Reports and photographs of the 75th Diamond Anniversary Commemorative Event Queensland, Australia 2022.

75 Enjoy the Drive – and we sure did!

by Lynne Brompton

75 Enjoy the Drive was the logo for the Australian Y-Type Register’s anniversary rally, an exciting and very successful celebration in Gympie from 6th to 10th June. So what and where on earth is Gympie?

It is a country town, a farming centre with mining history about 2 hours NW of Brisbane, Queensland. It is a tough survivor of recent devastating floods. Cars travelled from Victoria, New South Wales, Canberra and more distant regional Queensland to join local members for the celebration. We were very pleased that International Y-Type Webmaster Paul Barrow and his wife Sara were also able to join us from the US. 22 Y-Types participated in all. The beautifully restored Gympie railway station was our location for meeting, photo shoot, steam train encounter, breakfast on the platform, and formal dinner (inside this time, with temps of less than 10 degrees C).

Organisers Extraordinaires Tony and Debbie Slattery sent us on stunning and varied drives in the hinterland and towards the coast, through fields, villages, woodland and scrub, often opening to expansive views. Weather was clear, sunny but cool, one day presenting a most spectacular sunset to finish the drive. Another was punctuated by a stop for a silent movie in a wonderfully restored 100 year old picture theatre. Our last day’s drive culminated in the Y-Type ballet on the local oval that produced a large Y formation and then a 75 – to make our point clear!

From a personal point of view, it was so good to renew the friendships and camaraderie of previous gatherings. There is always the thrill of seeing massed Y-Types together and driving with them, and there is ever so much to learn from others’ expertise and experience. Technical advice flowed constantly and freely.

My husband Steve worked with Tony to form the Australian Y Register and maintain and grow it. Sadly he lost his battle with cancer over a year ago, so it was with many mixed feelings that I decided to join the celebrations with my son Hugh. I am so pleased that we did - for Steve, for Hugh, for myself, for the friendships forged over the last 25 years, and for the FUN of enjoying the car and encouraging a new generation to take it on.

Lineside at the Gympie Rattler photo by Hugh and LynneBrompton	Lunchtime line up photo by Hugh and LynneBrompton	3 [of 4 - webmaster] known surviving Ys reunite Y/T 4318 Lynne Brompton Y/T 4319 Bob Wood Y/T 4320 Bob Simpson photo by Clive Hammond
Lynne and Hugh Brompton Hugh Brompton won "Spirit of the 75th Y-Type Rally award photo by Clive Hammond
Click on the thumbnails below to open the full sized pictures.

75 Enjoy the Drive!
Highlights from the MG Y – Type 75th Anniversary Rally 6th – 10th June 2022

by Jenny Lock (17 June 2022)

Historic Gympie

As we came into Gympie to register for the 75th MG Y-Type Anniversary Rally, it was with a sense of excitement, reverence and some trepidation. Excitement at the prospect of participating in a fun action-packed car rally event for a few days around Gympie and the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Reverence related to the memory of my Dad who had recently passed away at the age of 94 years and who had loved MG Y-Type cars all his life having restored three saloons from rusty chassis to glossy eye catching classic cars. And then some trepidation at the thought of us enjoying this part of the world that had been devastated by torrential rains and flooding rivers just months before. The historic Gympie Railway Station was a magnificent host venue to welcome the classic cars and their families.

Cars and more Cars

Trains and Automobiles

The crispness of a breezy winter’s morning was evident as we breakfasted on the platform of the Gympie Railway Station. Seeing heritage timber buildings lovingly restored in this way allowed us to step back in time over 100 years. The magnificent sight and sound of the Mary River Rattler steam locomotive pulling alongside the platform was reminiscent of childhood memories for many of us. The cars departed to follow the steam train on its rail journey to the quaint village of Amamoor with its general store, market stalls and a musician in the rotunda.

Trees and Tourers

As we drove through grazing properties and rainforests of native tamarind trees, salvias and waratahs, we were grateful for the warmth of another sunny day with clear blue skies. Several creek crossings showed the remains of the recent mega flood event for the Mary River and its tributaries. Hoop pine forests were visible on the hillsides around the villages of Kandanga and Imbil and when we stopped for lunch at Kandanga the local residents discussed the former boom times of industries like gold mining, timber and logging and pineapple farming.

Fabulous Furs and Saloons

The spectacle of the fun photo shoot with the ladies posing in their fur stoles and gentlemen in their tweed flat caps was timeless and classic just like the cars. There were stories of these items being inherited from family members and proudly worn in memory of fashions from days gone by. As we left the Rusty Rails Café for another meander through the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast, more brilliant sunshine enveloped us as we passed by glossy cattle, full dams, lush rainforest gullies and some giant eucalypts. Then it was time for the cars to have their very own photo shoot to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the MG Y-Type (1947 – 2022) by arranging them into the shape of the Y and 75. Amazing result!

Seventy Five - Enjoy the Drive

The culmination of this impeccably organized event was highlighted by the enjoyment of the 75th anniversary dinner and the sense of camaraderie shared by the people that the cars connected. There was acknowledgement of the legacy of those who have passed down the love of the cars to the next generation so that they can continue to Enjoy the Drive!

75 Enjoy the Drive!
75th Anniversary MG Y-Type Rally - 6th - 10th June 2022.

by Deirdre Wilson

I recently had the opportunity to attend a vintage car rally. This rally was being held to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the MG Y-Type.

Participation registering was undertaken at the Rally Headquarters, the Mary Valley Rattler and Rusty Rails Café on the Monday afternoon which included visitors from the local area, interstate and overseas.

Later the event organizers Tony and Deb Slattery, welcomed everyone at a Meet and Greet held on the verandah of the Phoenix hotel where some participants met up with old friends while others forged new relationships. This was followed by dinner at the hotel Bistro for those who were free to attend with many retiring early in preparation of a big week ahead. Tuesday was an early start with everyone meeting at the Rally headquarters (the Rattler railway station), to start the journey down the coast to Coolum Beach, the home of the Sir Henry Royce Foundation Motor Museum and Carrolls' Transport.

We were booked in for a tour of the Museum with the custodians (Frank and Joan Carroll) providing morning tea prior to the tour. This World Class tour is conducted by Frank Carrol and takes approximately 1 hour and incorporates examples of engineering excellence for which RR is famous including elite saloons The White Pearl and the Silver Ghost, engines from an old River Ferry (C8 Diesel) Jet engines from a Saber Jet and a Fokker Friendship and a Merlin with a two stage super charger. The display also includes 3 military vehicles in 2 Austin Champs and 1 Damlier Ferritt all of which have RR engines along with the vehicles that make up Frank and Joan's private collection which includes var io us Austins, MG's, Chevrolets, including a few Rolls Royce and a couple of Bentleys.

It was then time to head back up the coast to Boreen Point for lunch at the Appolian Historic Hotel for lunch.

The trip took about an hour or so with the undulating hills of Doonan and Black Mountain creating a scenic vista.

The Appolonian Historic Hotel is one of the last remaining timber music hall Hotels built in the 1870's from local timbers. Although the hotel was moved here from its original site in Gympie in the late 1980’s, It still stands in its original glory hosting wide verandah and large rolling lawns.

We leave the Appolonian hotel with very full tummies to continue our tour of the hinterland.

Onto Pomona in the heart of the Noosa Hinterland, for a trip down memory lane with a visit to the Majestic Theatre, the worlds longest running Silent Film theatre where the films are accompanied by the original owner playing a restored 1937 Compton Pipe Organ.

The end of the first day of rallying looms as we head back to Gympie for dinner and sleep to ready ourselves for another big day tomorrow.

Following a very cold breakfast (weather, not food), at the Rusty Rails Café, the Valley Rattler Steam Train arrives. This creates Excitement plus.

This unique heritage steam train operates only on a few days each week, with return trips out to the Ammour State Forest.

This iconic experience is made possible through the amazing dedication of a huge team of volunteers working as cooks, waiters, salespersons, cleaners, train drivers, conductors and maintenance to name just a few.

We leave Gympie and take up position along the route to capture photos of the train as it comes through the cutting. I spent a considerable amount of time setting up this photo opportunity only to take a 2 minute video of my own face saying “Is this thing working? I cant see a thing". Then had to race the train to Ammour in the hope of arriving ahead of the train and this time taking a worthwhile video of the train arriving.

While there we watched the train being turned around via the turntable before its return to Gympie.

Following this amazing experience, we head off on a scenic tour to Kandanga.

Once we arrive in Kandanga we head out to the Kandanga Farm Store which is a farm produce store and a café side by side on the one property. We were so blessed with the beautiful weather that we had on this trip. Every day was full of sunshine, good food and good company.

With full tummies again, we head off to the Borumba Dam. The dam is beautiful and very full following recent widespread flooding. As we travel from the dam, through Imbil and the surrounding countryside, it is amazing to see the high water level marks left behind from the water rushing through on its way to the Mary River.

We arrived back in Gympie at the Historic Auto Club where we were shown a video outlining the impact of the recent floods on that area. Following this there were demonstrations one of which was by Tony on how to start an MG Y-type without a battery using a crank handle. We all learnt gained valuable insight that day.

Meanwhile some of the girls went period shopping downtown.

We had to travel back down the coast for the night, but many of the other participants met up for dinner prior to resting up for our final day of rallying.

We were to meet at the Rattler Railway Station in Period Dress for a ‘Photo Op with your MGY’. Unfortunately we missed this as we broke down on the highway whilst travelling back. A 4 week old coil was the cause, however, every one said that the photo shoot went off with a bang. We arrived just in time to join the end of the rally as it left to tour out to Wolvi to the famous Cooloola Berries Cafe.

This unique experience included a visit to the farm store offering a good range of local products and country cottage items along with their own strawberry cider and home grown produce. The place had a great atmosphere with the owners and staff catering to our group in an easy and friendly manner. They seemed ready to handle any size crowd with ease and the food was great too.

As we łeave this delightful place (again with full tummies), we rally back to Gympie to the oval next to the Historic Auto Club to create the formation of the MGY with the cars that participated in the rally and then back to the motel to freshen up for our farewell dinner.

Arrived all frocked up to the Valley Rattler Resturant for an amazing 3 course dinner.

Frank Carroll has agreed to act as MC and so the evening is kicked off with humour from a master spokesman.

Guest speakers included Dr. Mathew Crawford (from Sydney), who gave a detailed presentation on the restoration of his MG-Ytype and Lynne Brompton who spoke about her late husband and his love of the MGYtype vehicles and how the younger generation (in the form if his son), is carrying on the tradition.

Between courses, we moved onto a MG Y Type trivia quiz for everyone to participate in which caused loads of laughs and good natured cheating among the contestants who at the end of the quiz all came out more knowledgeable on MG Y Type facts.

Further awards were presented for the Best MG-Ytype tourer and Saloon and a Thankyou Gift to our Event Organisers (Tony and Deb) along with a big thankyou and acknowledgement to the amazing and dedicated staff of volunteers. The evening was a huge success with loads of fun and laughter along with good food and great company.

Sadly the evening came to an end all too quickly as we say our goodbyes and head back to the motel to pack for our departure in the morning.

Friday morning, we all meet up for the last time for a farewell breakfast at the Gympie historic auto club Goodbyes and well wishes were exchanged along with hopes to meet again at the national rally in Canberra next year.

As we head home, we marvel at the experience, the friendship and comradery of the people, the beauty of the country side and ofcourse ..of all things MG Y Type.