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About RACV
RACV history
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| RACV is proud of its rich history, which began on 9 December 1903 at the Port Phillip Club Hotel. The Club was established to serve the Victorian community, promote and advocate for motor cars and provide facilities and services for members. |
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| Since its foundation in 1903 RACV has steadfastly honoured these aims. There has been continuity of service in the services and products offered to members, with RACV positioned as the state’s peak advocacy body on all motoring and mobility issues and taking a leading role in motor-related educational and environmental issues. |
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| There are currently 29,000 club members and over 2 million members. The first club facilities were offered to members in 1904, using space within the Reform Club at 243 Collins Street. Now the Club offers a five-star City Club, a Country Club at Healesville and five resorts. |
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| The car arrived in Australia during the 1890’s, however it wasn’t until 1903 that the value of this new technology was understood. During the rail strike of May 1903, Harry James and Charles Kellow persuaded the managing director of the Argus newspaper that they should deliver the papers to country centres. Leaving Collins Street at 3am they delivered papers to Kyneton and Castlemaine reaching Bendigo by 9.30am, one hour quicker than the papers usually arrived by train. |
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| In September a dozen motor cyclists rode to Tooradin for an afternoon, where Harry James, Sydney Day and James Coleman decided to organise the first combined motor car and motor cycle outing. The ‘Tooradin Trio’ successfully organised a run to Mordialloc for approximately 60 motorists and 30 cyclists on Sunday 6 December. By the following week 56 like-minded individuals had formed the Automobile Club of Victoria. Not all attendees owned a car, there were not that many cars in Victoria at the time, but they were all keenly interested in the new technology. By the third meeting in January 1904 there were more than 100 members. |
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