History
When the rubber hit the road for the first reliability touring contest
CHRIS CURRIE explores how a small group of Brisbane motoring enthusiasts wanted to change the minds of the public about the safety of cars, devising a public spectacle to promote the reliability of automobiles. We take a (driving) tour through State Library of Queensland’s collections to find out more.
Car ownership in Queensland was popularised by leading Brisbane medical practitioner Dr George Hopkins who, around 1900, replaced his horse and cart with an Oldsmobile for patient visits.
In 1905, Hopkins became president of the newly formed Automobile Club of Queensland, one of 10 ‘medical men’ who made up the 18 foundation members: a widely reported demographic detail that discounted the membership of the extraordinary Dr Lilian Cooper: Queensland’s first registered female doctor and recorded motorist.
The central aim of the ACQ – as documented in a compiled history held at State Library – was “to band together the motor owners of the state for their mutual protection and for the general advancement of motoring”. Mutual protection was not just a catchphrase: one of the club’s first actions was requesting police help to stop gangs of youths throwing stones at their cars.
To change public perception of automobiles as accident-prone and unsuitable for local roads, the ACQ began to stage “reliability trials” – short competitions around Brisbane where success was not measured in speed, but rather fuel economy, and how well the car held together.
In 1920, the ACQ partnered with Sydney’s Royal Automobile Club of Australia to conduct a four-day “interstate reliability touring contest” from Sydney to Brisbane, to publicise how dependably, safely and enjoyably cars could travel across long distances.
Each competing car was allotted an average speed and was required to carry “a full complement of passengers”, including an official race observer. Every competitor began with 700 points (500 for reliability, 100 for petrol consumption and 50 each for two hill climbs), with those points being deducted according to an official formula. Various prizes and a trophy were on offer, including a £50 grand prize. Importantly, every day of the four-day trial included an official lunch stop.
Thirty-two competitors left Sydney on October 18 and all but two arrived in Albert Square (now King George Square) on October 21, “travel stained… but very fit”. The first to be welcomed by the “immense crowd” was Boyd Edkins in his Vauxhall (Mr H.S. Simpson in his Templar was first into the city but ironically collided with a horse towing a coal cart just before entering the square). The £50 first prize was eventually awarded to Mr. P.A. McIntosh of Sydney in his Buick.
The next morning, all competitors were formally welcomed to Brisbane by the mayor before being taken on a river trip on the government steamer The Otter.
The whole event attracted huge media and public interest, and led to three more contests, including the remarkable successes of amateur Queensland driver A.J. Soden, whose trophies and plaques are held at State Library.
To celebrate the success of the first interstate reliability touring contest, on Sunday, October 24, 160 motorists from Queensland and New South Wales drove to Cleveland’s Pier Hotel for (you guessed it) a lunch. The moment is recorded in the picture above. After a drive to Redland Bay, the motorists returned to the hotel for afternoon tea.
In 1921, the ACQ became the Royal Automotive Club of Queensland (RACQ) and welcomed its 1000th member. It was safe to say Queensland’s motoring future was on the road to success.
