Monarchs celebrates 50 years

The Monarchs M.C.C. is celebrating its 50th anniversary at a Gala Dinner and Club Run/Long lunch on the evening of Saturday 20th June and on the afternoon of Sunday 21st June 2015. All past members are invited to attend both events. Feature of the anniversary dinner will be guest speaker Lindsay Urquhart; the Sunday long lunch will be at the Hickinbotham winery at Moorooduc. The Monarchs was established in the Seaford/Carrum area of Melbourne’s south eastern bayside. The founding members were predominantly young road riders and there was a strong sporting bias. By 1967 the club had Auto Cycle Union affiliation and three members, Ken Robinson, John Peel and Dave Robertson made their road racing debut in the later part of this year, Dave Sinclair followed in 1968. Of these, Ken went on to achieve A grade status and Dave Sinclair became a very successful B grade rider and one of the longest serving road racers the club has had. John Peel made a swift rise to B grade, but in 1969 he was drafted for National Service, thus cutting off a promising career. In total, about 40 members competed in open road race events over the years, the last hurrahs were in the early 1990s when the club withdrew from Motorcycling Australia affiliation. The club has from its beginning, been a strong touring and rally going club. attending rallies in all parts of Australia. In 1981 the club established the Dargo High Plains rally which has been run every year since then. In 1990 the Domino rally, (for machinery of Communist country origin), was established and has recently been revived. After taking on many members of the Sidecar Club of Victoria, which had closed down in 2007, the Monarchs took over the running of the Sidecar rally. The club was quick to become a provider of the Victorian Club Permit Scheme to its members. In recent years the scheme has proved a strong attraction to new members and now membership is about the 200 mark, in some way, as a result of the club’s good management of this scheme. For details of the 50th anniversary dinner and club run, refer to the website www.monarchs.net.au or contact the president Chris Mogford on (03)95478201 or via e-mail to mail@mogford.com