The Beginning 1974 to
...
The Dandenong Valley Historic Car Club was formed in February 1974 by Allan Tregea, Steve
Duckett, Denis King, Dennis Renolds, Laurie Plowright, Dennis Jones, Martin Utber, Lindsay
Tharle and John Cochrane who believed there was a need for a Historic Car Club in the
Dandenong Valley Region. The first meeting was at the home of Allan Tregea on February lst
1974.The second meeting in March was called by a single page Newsletter.
Vic Archer, Winton Platt and Ernie Hopgood attended also, and these twelve people are
considered the founder members. At this meeting each member contributed $1.00 and proposed
a motion for a membership drive. The name of the Club was agreed to, and a competition
held to design a Club Badge. This was subsequently won by Gwen Tregea at the August
meeting. It is Gwen's winning design (based on their 1929 Essex Sedan) that remains
today as the Club emblem.
Meeting Places
The Club has always met on the first Friday of every month including January at 8.00pm.
The Club presently meets at the Dandenong Agricultural Society Club Rooms at the Dandenong
Showgrounds in Bennett Street Dandenong.
As well as the home of Allan Tregea in Dingley,
the Club has also met in The Anglican Church, on the corner of Centre Dandenong Road and
Old Dandenong Roads Dingley, The Rachabites Hall Cnr Walker and Robinson Streets Dandenong
(opposite the old Dandenong Fire Station),
The Harlequin Soccer Clubs Clubrooms in Glassocks Road, Bangholme which became
home for the club, as for some time, we had sole use of this property. Working bees
cleaned and prepared the rooms for meeting while outside the grounds were tidied and a
gravel driveway installed. It was here that the Dandenong Valley Historic Car Club
held its first swap meeting. When the property came up for sale we looked at the
possibility of buying it for ourselves, but we did not have the resources and it was sold.
We continued to rent the Clubrooms from the new owners. We went back to the Rachabites
Hall in Dandenong prior to its demolition for a short time while the owners lived in the
clubrooms and built a new house on the property. However it was time to find a new meeting
place and Lindsay Tharle organised the Dandenong Agricultural Society Club Rooms at the
Dandenong Showgrounds where we presently meet.
The Postal Address is D.V.H.C.C.Inc. P.O.
Box 107 DOVETON VIC 3177
The Newsletter
The first Newsletter Volume 1 Number 1 came out in August 1974 with Steve Duckett as
Editor. The first Cover Design appeared in November 1974 and lasted until October 1975.
Since that time we have had an Annual Newsletter Cover Competition resulting in a
different cover each year.
The first Newsletter was printed on a hand Gestetner followed by an electric Gestetner
and now we use a Computer and an HP Deskjet 880C printer to produce the masters which are
then photocopied and collated at Chisholm Institute of TAFE - Dandenong Campus.
The Club Permit Scheme
Sometimes refered to as Limited Registration, Red Plates or Club Registration
In 1978 the D.V.H.C.C. sought and gained permission from VICRoads to grant "Vehicle
Permits" under the auspices of the Club Permit Scheme.
To learn more about the Club Permit Scheme click here
Incorporation
In 1984 the D.V.H.C.C. carried out all the necessary work to become Incorporated under the
Associations Incorporation Act.
This meant a radical modification to the
Clubs constitution that had served us well. A solicitor, John Mullany from Emerald,
did most of the work to change our constitution to fit the model rules for an association
without changing the meaning or intent of the original. The Club was from now on to be
known as the Dandenong Valley Historic Car Club Inc.
The D.V.H.C.C. Inc. is afficliated with the Federation of Veteran, Vintage and Classic
Vehicle Clubs Inc.
Club Trophies
The Presidents Award, The Clubperson of the Year, The Car of the Year and the
Special Road Event (formerly called the "Stirrer of the Year" then the
"Contributors Award") were all made during the first year of the Club from parts
donated by the early members. The Touring Trophy was introduced later in an attempt to
encourage members to bring their Club Cars along to all events including meetings. The
Awards are presented each year at the Annual Presentation Dinner Dance where a theme or
fancy dress gets the members out and dressed up for the occasion.
Milestones
Our long established and very highly thought of "Swap Meet" is held at Akoonah
Park Berwick on the lst Saturday in February each year. Annual events such the Children's
Christmas Party, the Presentation Dinner Dance and the weekend away on the long weekend in
March, along with our regular monthly club run, generally on the lst Sunday of each month,
make for a very social club calendar.
Club Membership
Membership is open to anyone owning or interested in vehicles manufactured prior to
December 1942.
Life Members
Steve Duckett, Lindsay Tharle, Martin Utber, Kevin Clarence, Geoff Tangey, Les Lucas and
Don Jones.
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