Royal Automobile Club of Australia

Royal Automobile Club of Australia
Formation	1903
Type	Business, Social and Special Interest
Headquarters	89 Macquarie St, Sydney, Australia
Location	New South Wales, Australia;
President	Dr Paul Myers, President
Key people	John Autelitano, CEO
Website	www.raca.com.au

The Royal Automobile Club of Australia (RACA) is an Australian motoring organisation, which has also incorporated the Australian Imperial Services Club since 1987.

The RACA was established in March 1903 in Sydney,^[1]^[2] and is the oldest motoring club in Australia, founded by Henry Alfred ‘Harrie’ Skinner, WE Fisher and HE Jones.^[3] The organisation also advocated for specific localised issues for motorists in Sydney.^[4]^[5] The Royal Automobile Club of Australia had an important role in shaping early motoring legislation, in safeguarding the rights of motorists, and in establishing motorsport in Australia.^[6]

In the 1920s and 1930s it was involved in organising hill climbing races, and similar events in New South Wales.^[7]^[8]

Most states of Australia have organisations named Royal Automobile Club with the state names added:Royal Automobile Club of Queensland, Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania, Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia.

The organisation used to provide roadside service and insurance but in 1945 in an agreement with the NRMA ceased offering these services with members gaining reciprocal access to NRMA provided services.^[9]^[10] The RACA is a member of the Australian Automobile Association.

History

Original office bearers

The first office bearers of the Royal Automobile Club of Australia (RACA), in 1903, were:

President: HA Jones
First Vice President: James Macken
Second Vie President: Dr C McCarthy
Third Vice President: Harrie Skinner
Fourth Vice President: Harry Vale
Hon Treasurer: George Lane
Hon Secretary: WE Fisher
Consulting Engineer: AJ Knowles

Past presidents

HA Jones (1903–1908)
S Horden Sr. (1908–1909)
GF Todman (1909–1910)
Sir Samuel Hordern, KBE (1910–1912, 1914–1930)
Colonel JM Arnott (1912–1914)
PA Oatley (1930–1936)
WJ Bradley QC BA LLB (1936–1937)
Sir John Butters, KB CMG MBE VD (1937–1949)
H Scougall (1949–1956)
HA Fisher-Webster BA (Oxon) (1956–1967)
GW Cutts (1967–1970)
AF Bode FCA (1970–1973)
JO Sherwood MBE (1973–1982)
BV Clifton (1982–1987)
RG Wagland (1987–1992)
BD Kelly (1992–1997)
HE Nicholls (1997–1998)
BJ Fisher (1998–2003)
G. Thomas (2003–2016)
M. Callanan (2016–2021)
M. Lavender (2021–2022)
R. Armitage (2023–)

References

^ Royal Automobile Club of Australia, 89 Macquarie Street Sydney, 1963, City of Sydney Archives, 1963, retrieved 22 July 2024
^ "SMALL BEGINNINGS". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 28, 020. New South Wales, Australia. 25 October 1927. p. 7. Retrieved 22 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ Royal Automobile Club of Australia (2004), Royal Automobile Club of Australia, 100 years : celebrating the centenary of Australia's oldest motoring organisation, Stroudgate Australasia, retrieved 22 July 2024
^ "ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF AUSTRALIA". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 26, 021. New South Wales, Australia. 30 May 1921. p. 11. Retrieved 22 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF AUSTRALIA". The Grenfell Record and Lachlan District Advertiser. Vol. LXVI, no. 7306. New South Wales, Australia. 28 September 1936. p. 4. Retrieved 22 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "RACA History". Retrieved 20 May 2013.
^ "MOTORING". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 26, 158. New South Wales, Australia. 5 November 1921. p. 14. Retrieved 22 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "MOTORING". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 26, 008. New South Wales, Australia. 14 May 1921. p. 14. Retrieved 22 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "N.R.M.A.—R.A.C.A." Queanbeyan Age. New South Wales, Australia. 24 July 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 23 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "N.R.M.A.—R.A.C.A." The Farmer and Settler. Vol. XL, no. 26. New South Wales, Australia. 27 July 1945. p. 19. Retrieved 23 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.

External links

Homepage of the RACA

33°51′42″S 151°12′46″E / 33.8618°S 151.2128°E / -33.8618; 151.2128

[1] Royal Automobile Club of Australia, 89 Macquarie Street Sydney, 1963, City of Sydney Archives, 1963, retrieved 22 July 2024

[2] "SMALL BEGINNINGS". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 28, 020. New South Wales, Australia. 25 October 1927. p. 7. Retrieved 22 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.

[3] Royal Automobile Club of Australia (2004), Royal Automobile Club of Australia, 100 years : celebrating the centenary of Australia's oldest motoring organisation, Stroudgate Australasia, retrieved 22 July 2024

[4] "ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF AUSTRALIA". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 26, 021. New South Wales, Australia. 30 May 1921. p. 11. Retrieved 22 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.

[5] "ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF AUSTRALIA". The Grenfell Record and Lachlan District Advertiser. Vol. LXVI, no. 7306. New South Wales, Australia. 28 September 1936. p. 4. Retrieved 22 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.

[RACA_History-6] "RACA History". Retrieved 20 May 2013.

[7] "MOTORING". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 26, 158. New South Wales, Australia. 5 November 1921. p. 14. Retrieved 22 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.

[8] "MOTORING". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 26, 008. New South Wales, Australia. 14 May 1921. p. 14. Retrieved 22 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.

[9] "N.R.M.A.—R.A.C.A." Queanbeyan Age. New South Wales, Australia. 24 July 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 23 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.

[10] "N.R.M.A.—R.A.C.A." The Farmer and Settler. Vol. XL, no. 26. New South Wales, Australia. 27 July 1945. p. 19. Retrieved 23 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.

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