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Convoy for Gundagai Museum

The Australian Road Transport Heritage Centre (ARTHC) held a successful fundraising weekend in June and now plans to purchase land for its proposed museum.

 

Seventy-five trucks took part in the annual Sylvia’s Gap Convoy during the Australian Road Transport Heritage Centre (ARTHC) fundraising weekend on June 8 and 9, 2019.

The oldest trucks in the convoy dated back to the 1940s. New trucks were welcome too. Chris Potbury drove his 2018 Kenworth Legend 900 which he uses to cart cars.

A bus, classic cars, military vehicles, emergency vehicles and motorbikes also joined the convoy. The vehicles travelled from Gundagai to Sylvia’s Gap Road which was a notorious section of the Hume Highway until 1983.

At the very start of the convoy a driver, Lindsay McKenzie, suffered a medical incident and lost control of his 1979 W Model Kenworth, colliding with a tree. McKenzie recovered in hospital and is now back at his Kilmore home.

One of the most impressive rigs in Gundagai for the event was Allan Prowse’s 1966 Seattle Kenworth K123 and 1980 RP refrigerated van which have been restored in Eastoe’s livery. Unfortunately a mechanical fault prevented Prowse from driving his truck in the convoy. The K123 attracted attention in Gundagai’s main street, where it broke down. And the trailer was towed to the Show and Shine which took place at the Gundagai Showgrounds after the convoy.

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The ARTHC event included a fundraising dinner where Ian Pendered, Bryan Webb and Barry Grimson amused diners with memories from their trucking years.

ARTHC Secretary Daryl Weston says $20,000 was collected over the weekend. Costs are still being tallied. After several years of fundraising the ARTHC now has enough money to buy land in Gundagai. Several sites are being considered. More money will be needed to build the proposed new truck museum.

Meanwhile the ARTHC operates a museum from a temporary location in Jack Moses Avenue, Gundagai.

Sylvia’s Gap Convoy is held each Queen’s Birthday long weekend. The 2020 event will celebrate logging transport.

Visit www.arthc.com.au or the @ARTHC.Gundagai Facebook page for more information.

See the full pictorial report in the July 2019 edition of Owner//Driver.

Photography: Tamara Whitsed

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