40th anniversary celebrations

One hundred past and present members gathered at Zumsteins to celebrate Wimmera Four Wheel Drive Club’s 40th anniversary.

Festivities occurred in a bush setting at the Cooinda Burrong Scout Camp.

A variety of accommodation types were used – dormitory style for some, tents, swags and slide-ons, with caravans becoming increasingly popular with the older members.

Wimmera Four Wheel Drive Club is one of the oldest clubs in Victoria.

Four Wheel Drive Victoria’s Wayne Hevey, who attended with his wife Diane, was guest speaker.

Mr Hevey presented the club’s president Johnno Johnson with a plaque congratulating Wimmera Four Wheel Drive Club on reaching its 40th anniversary milestone.

Two members were presented with life memberships, with 12 receiving long-standing membership badges.

The club started from a small advertisement put in the paper by Hartley Stevens.

Mr Stevens said at the event he had no idea the club would grow so much and involve so many families. He said he was happy to see new members attending to learn about vehicle and camping equipment choices and pick up tips from older members.

The club has similar activities to when it started, including day trips to Little Desert, Grampians and Pyrenees, family days, camp oven cook-outs, training days and weekends away.

There has been an increase in extended touring trips throughout the outback, catering for groups of members with more retirement or holiday time.

Sand driving training and trips around Beachport and Robe in South Australia have remained a popular yearly calendar inclusion right from the club’s inception.

An anniversary dinner on the Saturday night was a fundraiser for the Laharum Football Netball Club and was well received.

Wimmera Four Wheel Drive Club members provided a hearty breakfast on the Sunday morning and later in the day many members and visitors enjoyed a pleasant drive through the Grampians.