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The History of the ACT Mini Car Club Incorporated

The ACT Mini Car Club Inc was formed around November 1983 when a group of Mini owners responded to a newspaper advertisement calling on locals to meet informally for a barbeque in a popular picnic spot called Weston Park. Photographs taken on the day suggest that the initial gathering had upwards of twenty Minis. From that initial gathering, a Committee was formed to start the club and oversee the running of activities. The Committee developed a constitution setting out the Club's objectives and rules and these remain largely unchanged to the present day. A number of the original members from that first barbeque remain in the club today.

The ACT Mini Car Club Inc aims are fairly simple:

Formal meetings were for many years held at the Hungarian-Australia Club in Narrabundah and now are held at the Deakin Sports and Social Club in Grose Street, Deakin ACT on the third Wednesday of each month. Informal gatherings are sometimes held each Tuesday at lunchtime near the Carillon on Canberra's Lake Burley Griffin.

Membership currently averages about 80-100 per year (was hundreds in the early years) and all ages are welcome. Mini ownership is not compulsory for membership, merely an interest in the marque. Annual membership is $40 with an initial $10 joining fee. Family membership is also available for $50 per annum (plus $10 joining fee). Our members live predominantly in and around Canberra, although we do have a small number of members in Sydney and in towns like Queanbeyan, Jindabyne, Tumut, Wagga Wagga, Forbes and Cowra.

The Club's activities have been many and varied over its twenty odd year lifespan. In the early days, there were routine trips to the movies, barbeques, tenpin bowling, road rallies etc with a significant involvement in motorsport (included hill climbs, grass motorkhanas and circuit racing). Regrettably, public liability insurance and noise issues have put paid to many motorsport activities for small clubs in recent years. One Club member has raced an "Appendix J" historic Cooper S MK1 since the 1980s.

Today the social side of the Club is more prominent and similar to the early days. The Club now arranges roads trips and an annual Sunday breakfast at a nice picnic spot like the Cotter Dam, a short scenic drive from Canberra. The Club also undertakes longer trips to other Mini club activities and shows in Wagga Wagga, Albury, Hay, the NSW South Coast and Sydney. These trips include longer runs to Hay in June and to the Wagga Wagga Mini Muster in October. There is usually an annual "Christmas in July" dinner. The main activity for the year is our "Show and Shine" in November in front of Canberra's main shopping area (The Canberra Centre).

Club Membership provides members with an opportunity to avail themselves of the Concessional Registration Scheme for historic vehicles which is managed by the local Roads and Traffic Authority. This scheme allows cars more than 30 years of age to be road registered for a minimal fee but with restrictions on usage (3,000 km per year average) and subject to use being recorded in a logbook. Whilst usage is obviously limited under this scheme, it does allow older vehicles to be maintained in a roadworthy condition and provides an avenue for older vehicles to be driven, enjoyed and displayed at club related outings.

The ACT Mini Car Club Inc distributes a monthly magazine to its members (The Mini Territory). The magazine usually runs to about 16-20 pages and includes Mini related articles, For Sale and Wanted, Technical Tips, Photos, Events Calendar, Committee Reports and issues arising from Monthly Meetings.

The ACT Mini Car Club Inc. can be contacted by writing to:

The Secretary
ACT Mini Car Club Incorporated
PO Box 4268 Kingston
ACT 2604 Australia