In the beginning

The following story was told by Ray Riley, one of the founders of the Wollongong Morris Minor Car Club.

It all started back late in 1978 when I passed a fellow Morris owner on Mt. Ousley. We stopped at the bottom for a chat. He was from Sydney and heading South. One thing led to another, so I invited him home for a drink.

After a lengthy conversation about Morries, we started talking about forming a Club. Time passed by quickly and he had to be travelling on. so goodbyes were said and he left. Early the next year, 1979, I met Greg Sadzius, a Wollongong lad, with a common interest in Morris Minors and once again the subject of a Club came up, so before it could fade, we set some wheels in motion.

The final step was to have some invitations typed and photocopied which invited the owners of Morris Minors to join us on a run on the 21st of May 1979 to Kangaroo Valley. Meeting at Westfield car park, we would travel down the Princess Highway to Berry, then on to Kangaroo Valley. These we placed on any Morrie's windscreen either of us saw.

The second step was to have it broadcast on the radio and the third step was to have the show covered by WIN 4 TV Roving Eye Newsreel.

All of the work came to a head on the morning. of the 21st and Greg and I anxiously waited. Ten cars turned up (with their owners). We left Westfield car park with myself in the lead and Greg on the tail and headed south along the Highway. Motoring through Dapto I spotted a blue Morris sedan parked on the side of the road so as we passed we waved and to my enjoyment, it joined us in the convoy. On reaching Dunmore Station we found a pink 4 door Morris 1000 and a light-green panel van waiting so we pulled in and stopped, exchanged greetings and then proceeded onto Berry where we stopped for donuts and more talk. We then continued on in convoy to Kangaroo Valley. and Hampton Bridge. The day was filled with talking, eating, more talking, drinking (soft drinks) and still more talking.

The trip home was also done in convoy back through Robertson and down Macquarie Pass. At the bottom of the pass we stopped to say our goodbyes and checked the response from the group. We all had a great day and it was unanimous that we meet at my home on the first Saturday night in June.

Saturday was soon upon us and both Greg. and I were anxious to see how many people from the run would still be interested enough to show up. In all 12 people turned up and it was on this night that the Wollongong Morris Minor Car Club was formed.

Unfortunately Ray Riley is no longer with as but his memory lives on with the same run being retraced at approximately the same time each year. In 1993, 25 Morris Minors and a large contingent of non-Morris Minors made it to this event, including some from other Clubs. Each driver is awarded a badge to commemorate the day.