Hi all, welcome to our latest Bush Chatter newsletter. As much as winter has been a quieter time for us, still plenty going on including our Monthly and mid monthly rides various displays and our 2025 AGM was held.

2025 AGM President Report

Looking back at club activities over the past year I am amazed and pleased with the number of events and activities that our club organised or participated to promote our club and display club member’s motorcycles.

Displays included the Mildura Air Show, Deakin Motorcycles Yamaha day,Chaffey Aged Care and an impressive display on Easter Friday in the Langtree Mall Mildura.

A number of our members have travelled to events this year including the BSA rally at Goolwa, Panther rally at Swan Hill and the Llanelly swap meeting near Bendigo.

We also continued the meetup with the Swan Hill club with a very successful weekend at Speewa.

In May we ran the 20th Mildura Meander with about 60 entries and was a great event promoting our club and the Mildura area.

We also had a great social night at the Mildura Motorcycle Club on the Friday 6th of June as part of their classic speedway weekend and a Christmas dinner at the RSL.

A big thanks to the general and events committee and lots of members not on these committees for their support over the past year particularly stepping up to provide morning teas and BBQ for events.

On a personal note I am honoured to be president of this active and vibrant club and look forward to the coming year.

Robert Ferguson, President of the Sunraysia Historic Motorcycle Club.

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Chris Sibley Secretary retirement

A massive thankyou to our retired secretary of 15 years, Chris Sibley. The Secretarial role is a demanding and technical position with a major part of our historic registrations involved. I have witnessed Chris’s attention to detail during our Meander check-ins, something the military would be proud of with such precision. Well done Chris and enjoy your free time [and less teaching rounds call ins!] And enjoy your beautiful British bikes. More about Chris in a future newsletter when he is ready.

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Vale Doug Laird

The club recently lost one of its much admired founding members Doug Laird. A big thank you to Kylie at North West Funerals for their service notes. Also thanks to Jack McCarthey for Doug’s early history and Bazz Graham for photos

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Joanne Chappell honorary life membership

It was a privilege to watch Joanne Chappell being presented with an honorary life membership on behalf of her husband Ken. I never knew Ken, but the high regard that members talk of his generosity, technical skills, sense of humour and general all round nice bloke, it would have been nice to know him. Well done, Joanne.

Ron Brown’s 40 year membership

Well done Ron on this milestone achievement! 40 years in any club is a huge effort but to be still so technically involved in our club as a machine examiner is testimony to your technical knowledge and clean living! You are also a very nice chap to talk to and certainly would show us younger blokes a thing or two on machinery….. More on Ron can be found in our March 2025 Bush Chatter edition

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AED Defibrillator

A big thankyou to club member and paramedic Dale Edwards for attending our club meeting to explain to the pros and cons of various defibs and care thereof. Dale’s presentation was concise and well presented and will make the committee’s decision making process a lot easier with regards to purchase. Thoughts are that it will be carried by the tail end charlie’s on our club rides. More to come and again thanks Dale. And please bring that beautiful Ducati to more meets!

Mildura Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2025

Well done to club member Ashley Weir for organizing this year’s DGR in Mildura. For those that may be not aware, this event has evolved from very humble beginnings in Sydney and has grown to a major worldwide event for men’s health. I have participated in 4 DGR’s in Adelaide over the years [neither distinguished nor a gentleman, but they let me in!] I liked how the organiser in Adelaide didn’t discriminate against bike types/styles anymore as cancer also does not discriminate. Again, well done Ashley, unfortunately our Meander always clashes with the DGR, we need to organise a ride catchup on the day!

You can out more about The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride by clicking the image below.

TRACS Event Red Cliffs

A great day out at the Annual TRACS event. Showcased all the lost Australian manufactured vehicles and implements from a by gone era. Pictured below is axe whisperer Phillip Moser, brother of club member Roger Moser. Their father was a great axe man who won many a handicapped time trial.

Mid-month ride to Mildura Air Force museum @ Sabre restoration

Thanks to the efforts of club member Bazz Graham, we had a close up view of the Dareton Men’s Shed recent excellent restoration of a Sabre jet to a non flying display piece. A really great achievement to a high standard. We also visited the very well presented Airforce Museum, had a cuppa and appreciated the efforts of our military units. Again thanks Bazz a good volunteer.

To find out more, click here.

Member Profiles

Getting to know: John Basham

How many years as a member of SHMC, and any Committee positions – ELEVEN OR TWELVE YEARS MEMBERSHIP. EVENTS COMMITTEE FOR ABOUT EIGHT OR NINE YEARS, INVENTING, DISCOVERING AND SETTING OUT THEN LEADING MEANDERS. Jim McCleary and I SET THE MEANDERS FOR 7 YEARS, USED A LOT OF ROADS NO-ONE FROM THE SHMC HAD EVER USED.

Favourite food – HAWAIIAN PIZZA, AND N.Z. KAPITI ICECREAM.

Favourite drink – JAMIESON ORANGE WHISKY, OR CAMPFIRE BUNDY RUM.

Dream Bike- WEIGHT BELOW 200KGS, TWIN OR TRIPLE, ABOUT 800/900CC, PIRELLI RUBBER, FUEL INJECTED, CRUISE CONTROL, GOOD PANNIERS, EASY CRUISING AT ABOUT 100/120, PLENTY OF WIND PROTECTION, HEATED SEAT AND BARS, 350KM+ TANK RANGE.

Work life – APPRENTICE WELDER AND BOILERMAKER. 35 YEARS VICTORIA POLICE: CRIME, TRAFFIC, WIRELESS PATROL, HORSES, TEACHING, TRANSPORT.

How did your motorcycle journey begin – FIRST BIKE WAS A BSA BANTAM 150, COST TWELVE QUID, FROM A POTATO FARMER! I WAS 12-Y-O-!

Current motorcycles and past ones – UNKNOWN NUMBER OF BIKES OWNED, AND RODE VERY FIRST EVER SUNRAYSIA RALLY, HAD PART TIME JOB AS EDITOR OF THE OLD “TRAIL & TRACK” FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS, SO RODE LARGE AND UNKNOWN NUMBER OF DIRT BIKES, MOSTLY. RODE AND TESTED FIRST EVER HONDA XL250 IN AUSTRALIA, ON BERT FLOOD’S PROPERTY AT YARRA GLEN, WITH STUART STRICKLAND FROM HONDA AND TREVOR FLOOD. RODE EVERY HATTAH1971 UNTIL 1976 AT GLENCOE [HATTAH] WHEN I BROKE MY COLLARBONE. EARLY ULYSSES MEMBER, #2161! WENT TO 6 OR 7 A.G.M.EVENTS, FROM GOLD COAST TO TASSIE, WITH MY WIFE TWO-UP AND TOWED A CLASSIC TRAILER. RODE POLICE BIKES FOR FIVE YEARS STRAIGHT – SEVERAL OF: OLD TRIUMPH 650, KAWASAKI W1E650 RIGHT FOOT-SHIFT ROTARY G’BOX, BMW 750 75/5 [SAME AS GORDON GUNTHER’S] R69S, R90S, R100RT, K1000LT, CT110 POSTIE BIKES, RODE FIRST EVER HONDA 750 K-SERIES ALL WHITE, FROM JAPAN FULLY FITTED OUT FOR POLICE RADIO, A NUMBER OF OTHER HONDA 750s.

Best and worst motorcycle memories – WORST – BREAKING MY COLLARBONE DURING HATTAH IN 1976; BEST – TOO MANY TO MENTION, MAYBE ROAD-RIDING MY GUZZI 850T3 TO CAIRNS WITH ROGER HILL, OR WINNING A “BLUE-LIGHT RALLY” CLASS IN THE WET AT NEERIM JUNCTION, FOR OLD BLOKES, ON MY HONDA XL250 WITH OLD MATE MIKE TUCKER.

Anything more you would like to see in the Club – MEETINGS STARTING AND FINISHING ON TIME; A FEW LONGER RIDES LIKE TIBOOBURRA/WARRI GATE
generally it runs pretty well imho. 😊

I love this pic! apparently, JB had popped 21 aspirins on this mx day, he did well. Notice that VR Montesa in the background.

Getting to know: Jack McCarthey

I got to spend a couple of hours with Jack recently, a very knowledgeable and humble man with some amazing life experiences. Here’s Jack’s story so far.

• 43years member of SHMCC – Life Member 2024.
• Favourite food. Roast Beef & vegetables.
• Favourite drink. Red,Red wine!

-Dream Bike. 1965 Velocette 500 Venom Clubman (with an electric starter).

-Your motorcycle journey – how did it begin?

While at high school I had a friend –Bernard Nunan. I spent several weekends at the Nunan’s fruit block in Dareton and the 3 boys had an old BSA Bantam and plenty of space to ride it. That was where I rode my first motorcycle at about 14 years of age. Needless to say I enjoyed going to Nunan’s and riding the Bantam. It would take me another 2 years to buy my own bike as dad was not a fan of motor bikes. At sixteen and a half I applied and was accepted for a cadetship with SAPOL and moved to Adelaide. After settling in, the first Adventure was to catch a bus into the city and purchase a motorcycle.(Mid July 1965)

-Current motorcycles.

2012 Harley Davidson Road King 1700cc/ 1988 BMW R100RS,1000cc/ 1982 Harley Davidson FXR 1340cc ( Shovelhead)/ 1998 Harley Davidson Fat Boy 1340cc (Evolution)/ 1942 Harley Davidson Military WLA 750cc/ 1973 Triumph TR7 750cc/ 1977 Triumph 750cc Bonneville./ 1986 Kawasaki GTR1000.

-Past motorcycles.(in sequence)

1956 650cc Triumph Thunderbird (first bike)/ 1966 Yamaha 305cc YMI twin, 1956 500cc Tiger 100./ 1947 Velocette 500cc single and a 1949 500cc Over Head Cam Velocette/ 1990 Harley FLHS 1340cc (first Harley)/ 1935 VL 1200cc Harley Davidson/ 1981 Suzuki 1100 Katana/ 1983 Suzuki 1100 road bike./1981 Triumph 750 Bonneville.

Dirt bikes were popular as well in the 1970’S which included a Yamaha 250cc first model motocross, Honda CR250 Elsinore Red Devil motocross, Honda XL125 trail, first Honda XL 250 Trail, and second model XL250, then an XL500./ A Honda CR250 motocross converted for road use by Honda Australia and used in the News 24 hour trial in about 1978.

-Worklife Accepted at a very young age into SA police motorcycle division, worked way up to instructor. Assisted in family business,Owned and operated a motorcycle franchise in Buronga until Bayliss Motorcycles bought him out. Mildura council for many years in management position

-SAPOL Police bikes

1965 A65 BSA 650cc twin;/ 1970 Triumph TR6 650 twin;/ 1972 Yamaha TX 750 twin;/ 1973 Honda 750 four police model;/ 1975 Suzuki GS750 four police model;/ 1977 Honda 750 four K7 police model.

-Best motorcycle memory

Completing the 1977 News 24 hour trial in SA as part of the police team finishing 6th from a field of over 150 motorcycles. I participated in 6 such events with this the best result.

-Worst motorcycle memory

After attending a Harley Rally in Geelong I was returning home when a kangaroo failed to give way to me near Avoca and we collided. The roo hopped away and I spent 12 days in Maryborough hospital. When I arrived home there was a letter in the mail from the Avoca police. They advised that they were not going to take further action against either party. Bit unfair – they took blood from me but not the kangaroo!

-Anything more one would like to see in the Club?

One thing I never got around to is connected with our club before it became a club.

Blue Moore (a founding member) had friends in the Classic Owners Club of South Australia and up to a dozen or so visited Mildura on at least 3 years. District rides and social activities with Bluey and a few locals with older bikes accompanied them. I have 2 Classic Owner stickers from the late 1970’s promoting these runs. Most of those people would no longer be with us, however it may be worthwhile to invite the Classic Owners members to join us for a social ride initially, and if successful it may become an annual or bi-annual ride. They called the ride the Meander! The attendees used their visit as more of a social low key event.

Perhaps initially we could enquire about attending one of their rides annually if there was sufficient interest from our members.

Pictured below is Jack on SA 24hour duty, tough! Also top lh 1st bike 1966 Triumph Firebird, top rh 2nd bike Yamaha YM1 circa ’68. Final picture is 1973 Hattah Jack is pictured bottom Lh corner looks like a motorsport XL Honda.

Getting to know: Terry ‘Moose’ McGowan

I have recently got to meet Moose and have a bit of a chat. What a colored life he has led with many great yarns from a freewheeling youth. Moose also designed our Bush Chatter logo. Here’s Moose’s story.

Below is just a very small selection of some of Moose’s local work. Mildura and district is fortunate enough to have had some of our street scape coloured and adds a unique identity to our city.

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Australian Honda CBX1000 Owners Visit

We recently had the CBX owners of Australia have a 3 day gathering.

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2025 Australian Superbike Masters Phillip Island MotoGP

Our club member Peter Guest would have been right at home amongst this lot.

Wily South Aussie David Johnson (Suzuki GSX-R1100) produced a clean sweep in the Superbike Masters races at the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, winning both completed five-lap races by tight margins over Scott Campbell (Honda RC30) and Joshua Mathers (Yamaha FZF1000) respectively. It was great watching that beautiful Honda RC30 down on capacity and power catching up through Siberia and Lukey Heights.

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Well that’s a wrap on our Spring Edition, blew out a bit but always something going on in the Historic motorcycle world. I will leave the final say to President Rob……

Cheers Graeme