Speeches
Saturday, 10 August 2024
Sporting Car Club of South Australia 90th Anniversary Dinner
Rod and I are delighted, as joint Patrons, to celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the Sporting Car Club of South Australia.
It’s particularly gratifying to have an association with the Club in a state with such deep historical connections with the car industry.
Tonight, we are marking 90 years of lovers of cars coming together in pride, friendship, and a celebration of heritage - whether that’s a car from the 1800s or one just off the showroom floor.
A veteran, vintage or classic car demands admiration and attention; as do modern sports cars with sleek lines and countless bells and whistles up to and including autonomous driving.
But there’s something to be said about a vintage car with brass, a box shape, and no roof.
It recalls a different world, a simpler world, when a drive in the car was also a grand family event.
I know that when you have meets, the cars both vintage and modern, are a magnet for people to admire, or to remember, or for younger children to be curious about what sporting cars used to look like.
I won’t outline the history of the Sporting Car Club, because Chris Frith has a much intimate knowledge of the club than either Rod or myself.
However, I can’t let such a milestone go past without acknowledging, with some pride, that the club was founded in 1934, making it the second oldest continuously functioning car club in the world.
Rod and I were delighted to be amongst you at the Collingrove Hill climb last year and the year before.
When I looked back the other day at the photos of us riding in a couple of vintage cars - me in a blue car, Rod in a red one - I was reminded of the joy of the wind in our hair and the sense of excitement, not to mention the hill climb.
The care and presentation of the cars by their owners and our drivers that day was very much in evidence, as were Rod’s and my wide grins.
As some of you know, my late father Ian Adamson was a member of the Club, and Keith Williamson kindly gave me a copy of the minutes of 1st February 1955 when my father was accepted as a new member.
I also have a black and white photo of him taken in the 1950s wearing a helmet and competing at the Collingrove Hill Climb in his Singer with the number 52 blazoned on the side. He loved the racing and the camaraderie.
And the club has a connection with Government House beyond Rod’s and my patronage.
As you know, the Lieutenant Governor, Dr Richard Harris, is an active member of your club and loves his cars and enjoys immensely racing his Ford Escort and his Mini Cooper.
Friends
Your role in promoting and holding motorsport competitions and events, alongside historical collections, and the sheer delight of enjoying your cars together and with other people, gives happiness to many.
Thank you to everyone whose passion and efforts are at the heart of the club. You are its lifeblood.
As you look to the future, I congratulate you for wanting to ensure the club remains relevant given the impacts of climate change and encouraging more diversity in membership.
It’s been a wonderful 90 years, I wish the Club well for the next 90 years and beyond.
Happy Birthday!