At the far end of the

leafy French settlement

of Hunters Hill lies Woolwich Peninsula.

Best known for its landmark pub, the

historic Woolwich Pier Hotel, Woolwich

has some awe-inspiring views of Sydney

Harbour.

Clarkes Point Reserve is a popular

place to watch Sydney’s New Year’s

Eve Fireworks, and a superb

spot for a Sunday picnic.

Clarkes Point Reserve was also

the destination for our Mystery Run on 20 February 2011. See page 7 for the

full story.

Clarkes

Point

Reserve

Committee

The deadline for all contributions to Baby Torque is ALWAYS the last Fri-

day of each month. Contributions should be sent to The Editor, Baby

Torque, 10 Lorraine Street, North Strathfield NSW 2137.

Magazine Deadline

Page 2

Club Meetings

The Austin 7 Club NSW Inc meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month

at 8:00pm in the NRMA Training Rooms, NRMA Building, George Street,

North Strathfield. Parking is available in the NRMA car park opposite the

building.

Name Home Phone Mobile Phone

President Warren Gracie (02) 9569 2108 0417 417 826

Vice President Paul Pui (02) 9958 1791 0413 621 078

Secretary /

Public Officer Maureen Boatwright (02) 9822 8609 0413 017 263

Treasurer Helen Lewis (02) 9709 2344 0407 108 196

Spare Parts Mervyn Boatwright (02) 9822 8609 0412 940 001

Club Examiners Warren Gracie

Mervyn Boatwright

(02) 9569 2108

(02) 9822 8609

0417 417 826

0412 940 001

Membership /

Registration Faye Yarroll (02) 9706 8007 0412 830 041

Editor /

Webmaster Robert Yarroll (02) 9706 8007 -

As a courtesy, please do not contact Committee Members after 9:00pm.

Banking Details

Austin 7 Club NSW Inc

Spare Parts Austin 7 Club NSW Inc

Bank Laboratories Credit Union Bendigo Bank

BSB 802-841 633-000

Account 0000009132 128875804

Page 3

Australia Day was such a hot day,

and so it was very pleasing to see

our Club’s Australia Day activities

so well attended with seven Austin

7’s on display at the NRMA Motor-

fest and five little 7’s at Cattle Duf-fers Flat on the banks of the

George’s River ... which was much

cooler than Macquarie Street!

And it was another hot day for our

Clarkes Point Reserve BBQ and

Bubbly event. We were very lucky

to be joined by a cool breeze late in

the morning.

The Committee continues to deal

with Club business and at our last

meeting, amongst other items, ap-

pointed Mervyn Boatwright as a further Club Vehicle Inspector for

Conditional Registration purposes.

Please read my article on page 12

of this magazine regarding Condi-

tional Registration renewals.

Our Club’s website continues to be

Presidents Report

accessed from all over the world, I

think this is to our advantage, and

much effort is put in by our Edi-

tor/Webmaster to make it the suc-

cess it is.

The Club has been approached by

the producers of the Underbelly

television series with the aim to

possibly hire some of our Austin

7’s that would have been on our

roads during the Underbelly era.

Whilst preliminary correspondence

is ongoing, any Club member with

an Austin 7 built between 1925

and 1933 who may be prepared to

partake in this filming should con-

tact me on (02) 9569 2108 or 0417

417 826.

Happy Sevening.

Warren Gracie

Events Report

Page 4

The mystery destination for our February Club Breakfast Run was beau-

tiful Clarkes Point Reserve at Woolwich. A tasty breakfast of sausages,

bacon, eggs, tomato and pineapple served with BBQ buns, and of course

Bubbly and orange juice, was enjoyed by all. The high-

light of the morning was watching Paul Pui profession-

ally breaking eggs single-handed onto the hotplate. Thankfully, we all finished eating before the weather

turned unbearably hot. In the four Austin 7’s and three

moderns were Paul & Amy Pui, Bob & Judith Riches,

George & Sue McGill, Graeme, Joanne, Ewan & Angus

Gullick, Warren Gracie, Paul, Sandra, Jessica, Katie &

Jackie Boatwright and Mervyn & Maureen Boatwright.

Robert & Faye Yarroll joined us later in the morning.

Bob & Judith Riches have kindly offered to organise the April Club Run

and planning is well advanced. There are three other Runs still to be ar-

ranged for 2011 being May, June and November. So, if any members

would like to organise one of these, or can suggest a destination or help

in any way, please contact the Events Team on 9822 8609.

Our next Club Run on 20 March is to beautiful Oatley Park with it’s great

lookouts and scenery. Please join us on this fun twilight event.

Happy Austin 7 touring … Maureen Boatwright

Club Gossip

Is there any truth in the rumour Bob Riches wants to beef up his Smart car? The rumour says he is con-sidering the popular Smart Monster Truck or Smart Tank conversion. Can any-one confirm this rumour?

1937 AUSTIN BIG SEVEN

PARTLY RESTORED. WITH LOTS OF PARTS.

Contact Robert Waller on

(02) 4573 1272 after 6:00pm

Coming Events

Page 5

20 March 2011 ... Twilight Run - Oatley Park

Departing from NRMA Car-park North Strathfield at 3:00pm.

BBQ’s are available if you want to cook. Bring your own food.

17 April 2011 ... Club Run - Mystery Destination

Departing from NRMA Car-park North Strathfield at 8:30am and arriving

at Kellyville Ridge at 9:30am OR departing from Ettamogah Pub, Cnr

Merriville & Windsor Roads, Kellyville Ridge at 9:45am. Lunch will be

available at very reasonable prices at a Sports Club. Please contact the

Events Team ASAP on 9822 8609 if you will be attending and advise your

chosen starting place.

15 May 2011 ... National Heritage Motoring Day - Mystery Run

Departing from NRMA Car-park North Strathfield at 9:45am

19 June 2011 ... Don Avery Memorial Shield Run - TBA

1 - 5 October 2012 90th Anniversary National Austin 7 Hub Rally - Tanunda, S.A.

The Headquarters for the National Rally will be at the Tanunda Show

Grounds Hall which is in a very nice setting and has

plenty of parking available.

Prior to preparing and issuing entry forms the Austin

7 Club SA need to get an indication on how many

people are likely to enter the 2012 National A7 Rally.

Consequently they need your help by completing and

returning an Expression of Interest Form as soon as

possible. Also, please give a form to anyone else you

know who may be interested in attending this rally.

Forms may be obtained by:

logging onto the 2012 Rally page on the Austin 7 Club SA website

at www.austin7clubsa.com.au,

asking your Events Director for a hard copy,

asking Ralph Drage (2012 Rally Secretary) to send a hard copy.

Invitations Accepted

Other Events of Interest

Page 6

12 March 2011

Tea Gardens Hawks Nest Motorfest - Myall Park Sports Reserve

Located off Yamba Street, Hawks Nest. Arrival 8:00 am - 9:45 am. Official

Opening 10:00 am. Entrants fee of $10 per vehicle. Please contact the

Events Team on 9822 8609 for an Entry Form and more information.

22 - 25 April 2011 ... Austin's Over Australia - Forbes, NSW

For those attending this event, please contact the Secretary

if you have not received Newsletter No. 4 which includes

the Registration Form.

6 - 8 May 2011 ... Central Tablelands Autumn Tour - Orange, NSW

Eligible Vehicles – Manufactured Pre 1931. Please contact the Events

Team on 9822 8609 to get an Entry Form and Accommodation List. En-

tries Close on 20 April 2011.

New High Resolution Photographs on Club Website

If you haven’t already noticed, our Club website is constantly changing

and always worth a look.

One of the latest changes is

the way our Events Gallery

is presented. You can now

view the many photographs taken on our Club Runs in

High Resolution, meaning

all our pictures are bigger,

brighter and crisper. And

they have easy zoom capa-

bilities too. So, if you have-

n’t checked out our Club

website lately, it’s about

time you did.

>> check out our website at www.austin7clubnsw.org.au <<

Handy Hint: View pictures in Single Page Mode for best quality!

A BBQ, some bubbly ..... ..... and a great view too

Page 7

20 February 2011. There’s no better way to spend a summer Sunday

than to join a Mystery Run with the Austin 7 Club. And that’s what a

group of little Austin 7’s did when they left the NRMA car-park at North

Strathfield for a BBQ Breakfast with Bubbly.

The mystery destination was Clarkes Point Reserve on the Woolwich Pen-

insular. The day was very hot and balmy but that didn’t stop the BBQ

from firing up and corks popping. Vice President Paul Pui was the star

performer of the day with his expert display of egg cracking. Thirteen

adults and five children enjoyed a yummy BBQ, with the adults happily

washing it down with a glass or two of bubbly. Two more adults arrived

later.

As usual, Members found plenty to chat about and the conversations

took place with a backdrop of sailing boats and the Sydney Harbour

Bridge in the distance.

After the chatter subsided a pleasant stroll was undertaken through the

Reserve and beyond where we came across a group of Bentley’s and Rolls

Royce’s together with an MG, Maserati and a Lamborghini.

Everyone was relieved when a gentle breeze

arrived at about 11am ... what a blessing!

And while we were enjoying ourselves, there

was a constant procession of admirers check-

ing out our little Austin’s in the car park.

A big thankyou to our Events Team for organ-

ising this fun BBQ which allowed us to drive

our Austin 7’s to yet another great Sydney

destination.

A BBQ, some bubbly ..... ..... and a great view too

These minutes are to be confirmed at the next General Meeting

Minutes of the February 2011 General Meeting

Page 8

Held on 9 February 2011. The meeting was opened at 8:20 pm by Warren Gracie who

welcomed all Members to the meeting. Minutes taker: Maureen Boatwright Attendees and Apologies

There were 21 Members in attendance. Apologies: Joanne & Mark Wellington, Helen Lewis and Carolyn Thompson. Moved. Ken Rolley Seconded. Robert Yarroll

Minutes of previous meeting read and

accepted Moved. Bob Riches Seconded. Judith Riches

Business arising from minutes Nil Correspondence

Membership renewals 3, The Depender, Aus-tin 7 Journals SA, 8th Annual Central Coast Show N Shine 27/2/2011, It’s Time Email

from Faye & Robert Yarroll. Letter to Melva Beavis regarding double payment of member-ship fee.

Treasurer Report Paul Pui read the Financial Report Moved. Cliff Edwards Seconded. Maureen Boatwright

Spare Parts Merv read the Spare Parts Report. No bank-

ing done this month. January’s money will be included with February’s banking. Editor

Our Editor thanked Kevin Hart and Brian Hayward for providing photographs and an article for Baby Torque magazine. Request for

more photographs of Club cars for our web-site. Business Cards Sponsorship now avail-able on our website for $52 per annum. Membership

Received Membership Fees from 53 mem-bers. 25 Members have not paid and have received reminders.

Public Officer Awaiting return of stamped documents from

Fair Trading including Constitution. Then every member will receive a copy of the Con-stitution. A register for the borrowing of magazines and books is available together

with a list of books held in our library. Welfare Maureen Boatwright’s mother passed away

on 3 February 2011 aged 88 years. Events Team A calendar of 2011 Club Events was included

in February’s Baby Torque magazine. There are great photographs in this magazine of our Australian Day activities. Please contact the Events Teams on 9822 8609 by 16 Feb-

ruary 2011 if you will be attending the 20 February 2011 Mystery Run. Coming Events as per Baby Torque magazine. Warren Gracie asked members to organise or assist with

Club Runs for 15 May, 19 June and 20 No-vember. 17 July will be a Sydney Landmark Run organised by Paul & Amy Pui. Please add this Run to your Events Calendar.

Chanel 9 requires Austin 7’s for street scenes. Brian Hayward will check further. Set in 1925-1933 to be filmed during April 2011. Warren Gracie to check. Moved. Ken Rolley Seconded. Kevin Harte

General Business

Moved at last Committee Meeting for a sec-ond Vehicle Inspector. Details in March Baby Torque magazine. Trade index for older cars

on website. CMC reports more Inspection Stations and Confederation of Clubs to gov-ern as one body, like CMC-Bush Council. We have requested Sections A or B at Shannon’s

Eastern Creek. Bus Museum has a hold-up on new location. Muscle Car Show had 800 cars and raised $10,500. Our Club had 7 cars at NRMA Motorfest and 5 A7’s and 2

moderns at Cattle Duffers on Australia Day. Denis Quartly won the door prize and Helen Quartly won the raffle.

The meeting closed at 9.15pm

Page 9

Recent Happy Snaps

Phil Pratt has been a Club member for more than 20 years. Back in

1960, when Phil was just a lad of 14, he thought all his dreams had come

true when he received a 1929 Austin 7 Roadster as a

present.

The little car was running

but, as usual, the brakes

didn’t have much braking

ability. In fact, they didn’t

work at all. However, the

roadster was pretty special

having had some adventur-

ous panel-beating per-

formed to create seating for

two extra passengers. That

Page 10

Car of the Month ... A Long Term Labour of Love

Phil (circled) with a neighbour, a few mates and his 1929 Austin 7 Roadster

The goods old days!

Page 11

Information Sheet

If you would like to see your Austin 7 featured in this magazine please

complete and return the “Car of the Month - Information Sheet” available

from the Editor.

little Austin 7 made Phil the proudest and luckiest kid on the block.

Phil clearly remembers collecting the car with his mother. It was mum’s first experience at towing and Phil’s first experience at both driving and

being towed at the same time. Not being very wise about this new towing

thing, it seems Phil now thinks it would have been better to check the

Austin’s brakes before they set off rather than find out at the very first

corner that the little car couldn’t stop. Wow ... what a hair-raising ride

home for Phil and mum.

Phil says the fun he and about 20 mates had learning to drive that little

car around his suburban back yard was simply the best.

Well, it’s been some years since 1960 and Phil now shares his life with

his lovely wife Pauline.

Over time Phil has replaced or reformed the Austin’s missing, cut or rusted body sections including the floor, mudguards and running boards.

The little Roadster in still a work-in-progress and will eventually get a

gleaming Silver paint job.

Keep up the good work Phil and Pauline. Everyone in the Club looks for-

ward to the day when you can bring that little Austin 7 Roadster on its

first Club Run.

It’s taking shape ..... .... but there’s still more to do.

Page 12

When a Club member’s Austin Seven is due for Conditional Registration

renewal the Roads & Traffic Authority will send renewal papers that in-

clude a white Form No.1259 that requires certification of vehicle roadwor-

thiness and Club membership details.

In the Club Membership Details section of Form No.1259 you must nomi-nate your Primary Club first. This Club is required to certify your vehicle

and membership. When you nominate the Austin 7 Club NSW Inc as

your Primary Club we will inspect your vehicle and certify your member-

ship and then complete the necessary Declaration.

For members who can’t present their vehicle to a Club Vehicle Inspector

(i.e. non-Sydney members) your vehicle can be inspected for roadworthi-

ness by an RTA Authorised Inspection Station to obtain a Pink Slip. Once

this slip is obtained you still need your Club membership certified, so

complete all the details on the left side of Form No.1259 and record the

Pink Slip number as the Safety Inspection Report Number on the right-

hand side of the form.

It’s important to remember that not all Authorised Inspection Stations using the new RTA On-Line Vehicle Inspection System can process Con-

ditional Registrations and issue Pink Slips. You may need to find an

Authorised Inspection Station that can issue a traditional Pink Slip.

The Form No.1259 should then be handed or posted to a Club Vehicle

Inspector for Membership certification and Club stamping prior to regis-

tration renewal. Use the details below if posting your Form No.1259 to

one of our Club Vehicle Inspectors whereupon it will be certified and re-

turned by post the next day. Due to RTA requirements the Club must

keep records of all certifications and therefore a copy of every Form

No.1259 is retained by our Club Vehicle Inspectors.

When a Form No.1259 is handed to a Club Vehicle Inspector at a Club

meeting or event where no copier facility is available it will be certified and returned by post the next day.

Conditional Registration Renewals

Mr Warren Gracie 10 Old Canterbury Road Petersham NSW 2049

(H) 9569 2108 (M) 0417 417 826

Mr Mervyn Boatwright 8 Arwon Avenue

Casula NSW 2170 (H) 9822 8609

(M) 0412 940 001

Page 13

You can now become a

Business Card Sponsor for just $1 per week.

There has always been a lot of interest in Austin

7’s, and it seems every month more people are

surfing the web and discovering our Club’s web-site. Businesses and individuals are now invited to

become a Business Card Sponsor on our website

for just $1 per week on a 52 week sponsorship.

So don’t wait, simply visit our Business Card

Sponsors page at www.austin7clubnsw.org.au and

print off a Business Card Sponsorship Form. Send

your completed form to us together with your

business card and sponsorship cheque and we’ll

do the rest.

How Long Have You Owned a Car?

Can you imagine having the same car for 81 years? I guess it’s warranty

would have expired by then!

Mr. Allen Swift ( Springfield

- Massachusetts - USA) re-

ceived this 1928 Rolls-Royce Piccadilly P1 Roadster from

his father, brand new, as a

graduation gift in 1928. He

drove it up until his death

in 2009 ... at the age of 102!

He was the oldest living

owner of a car from new.

Just thought you'd like to

see it. He donated it to a

Springfield museum after his death. It has 170,000 miles on it, still runs

like a Swiss watch, dead silent at any speed and is in perfect cosmetic

condition after 82 years. That's approximately 2,000 miles per year.

FOR SALE

Austin 7 Tow Car

1975 Mercedes Benz 280 SE

Automatic, fuel injected and air conditioned. An original car in excellent condition.

Historic number plates NOT transferrable. Phone Cliff

Stockley on (02) 6555 9807.

$3,950

Spare Parts

Page 14

Five 19” AVON SIDE CAR TYRES (3.5” x 19”)

$80 EACH

Contact Merv Boatwright (on behalf of a Club Member) on

(02) 9822 8609 or at m.boaty@bigpond.com

All Spare Parts correspondence should be addressed to:

Mr Mervyn Boatwright, P.O. Box 1055, Menai Central. NSW 2234

Tel:/Fax: (02) 9822 8609 Email: m.boaty@bigpond.com

Spare Parts will NOT be brought to meetings unless requested before-

hand due to the vast number of parts in stock nowadays. Please contact

Merv by the Thursday evening prior to the meeting with details of the

parts you need. All Members choosing to pay by cheque for parts should read the instructions at the bottom of their invoice. Please make all

cheques for Spare Parts payable to Austin 7 Club NSW Inc Spare Parts.

New Parts for your Austin Seven

19” Cast Iron Brake Drum

16” Cast Iron Brake Drum

$215 each AVAILABLE NOW

How to Interpret Car Advertisements

FOR SALE: Jaguar XK 150. One for the enthusiast, unfinished project, 99% complete, no serious rust. A British classic. $30,000 ono.

One for the enthusiast means it would suit an automotive tradesman

with 30 years experience and a fully equipped professional workshop.

Unfinished project means it’s beyond me where all the bits went, I think

I’ve lost a few parts. 99% complete means the bits that are missing are

near impossible to find, and if you do find them they will cost a fortune.

A British classic means it leaks oil.

Crown Wheel & Pinions

Early and Late A7 Models Please phone for price

If bad weather conditions are looming, please contact Maureen Boat-

wright on Saturday evenings or from 6:30am on the Sunday of the run

(H) 02 9822 8609 (M) 0413 017 263 or Warren Gracie (H) 02 9569 2108

(M) 0417 417 826.

And please remember to always carry the

following documents in your Austin 7:

Comprehensive Insurance Policy

Clubs’ Certificate of Currency

Baby Torque Magazine

Bad Weather

2011 Supper Roster

Page 15

9 March 2011 Amy & Paul Pui

13 April 2011 Warren Gracie

11 May 2011 Joanne & Mark Wellington

8 June 2011 Maureen & Merv Boatwright

13 July 2011 Helen & Denis Quartly

10 August 2011 Faye & Robert Yarroll

Point Score Trophy

Don’t forget the Austin 7 Club NSW “Point Score” program.

Our aim is to see as many people as possible attending

events and meetings (including monthly general meetings). Participation in an event or outing from the starting point

to the finish will score you 2 points, while attending a gen-

eral meeting will score you 1 point. These points are

awarded whether you attend in your Austin 7 or modern

car. The person with the highest points tally will receive a

trophy at our Christmas Luncheon / Presentation Day. So

come along and get involved.

The Austin 7 Club NSW Inc has

been active for over 25 years

and aims to bring together peo-

ple with the common interest of

restoring, preserving and driv-

ing Austin Sevens. We are an

informal family club that regu-

larly takes our "Babies" to the

road for some fun social touring.

Spare parts are available to

Club Members through the Club

Spares Division and our techni-

cal people will give advice,

where possible, in regard to the

restoration of these cars.

Postal Address:

P.O. Box 6009 North Ryde NSW 2113

Email:

info@austin7clubnsw.org.au

Website:

www.austin7clubnsw.org.au

Austin 7 Club NSW Inc

your vehicle. If you wish to at-

tend invitational events outside

Club runs, you MUST contact a

Committee Member to log the

trip, otherwise your

registration and in-

surance is NOT

valid.

You should carry a

copy of the Clubs’

Certificate of Insur-

ance (Public Liabil-

ity) in your Austin 7

at all times together

with the most recent copy of

this “Baby Torque” magazine.

Any Member using a vehicle on

RTA Conditional Registration

(HCRS) and attending a Secondary

Club Run or any event listed un-

der Invitations Ac-

cepted or Other Events

of Interest MUST con-

tact a Committee Mem-

ber to advise your vehi-

cles movements PRIOR

to attending the event.

The committee of the

nominated primary

club on your condi-

tional registration must be aware,

and approve of, all movements of

"Dedicated to the preservation and

enjoyment of all types of

Austin Sevens"

Conditional Registration

Member of The Council of Motor Clubs, Inc