Formation of caravan clubs

[Don Ricardo]

Formation of the NRMA Caravan Section:

The Canberra Times, Wednesday 8 December 1937, page 5


(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2447015 )

[cobber]

In April 1953 Keith Winser was inviting readers to join the “Motor Manual Goodwill Club” and form
a branch of the club in their own area.
In the same edition of M M he was apologising
for delay in issuing badges due to the enthusiasm
of motorists to join the club.


Initially it was touted as a “motorists club” but as
the local clubs were formed it was their prerogative
to include Caravans on their runs.... I get the impression
that the Melbourne club were quick to do so, there is
mention of caravan rallies at Nagambie and Healsville
in 1956 and this one in 1955.


In the December 1955 there is further evidence that
the Motor Manual “Goodwill Clubs” were embracing
Caravans by announcing the availability of caravan
pennants for their members.


I have a feeling that I have read about a dedicated
M M “Caravan Club” but I can't find the reference
to it, can anybody tell me if …... I'm dreamin'

Finally found some evidence to support my "dream".... this
is out of the 1957 Caravan and touring manual.


Cobber.

[humpty2]

In my collection I have one of those Motor Manual Goodwill Club badges........with Yass (Merino's Head) in the centre of it. NFS

The illustration is pretty close to the actual size....
I will put a picture on if anyone wants to see it.

[minor man]

hi all I have motor manual good will club badge from the parramatta branch was my dad's
brian

[cobber]

I recently joined the new “NRMA Classic Car Club” which
offers amongst other benefits access to the NRMA Library.

Prompted by that item you started this thread with
Don R. I contacted them to see if they had any further
info on the “Caravan Section”.

They tell me it was first mentioned in the “Open Road”
magazine of 2nd December 1937..... so that's where the “Canberra Times” article came from..

The next mention was in the “Open Road” 27th January
1938 that states they have set up a section for caravans & Trailers at an extra cost of 10/6.

It would appear that it was only a caravan section to
provide road service for members with “the caravan habit”
..... so not really a “Caravan Club”.



I think the RACV might have been one of the first to
have a fair dinkum “Caravan Club” so maybe we can
follow up on that.

29th July..I have contacted the RACV, waiting for them
to gather information.


Cobber.

[Franklin1]

The National Library of Australia archives shed a little bit of light on early Caravan Clubs...


Great Britain: Way back in May 1921, the Melbourne Argus ran a story about the formation of a Motor Caravan Club in Great Britain. At the end of World War I, car travel was extremely limited due to the demands and consequences of the War. It took until 1920/1921 for people to be able to start venturing back out again. "In Great Britain particularly, there has been an interesting development in motor touring, popularly known as 'caravanning', with specially equipped cars, some outfits, in fact, comprising a trailer. The interest taken in motor caravanning has, according to the [journal] Autocar, crystallised into the formation of a Motor Caravan Club, upon lines that will appeal to lovers of outdoor life."


Victoria: In November 1938, there is an article about the R.A.C.V. Caravan Club, but I can't get access to the article at the moment to read the detail.


Queensland: In January 1940, the Canberra Times reported this new clip...

"CONFERENCE.
Miss E. Yule has returned from Queensland, where she attended a Leaders' Study Course and Girls' Conference, at which Y.W.C.A. members from all over Australia were present. Delegates came from as far north as Townsville and as far west as Perth. There were also members from the caravan clubs in the Lockyer district, Queensland."


Canberra: The Canberra Times reports that on Wednesday May 28, 1952, a meeting was held at Matt Stewart's Workshop, 41 Torrens St., Braddon, to form a Caravan Club.
[this club subsequently became known as the A.C.T. Caravan Club, but in 1954 it apparently changed its name to become the Canberra Caravan Club.]


South Australia: somewhere in my collection of books and magazines about caravans I have a booklet written on the history of the South Australian Caravan Club. From memory, the booklet was written in 1975 on the 25th anniversary of the club, which would make it a 1950 start-up. I'll try and dig the booklet out and see if my memory is still any good.


No info available as yet about other States.

cheers,
Al.

[cobber]

G'day Al,
That item of your's above regarding Great Britain is about a "Motor Caravan Club"... “The Caravan Club” in Great Britain was formed in 1907 and celebrated their centenary in 2007.... can you believe that

Have a look at their site here.

Their web site is worth browsing through, they are a club proud of their history.

And while we are in the British Caravan Club scene... The ultimate “Vintage Caravan Club” footage to be seen, I think, is HERE .... Looking at some of those 'vans you can see where the inspiration for some of our early caravans came from.

Cobber.

[firefighter]

onya Cobber

Thanks for the tour of the early caravan & rallies club ...side show
love the" GOOD OLD "days

The English people in the " GOOD OLD "days did not seem to have awnings or annex,s ........lots of lantern roof vans there for you to get excited about

May 55 ........do you think Charle still plays with his "Fully working miniature caravan " or has he got other things to play with now days

f/f ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[cobber]

This article from the 1951 / 52 Caravan & Touring manual indicates that the C.T.I.A was formed about 1948.

The second one mentions a couple of clubs in addition to those mentioned above.


Cobber.

[Don Ricardo]

Hi all,

A week or so ago I bought a copy of a history of the RACV at one of the second had book stalls at our local Saturday market. The book includes a couple of pages about caravanning and the establishment of the RACV Caravan Club in April 1937:






(Source: Susan Priestley, The Crown of the Road: The story of the RACV, Macmillan, 1983, pp 95-98)

The pages I have scanned are very readable, but the thing that will make anyone from Melbourne smile broadly is the fact that early Caravan Club rallies were held at Deepdene and Eltham. Deepdene is only about 9 kms from the heart of the Melbourne CBD, and even in the 50's must have been adjacent to suburbia (Kew is next door).

Reading through the descriptions of the rallies, they sound very like a lot of our V V get togethers, which when you think about it is what we are trying to capture. We must be getting something right then!

Bobt has recently posted some wonderful photos from the early RACV rallies, including the first rally at Barwon Heads mentioned in the article above. These photos are here.

Don Ricardo

[bobt]

Hi Don

The RACV Caravan Club held Rallies were held at Broadmeadows too..

And believe it or not. But last year one group went to Wantirna

I have been a member of the RACV CC for over 25 years. Recently the club published a book on its 70 year history. I have been fortunate enough to have been supplied some of the photos collected by the person that gathered all of it together and produced the clubs history.

Here are a couple of articles that were published in "The Radiator" in 1937.







This year marks the 55th year of the clubs occupancy of their camp at Blairgowrie. The one next door to where this forum went to in February.

bobt

[cobber]

From the "Combined Caravan Clubs of Qld" web site

"The first caravan club in Queensland was
formed in 1949 when Frank Chesney, a caravan
manufacturer, started the Queensland Caravan
Club. Frank later formed The Chesney Club, which
went on to become the Carousel Caravan Club".

I was talking to a lady in the caravan park at Warwick
in 2009, she had many recollections including that
of the first rally held by the QCC at Burpengary, she
said that was Christmas 1948.
The club was formed by a group of friends including
the Bowley family, the Wright family, the Tait family,
the Jessup family and ...... the Chesney family.
She was one of the kids in the Bowley family and had
some great memories of the way they use to entertain
themselves on their rallies. Her father made their first
caravan and also made the first QCC pennant out of
metal which had folded edges..... she said.

Cobber.

[cobber]

From the National Library of Australia Catalogue A book indicating
the first Caravan club in South Australia was formed in
1937.... same time as the Victorian one.


Golden jubilee 1937-1987 : an historical record of the
formation and growth of the first caravan club in South
Australia / by Mavis Rix
Book Bib ID 1735258
Format Book, Online - Google Books
Author Rix, Mavis


Description [Salisbury, S. Aust.] : Caravan Club of S.A., 1987.
ii, 86 p. : ill., ports. ; 21 x 30 cm.

ISBN 0731605128 :

Notes Available from Mrs Mavis Rix, 11 Adams Road, Elizabeth Park, S.A. 5113.

Subjects Caravan Club of South Australia - History. | Travel trailers - South Australia - Societies, etc. - History.

Other authors/contributors Caravan Club of South Australia



Cobber.

[sportsman 1]

Hi all,

anyone know when the Herald Touring Club was formed? I believe it was a caravan group connected to the Herald and Weekly Times newspaper organisation.

Also when were the various badges produced. I have a couple of different ones and were there color variations on these as well?

Cheers, Leigh.

[cobber]

As Julia would say..... "That is a good question Leigh"

I hadn't heard of the Herald Touring Club before so with
the help of the Trove search
engine (which is getting betterer and betterer all
the time) I've come up with this item from the Brisbane
Courier of December 1930 (you have to read to the last
line to see that the Herald Touring Club was involved)
Can't find any mention of caravans though at this
point ..1930, maybe they got included a bit further down
the track.
Spill the beans Leigh... what do you know



Still working on the badges question

Just discovered one of their badges sold on eBay recently.... $40.


Cobber.

[sportsman 1]

That is in fact the badge that I bought to go on Hilda.

It has a couple of differences to others I have seen and have had some correspondence with the seller. This is one reason for my questions above.

The Sportsman has a much earlier badge of a different design. I will see if I can arrange a picture or two of it.

Leigh.

[DC3Td]

Hi Cobber. Interesting that there`s mention of a D Schultz & an R Schultz in Reply 1, Pic 3 - Results of Petrol Economy. Wonder how much 'our' Schultz` get in their not so green big army machine? cheers gordon

[Franklin1]

Other than knowing this badge is 25mm diameter, I have no other information about its origins, history, age, etc...

[cobber]

Trove has at last published information about the South Australian Caravan Clubs formation.
You will notice a C. Cornell was vice-President and a Mr. Ross Furness and Mr & Mrs Willshire were on that first Committee

This from the Adelaide Advertiser Tuesday 2nd. November 1937.


From the Adelaide Advertiser Tuesday 30th. November 1937


Followed by this From the "Adelaide Advertiser" Monday 6th. December 1937.


So...... S A mustered more caravans than the RACV rally a few weeks earlier

Cobber.

[peterd]

The A.C.T. Caravan Club did not survive. I know not when it folded.

The CCC was commenced in 1972. The following was copied from www.canberracaravanclub.org.au/visitors/history/full_history.html

• CHRONOLOGICAL EVENTS
  Mar 1972 An advertisement was placed in the Canberra Times, by Jack and
  Pam Pemberton, seeking interest in forming a Caravan Club.
  
  17 Apr 1972 A first get together and discussions take place as a result of
  responses to the advertisement.
  
  01 May 1972 The inaugural meeting of the Canberra Caravan Club was held
  with nine members present.
  
  These members set down the foundation for the club's future
  including deciding on a name and to become incorporated, and met
  every fortnight until July.
  
  The first Annual General Meeting occurred on 9 April 1973, with
  some 35 members and $1000 in the bank account.
  
  
• 
  
  

PeterD (CCC 140.)

Jul 28, 2009 22:33:13 GMT 10 Franklin1 said:

Canberra: The Canberra Times reports that on Wednesday May 28, 1952, a meeting was held at Matt Stewart's Workshop, 41 Torrens St., Braddon, to form a Caravan Club.
[this club subsequently became known as the A.C.T. Caravan Club, but in 1954 it apparently changed its name to become the Canberra Caravan Club.]

[kustombruce]

Peterd
Is there a list of CCC member from the old days? my parents joined in about 72 or 73 when I was about 6. It would be good to find out what # they were.

I remember all the vans had the CCC emblem and members names and membership # on signs which were placed in the window.

We are still good friends with the Davies and I fondly remember going to the national rallies in Dubbo NSW and sheperton VIC.
Friendships which are still strong after 40 years.

I know the oldes still catch up now and again.

Bruce Perry

[Geoff & Jude]

hi

my sister and brother-in-law have been members of the CCC since 1975 and he is currently the president and has been on 6 occasions. They are both life members.

the full history of the club can be seen here.

there is also a full list of all members including life members here.

the website is www.canberracaravanclub.org.au

geoff 'n jude

[kustombruce]

excellent info, so Mum and dad were #44, I will have to spend some time on the CCC web site

Thanks
Bruce

[Don Ricardo]

Caravan Club of Australia member's plate listed on Ebay, May 2015:



The seller described the item as follows: "I have here an early Aust caravan club plate member number 584, this club was started over 60 years ago 35cm long stainless steel might be of interest to enthusiast"

Sixty plus years ago would mean the Club was formed in 1955 or earlier - definitely vintage era.

According to the Club's website, it is the second oldest caravan club in Australia. There were a number of caravanning clubs formed in the 1930's and referred to on this thread, so perhaps the Caravan Club of Australia can trace its existence back to one of those earlier organisations?

Can anyone tell us anything more about the Club and its history?

Don Ricardo