Broken Hill Veteran and Vintage Car Club (BHVVCC) is this week’s Club of the Week, and we caught up with club President, Gavin ‘Bones’ Farquhar, to find out how the club has survived the test of time in the Silver City.
Founded in 1971, BHVVCC members still cruise to 1950s Bells Milk Bar on the first Sunday of each month when they’re not hitting one of the highways out of town headed for Mt Gipps, Silverton, or out to the old Pumping Station for a barbeque.
And when the old cars aren’t out on the road, you’ll find BHVVCC members gathered at their clubhouse at 246 Blende St next to the fire station where it’s been for the past 35 years.
“I’ve been with the club for 26 years and been on the committee for 24 years, and I’ve been the club’s president for 15 years,” Bones told the Barrier Truth. “And I’ve been told that I can’t give up being president unless I die or leave town,” he laughed.
“It’s a great group. The cars may have to be over 30 years of age to qualify to be in the club, but members can be any age,” said Bones.
“There’s always something going on. We had our biennial Easter Rally and Show & Shine on last year at the showground, which seems to be growing every year. We now have about 130 members, both men and ladies ranging from 25 to 85 years of age, and there are now 150 cars in the club.
“We’ve helped with various community events over the years, where the vehicles are displayed to help raise money for good causes like Camp Quality and Ronald McDonald Days,” says Bones.
“In 1997 we held the Australia National Vintage Rally in Broken Hill, which contributed to about 396 cars coming to town from all over the country for the weekend,” he said.
“Some of our members have got together to do runs up to the Northern Territory and down to Tasmania, with plenty of members bringing home trophies from various rallies and other events out of town.
“Club cars have been used in music clips, in films, and some have even been displayed in museums,” says Bones. “We’re always looking to help local organisations so people can reach out to us if they’d like a few members to bring their cars along to an event.”
“It doesn’t matter what club people join, it’s just good to join a group of like-minded people where you can share experiences, focus on what you have in common, and have a few laughs,” he said.
If you’d like to join BHVVCC, give Bones a call on 0407 188 123 and check out their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/bhvvcc
