I must remind our participants, volunteers, car clubs, sponsors, vendors to make sure that you have Sunday 17th September ‘23  all locked away in your diaries for another spectacular array of more than 100 vintage cars, food stalls and raffles, it’s always a fantastic day out.

Our Sylvanvale Pre - WWll Vintage  Car Show will once again be taking place at the Flora St Car Park, Sutherland.  Supported by Sutherland Shire Council, it is one of Sutherland Shire’s largest and most popular community events on the annual calendar.

Huge crowds, in excess of 5,000 people -  as well as the extensive media coverage that this event attracts - makes this the perfect way to showcase your Vintage Classic vehicles to an ever hungry audience.

All funds raised will make a difference to the lives of our residents moving into their brand new Specialised Disability Accommodation in IIIawong.

Finally I would like to personally thank and encourage everyone involved in our spectacular community event that include, Vintage and Classic vehicle owners, car clubs, sponsors, Sutherland Shire Council, Qantas volunteers, food stalls, Sylvanvale staff that we are all  “Striving to change peoples lives”.

Don’t ever think that you can’t make a difference in this world.

Please do not hesitate to contact me via email  warbo47@gmail.com  or call me on 0438 692 737.  24/7 if you want further information

Thank you to everyone involved.

Yours sincerely 

Ken Warburton.

N.B. Event organised and Custodian of this very special event.

Roadtrip to Collarenebri in the Clanger PART 2

 On Friday evening we decided to have dinner at the Collarenebri Hotel, now that was a blast as you can see by the photo that I took in the Public Bar with the locals enjoying their schooners after a hard days work on the land, check out the guys at the bar with their well worn Akubra Hats, not like our Prime Ministers one that he swans around in if he ever ventures west of the Dividing Ranges. 

Local Cockies enjoying a few schooners in the public bar at the refurbished Collarenebri Hotel after a hard day on the land.

Saturday morning Farmer John & myself drove our cars to a Show & Shine outside Colli Pub (see photo) to help raise much needed funds for Cancer research.

Farmer Johns 1923 20 H.P. Yellow Roller & my 1931 Model A Ford parked outside the “Colli” pub  for a Show & Shine to raise funds for Cancer research. We raised just over $1,000.00 on the Saturday morning.

Saturday afternoon I asked Farmer John if we could display our vintage cars back at the entrance to “MUNARGO” homestead because I wanted to have a photo memory of my excursion to Collarenebri.

Our vintage cars on display at the entrance to Farmer Johns homestead.  1) 1923 Yellow R/R 20 H.P. (76A7 Chassis). 2) 1929 Model A Ford Roadster (white). 3) 1931 Model A Ford 2 door Delux Tudor sedan. (Burgundy). 4) 1936 Baby Rolls 20/25 H.P.  (Gun metal grey).

Finally, Farmer John took me out to where the cockies store their cotton before it gets shipped off to the markets to be sold & shipped all over the world. 

I particularly like this photograph because it gives you an idea of how large this area is, especially with my Model A Ford parked in front of these storage fields, the cotton piles goes as far as the eye can see.

Model A Ford parked in front of the Cotton Storage facilities to show you the enormity of the cotton bales waiting to be sold & shipped out all over the world.

Statistics that you may find interesting on my road trip to Collarenebri & safe return to the “Shire” 2230 this week.

• Round trip.  1,630 kms. or 1,030 mi. 
• Petrol used in Imperial Gallons & Litres. 
• 68.16 gallons. 
• 257.37 Litres. 
• M.P.G. = 14.86. 
• Litres per 100 kms = 15.97. 
• Cost of Petrol on round trip . = $529.00. 
• Average Cost = $2.05 per Litre. 
• Average Cost = $7.76 per Gallon. 

Very expensive way to travel in my 1931 Model A Ford. Staff travel sure is looking good for this retired “Trolly Dolly”. 

• Population of Collarenebri = 650 punters. 
• The Barwon River is 700kms or 430 mi. Iong. 
• Barwon River is an Australian Aboriginal name meaning. Great, wide, awful river of muddy water. 
• One year ago the Grazier were selling their cattle for $2,500 a head, now they receive only $1,500 a head. 
• One year ago the Grazier were selling their sheep for $235 a head on farm for Iarge Ewes, now they receive only $135 a head for their Ewes. 

What I want to know is WHY are we still paying $40.00 a kilo for Lamb cutlets at the Butchers shop??? We are getting screwed big time, I suppose the authorities blame Covid Iike they do for everything else that happens in this crazy world. You don’t hear about these rip offs in the Fake News media or from the slack Politicians in Canberra, do we. 

The same story can belong to the prices we are paying for our beef. Makes me sick to the stomach how the little man in the street is always being screwed big time. It is not until you go away like I have this week to find out what is really going on here in Australia with meat prices. 

Now that I have had my bitch I should get on with publishing this blog to all my loyal followers. 

Certainly hope that you all have enjoyed reading this particular story of the “Country Squires”  trip to the Aussie bush & beyond. 

Hot news off the press, just released today. “Sheila” has arrived here in Sydney, isn’t that exciting news. My Shipper informs me that hopefully I can pick it up from the wharves at the end of next week, all going well. 

Stay tuned for another blog about the arrival of “Sheila” soon. 

Last but not least, I must remind you all of our Annual Sylvanvale Pre WWll Vintage car show to be held in Sutherland on Sunday 17th of September. You will be able to touch, smell & see “Sheila” one of the most traveled 1931 Model A Fords Town Sedans in the world in all her glory. 

Looking forward to looking back. 

Stay safe & look after each other. 

Warbo. 

Roadtrip to Collarenebri in the Clanger PART 1

Give me an apartment on wheels & I will head for the hills. I am the happiest when  I am on the road in one of my Classic vehicles on a road trip to somewhere.

I know that I have mentioned this before, however this time I really do not know where to start with my story to visit one of my Grazier friends. Farmer John & his wife Biddy Witts,  live in Collarenebri in northern N.S.W. which is only 92kms or 57mls from the Queensland state border.

Farmer John & Biddy live on a 24,000 acre crop & sheep property called “MUNARGO” Farmer John recons it is a hobby farm when you compare it to his next door neighbor's property.

Their neighbour’s property is, wait for it, 500,000 acres, yes that’s the truth. They only do things up this neck of the woods big time. 

What really blows my mind is the maintenance that would be required on the fencing, 100’s if not 1,000 of miles of fencing to look after to keep control of their cattle & sheep.

I am going to try to keep this blog to the bare minimum,  however with my story & photographs that need to accompany this adventure it will still be over the top. I think that you will need to go to my facebook page to read about my week being spoilt rotten with country hospitality, everyone looked after me like a Silkworm.

Departed Sydney at 0400am to beat the traffic out of metropolitan Sydney in my 1931 Model A Ford 2 door Delux sedan to commence the 740kms or 460mi. road journey to Collarenebri. 

My 1st rest break was approximately 2 1/2 hours into the journey beside Lake Windamere. (see photo) Earlier that morning I had prepared a picnic basket that included Salmon & onion sandwiches on 9 grain bread, I also had 2 rock cakes slathered with real butter & to wash it all down I had made myself a Thermos of Black tea with lemon & sugar.

First rest break, parked beside Lake Windamere between Gulgong & Mudgee.

Once I had refreshed myself it was time to hit the bitumen again, there wasn’t too much traffic on the road which made the driving conditions a real pleasure on the open road in my beautiful 92 year old 1931 Model A Ford.

Just after dawn is when the wild life is on the move & definitely the most dangerous time, there was an abundance of road kill (see photo) on the road as you can see with my next photograph. Unfortunately this Fox was a little too slow & never made it across the road.

For the next couple of hours I had to be on my toes to dodge Kangaroos & Wombats that wanted to share the road with me, thankfully no hiccups or near misses.

I drove the Model A Ford all day with 3 petrol stops along the way before I finally arrived into Colli around 1630pm as the sun was setting in the west. I must admit to be behind the wheel for 12 hours of a 92 year old “Clanger” really takes it out of you. I was very relieved to pull into “MUNARGO” to be greeted by my friends Farmer John & his delightful wife Biddy.

Biddy had prepared dinner for us, we enjoyed a few cool amber transfusions, told a few lies, ate dinner & off to the land of nod. Rest assured I did not need any rocking to sleep that night.

Farmer John was up to his ears with shearing his sheep when I arrived. 

We were up at 0600am the following morning drove out to the shearing sheds to meet the shearer’s & their team. I was fascinated to watch the full process of what needs to be done with the process of shearing. I watched in amazement the back breaking work that the Shearer’s do (see photo). There is no room for the weak hearted out here, they all work their butt’s off. 

O.K. the Shearer’s make big bucks, they are paid $3.50 for every sheep they shear, I was talking to one of the guys & he told me that he had shawn just over 200 sheep yesterday, do the math on that & you realise the big bucks they earn.Trust me they deserve every penny of that.

The shearing team hard at work. One of the guys that started flying with me as a Trolly Dolly 48 years ago who now lives in Sweden loved this photograph & compared it with Tom Roberts  “Shearing of the Rams” painting in 1890, 123 years ago. Not too much has changed.

Later on that afternoon Farmer John & yours truly went mustering 600 sheep in the paddocks on Farmer Johns property on his very, very fast side by side Pioneer 1,000 Honda, accompanied by his 2 sheep dogs, we were preparing the flock of sheep that would be shawn the following day into their holding pens.

These 2 unfortunate sheep in the holding pen had been singled out to be short loin lamb chops later in the afternoon.

On the way back to the homestead that evening we decided to drive down to the Barwon River to check out this “BIG” semitrailer that had 4 huge tractors strapped to its trailer (see photo). 

I parked the Model A Ford next to this enormous rig & got a chat on with the guys to find out what they were up to. They were returning from a town called Coolatai, near Moree where they competed in a “Tractor Pull”. They told me that they had won everything that they entered. All I could think of was “boys with their toys” good luck to them.

My 1931 Model A Ford parked beside the Semi that was transporting the Tractors that competed at Coolatai in the “Tractor Pull”.

They offered us a cool beer so I decided to stay around for a while, as you do in the lay back country environment of Cooli. The boys told me that they we’re overnighting beside the Barwon River to catch a few fish & down some amber transfusions. 

While we were there they caught some fish (see photo) yellow belly I believe they were called.  Not too shabby I thought, fresh fish cooked on an open fire for dinner that evening, you can’t do too much better than that can you, if so let me know!!

They would head home in the morning to Griffith & Tarmore with their toys.

My very best new friends showing off their catch of the day.

It was such a magnificent afternoon I decided to take the Model A Ford for a quick trip through the township of Colli to show it off to who ever was wandering the streets on their way to the refurbished Collarenebri Hotel, then on the way back to the homestead I stopped the car just before you drive over the Barwon River. See photo for this classic photograph.

Model A Ford parked just before crossing the Barwon River.

To be continued... PART 2 to be published in a couple of days. 

T - Minus 4 Months from today. Sylvanvale Pre - WWll Vintage Car Show.

 Just a gentle reminder to make sure that you have our Sylvanvale Pre WWll Vintage Car Show locked away in your grey matter, because time is ticking away & I would hate to think that you miss out on our spectacular Car Show this year that will be held once again in the Council Car Park in Sutherland on Sunday 17th September 2023.

Our events team are already toiling away at the coal face once again this year to make sure that this years event will be even bigger & better than last years.

We have many more entries this year, the mix of different makes and models should make for a wonderful extravaganza once again, I have just returned from the Pre 1931 Autumn Tour in Cowra & have a real spring in my step after making acquaintances with many new entrants and their Vintage Cars.

*Photo of Phillip & Ann Josephs 1929 Pierce Arrow 2 door Classic vehicle. Phillip told me that this is only 1 of 4 Pierce Arrows in Australia, very rare indeed.

If you are going to trailer your pride and joy to Sutherland this year, rest assured that there is plenty of trailer parking, so there is no need for concern about where to park your trailers. Not only that,  where we are situated in Sutherland there is also heaps of free parking for spectator vehicles at no cost. 

Public transport is near by, Sutherland Railway Station is only 500 mtrs from the Sutherland Council Car Park within easy walking distance.

*Photo of classic vintage vehicles that you can feel, touch, and smell. These vehicles are over 100 years old and still running around the streets in all their glory.

As we get closer to the event on Sunday 17th September 2023 I will forward a map of the area so that you won’t have any problems finding us on the day. For those of you that attended last years event I have changed the entry to the car park.

This year all entrants and food vendors will enter the car park via Belmont Street in Sutherland which will make it much easier for everyone concerned.

Another big plus for the Sutherland Car Park where all the vehicles will be displayed is that there is plenty of shade.

*Photo of Paul and Ursula White dressed in Period dress standing beside a spectacular wooden spoked Buick. Paul is the President of the Buick Club of N.S.W. so expect to see plenty of Buicks at our show this year.

Looking forward to catching up with every one once again this year,  we are all now like one big family. Our first Pre-WWll Vintage Car Show started off in Cronulla Mall in 2015, since then we have outgrown Cronulla and now our permanent home will be in Sutherland.

Don’t forget to spread the word to all your fellow car enthusiasts and your friends, because our Car Show is a wonderful family outing especially for the children to experience something that the younger generation have never seen before.

Our real purpose is to help raise money for those people that are less fortunate than us to reach their potential, and that is a good purpose.

Stay safe and look after each other.

Regards for now.

Ken Warburton. ( Custodian and event organiser).

Event: Sylvanvale Pre-WWll Vintage Car Show.

Date: Sunday 17th of September 2023. 
Location: Sutherland Council Car Park, Flora Street Sutherland 2232.
Time: 9.00am until 3pm.
*Food and beverage venders on site*