President’s Report - April 2026
Greetings everyone,
Can you believe a quarter of the year has passed already – I guess we must be having fun because time certainly is flying.
I start with an acknowledgment of the passing or Federal HLM Rory Poland, a celebration of Rory’s life was held on Saturday 14 March and Vic Branch was well represented. On a personal note, Rory made me feel very welcome as a new owner of a prewar car – he had a way of engaging with people that was warm and inclusive. A true loss for the Australian Rolls-Royce community and our thoughts are with his family at this time.
You will see from this newsletter that March has been a very full month for the club. We have enjoyed:
A fabulous technical session in the expert hands of Noel and Angelo Baker on preparing your vehicle for a rally or recommissioning after a period of rest. Thank you both.
Our ladies and partners night saw as well entertained by one of our own members Ken Russell with a fabulous insight into his life as a magician, what talent we have in our midst. Our appreciation to Ken and his family for a very magical night.
We attended the 68th Kalorama rally with a good representation of marque cars including many pre-war and immediate post-war examples. There was also a good representation from the WO Bentley stable.
You may also be aware that some federal register events have been postponed due to the current fuel situation. This decision has not been taken lightly and although disappointing the risk of no supply in regional areas is quite real and we don’t want to see people stranded. It is also a matter of optics as the perception from many locals seeing 20+ marque vehicles at a local fuel station each filling up with 100 litres of fuel that could have been available for the community would not necessarily be positive. We all just hope that the situation on all fronts improves.
April also has a great store of activities, please note that our technical session and club general meeting have been moved back a week so as not to coincide with Easter – wouldn’t want any of you missing out on deliveries from said bunny or hot angry buns.
On that note our Club Meeting featuring things on two wheels (also known as motorcycles) there and many motorcycle enthusiasts within our club and like cars there are classic as well as modern examples. April will see a few of these on display along with some interesting tales.
Our April club event is really something special, our illustrious Treasurer, Tony Wood has organised a visit to Blue Demon Aviation in Moorabbin complete with a BBQ lunch (similar to that of our tech sessions). More information within this newsletter and numbers are strictly limited so I would encourage you to book early.
So, what can I say Planes, Bikes and Automobiles – our club, delivering something for everyone.
Keith Mortimer
