50th Anniversary Celebration Dinner

2011 was a golden year for the TC Owners Club when it celebrated the 50th anniversary of its first meeting which took place on the 1st June 1961

To mark the occasion the club began with an informal meeting hosted by the Clubs President at his home on the night of Wednesday 1st June 2011 exactly fifty years to the day.

The number who attended was exceptional and included many members and their partners from the very early years of the club with several dating back to 1st June 1961.

It was a nostalgic affair with many tales both tall and true being spun well into the night.

The Clubs 50th anniversary celebration dinner followed a few nights later at the Royal Perth Yacht Club located on the banks of the Swan River to the west of the city of Perth with spectacular night time views of the city skyline.

On the lawn in front of the yacht club was a wonderful display of Club cars.

112 members partners and several visitors attended and it was a wonderful evening.

Speeches were written to fit the occasion, there was an excellent buffet with fine beverages, flowers for the ladies, cream and brown decorations for the tragics, presentations that were loudly acclaimed and plenty of good humour.

The anniversary dinner was also the occasion of the launch of the clubs book titled “The First Thousand Meetings of the TC Owners Club A Forty Year History”

The book had been some years in the making but it was presented as a beautiful hard cover publication containing 287 closely written pages of history, photos and ripping yarns sourced from many members both past and present.

The book is an absolute credit to the small band of members who gave so much of their time and energy to bring it to fruition and present it to members on such an occasion as the 50th anniversary dinner.

The Club President addressing the dinner gathering

Meeting Number ONE 1961

From the left Bob McQueen, Mike Sherrell, Joan Pateman and Colin Dines

Colin Dines - giving his introduction

Club President congratulates members who were responsible for publication of the book.

Life Memberships for Colin Bonney, Kevin McMahon, Wally Bennett and Richard Prior

Honorary Life Membership for Joyce Bowles

Honorary Life Membership for Barb Prior

50th Anniversary Rally

Later in the year in October the Club hosted a three day T Type Rally open to all T and Y types and pre war cars and ably organised and directed by the Club President and a small band of willing helpers.

A tour of the lovely Ferguson Valley followed on the Sunday and the rally wound up with a farewell breakfast next morning.

For those prepared for more it was then on to Busselton a popular tourist destination located on the shores of Geographe Bay and on the doorstep of the world renowned Margaret River wine region.

And for those still full of the spirit of MG motoring the annual Safety Fast run organised by the combined MGCC, the TCOC and the MG Owners Club took place a few days later.

The TC Owners Club is now in its 51st year and recently welcomed back several members from the early 1960’s who have once again purchased TCs three of which have come from the USA and one from the east coast of Australia.

The Club’s membership has never been stronger and the cars never better.

But there is still more to be done.

The fun began in Fremantle on the evening of 13th October with a welcoming function for all those taking part and the presentation of rally packs.

The following day the rally moved to the central south west town of Collie where Club activities included a show and shine in the towns main street and a visit to the local racing circuit where the old hands blew away a few cobwebs and the new chums had flashes of the red mist for the first time.

Those present included visitors from the eastern states of Australia, one couple from the USA and the Douglas’s who are well known to all TC enthusiasts for the amazing journeys they have undertaken in their TC ‘The Wanderer’ all around the world.

50th Anniversary Concours -

Matilda Bay 20th February 2011

The annual concours has now been run and won and congratulations to all the class winners and to those members who also turned out to support this Club event.

Forty seven members were present and they brought along 38 club cars. Perhaps the best concours ever. A later model plastic was also seen parked under the trees.

Members cars included 27 TC - 3 TD - 5 TF - 2 Y and an SA Sedan. A visitor arrived in another TC making 28 in total.

Three members from the Clubs early days were also seen in the crowd which wandered through and which may have been drawn by the publicity given to the event by the Clubs friendly scribe from the West Australian newspaper.

The weather gods were a little indifferent at times but at least it did not rain.

See the cars in all their glory