2020 JCCA INTERNATIONAL RALLY: Beechworth, Victoria, Aust

[Andrew Henshall]

The members of the Jowett Car Club of Australia are very pleased to invite all Jowett club members internationally to join us in late April 2020 in Beechworth, Victoria, Australia.

Why Beechworth; because it has much to offer as the location for the Jowett Car Club of Australia 2020 International Rally. It is a quiet and picturesque Victorian country town that features an historic precinct with many 1850s gold rush era buildings. The area is well known for its autumn leaves, and so we plan to hold the rally in late April 2020 at the peak of their colourful display.

Beechworth Rail Trail.pdf

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Beechworth lies on the Great Alpine Road at the foothills of the Victorian Alps, and because Jowett cars have a strong connection to the 1950s International Alpine Rally, we have adopted an appropriate theme for our rally “The JCCA Alpine Rally”. The original International Alpine Rally was regarded as the toughest of the European trials, covering 2,000 miles and including 20 or more of Europe’s highest mountain passes. Our rally will be nowhere near as demanding; you can be assured that all roads used during the rally will be selected with Bradfords in mind!

Beechworth is a very popular tourist destination, and so we have set the dates for the rally to avoid the school holidays. Nevertheless, most of the accommodation at Beechworth will be booked out way in advance; in fact, many people book their Caravan Park accommodation a year in advance. We have also timed our rally so that those who choose to extend their stay in Beechworth can join a major event which is held the following weekend. “Drive Back in Time” organised by the Beechworth Old Cranks Club involves hundreds of classic vehicles on display in the main street. See: http://beechwortholdcranksclub.com/?page_id=6

The 2020 JCCA International Rally will allow you to take a step back in time and follow the journey of Beechworth's history, from pioneers looking to strike it rich in the goldfields, to the region's indigenous people, to some of Australia's most notorious bushrangers.

Beechworth Historic Courthouse
One of Beechworth's most visited attractions, the historic Courthouse is a beautifully preserved living history museum and the site of some of the dramatic events of gold era Australia, including the trial which sealed Ned Kelly's fate.

Ned Kelly Vault
Boasting the largest collection of Ned Kelly memorabilia, images and artefacts, this collection and the building it's housed in takes you on a journey to understand the man and the interest his story has generated. The exhibition features "Betty", a rifle used by Ned Kelly, the armour suit worn by Mick Jagger in the move Ned Kelly and a reproduction of the famous Jerilderie Letter.

Old Beechworth Gaol
The Old Beechworth Gaol is one of Australia’s most significant post European cultural sites. Its role in the chain of events that led to the execution of Ned Kelly is significant as it housed Ned’s mother – Ellen Kelly, many of the Kelly sympathisers and Ned himself, alongside his brother Dan and the rest of the Kelly gang.

Mayday Hills Hospital
The Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth is a decommissioned ‘Mental Asylum’ and was one of the largest psychiatric hospitals in Victoria. At its peak of operation, Mayday Hills consisted of 67 buildings, and was home to over 1200 patients and 500 staff. The hospital closed in 1995 after 128 years of operation. We have included a very unusual element at this location as an option in the rally itinerary.

Other key buildings in the Beechworth Historic Precinct include the Town Hall, Telegraph Station, Post Office, many historic Hotels, the Police Reserve and stables, and the stone and timber lock-ups. This area is where we plan to hold the 2020 International Rally Public Concours Display.

You need to make your travel plans, register for our 2020 International Rally, and book your accommodation at our nominated venues early in order to take advantage of our excellent group booking discounts. Full details and a Booking form will be available in early 2019.


Andrew Henshall
JCCA State Representative - Victoria

[Forumadmin]

Thanks for the invite. I have spent my 2019 holiday budget on a trip to the Rugby World cup in Japan and will have to look at what is left for the 2020 budget which will also have to accommodate the Danish Jowett Rally. Perhaps a trip from Perth or Brisbane in a Jowett is required. Anyone got a ride?

[Keith Clements]

I have booked the Armour Inn so now putting out feelers to see how to get to and from the Rally in order to plan to/from which airports to fly and when. Adventure awaits.

[Andrew Henshall]

Bookings are already coming in from overseas for the 2020 JCCA International Rally at Beechworth, Victoria, Australia: Friday 24th April to Monday 27th April 2020 (inclusive); we already have 9 people from the UK & New Zealand who have expressed formal interest in attending, which is fantastic!

We have issued an Expression of Interest form and encourage you to complete the form and return it to me (my contact details appear on the form) so that we can use your responses to fine tune the itinerary and finalise our bookings. Without your feedback, we can only guess as to the numbers attending each element of the rally, which compromises our ability to deliver the best value entertainment to you. The Expression of Interest form is available in electronic form on the JCCA website. See: expression of interest form.

Returning the EoI form is not a commitment to attend the rally or any of the events we have planned, it is merely stating that you are interested in them at this early stage.

Because Beechworth is a very popular historical tourist destination and we are visiting at the height of the autumn leaves colourful display, and on the weekend of the ANZAC Day commemorations, you will need to book your accommodation early, particularly if you require caravan park cabin-style accommodation. I can provide contact details of the recommended park "Lake Sambell Caravan Park" for those interested but be advised that you need to book your cabin this month - April 2019. "Lake Sambell Caravan Park" is the best option by far for you as it is the only caravan park in greater Beechworth, and is located only a short driving distance from the historic town centre and the rally headquarters at the Armour Motor Inn (see below). The Park itself is a paradise with swimming and fishing in the lake, golf, or just kick back, read a book, and enjoy the spectacular view of the lake while enjoying a cold beverage.

We have also booked out all the motel rooms at the very central "Armour Motor Inn" in Beechworth as our primary motel-style accommodation venue. The Armour Motor Inn is perfectly located being only a very short walk from several important venues we are using over the weekend, namely the Public Concours Display, our historic tour of Beechworth, and three of our dinner venues are virtually right next door! They have an in-ground solar-heated pool with sauna, and a nice garden area. "Armour Motor Inn" is holding our booking until the end of December 2019, but be aware that the 20 rooms are already being snapped up. We have been able to negotiate much discounted room rates for all Jowett car club members for all the rooms at the Armour Motor Inn provided you contact them directly and mention the JCCA Rally. I can provide contact details for the "Armour Motor Inn" with payment terms & conditions, the room rates, etc for those interested. We can also recommend alternative motels in Beechworth for the unfortunate situation if you have left it too late to book at the "Armour Motor Inn".

A formal Registration Form will be uploaded to the JCCA club website in due course, along with further details on the accommodation, and the rally fee.

You might be surprised to learn that we plan to offer an optional element during the rally for those who are interested in a Ghost Tour of the Old Beechworth Asylum........at night, starting at 9:00pm! The Beechworth Asylum (established 1867) is a decommissioned mental hospital located in the tranquil Mayday Hills precinct and is one of the largest such hospitals to be built in Victoria. More recently known as the Mayday Hills Hospital, it closed in 1995 after 128 years of operation. The 90-minute walking tour encompasses the history of the facility, memories, local tall tales, urban myths, and so is less of a sensational Ghost Tour experience, and more of a history lesson. To express interest in the optional Ghost Tour (an additional rally fee applies), simply tick the appropriate box on the EoI form.

We have also secured another optional element; a free 60 minute fashion parade at Creswick Natural Fibres Beechworth Store for those who are interested in high quality garments. Learn about the history of Creswick Woollen Mills while enjoying 'A Very Fine Yarn'. To express interest in the free fashion parade, simply tick the appropriate box on the EoI form.

What about joining an optional free wine-tasting courtesy of Indigo Vineyard back at the Armour Motor Inn after a day on the road in your Jowett? Once again, we need to understand the numbers, so please express your interest by simply ticking the appropriate box on the EoI form.

This is just a snippet of what is on offer during the 2020 JCCA International Rally based at Beechworth. We can assure you that you will experience a unique rally in a special very scenic location on the Great Alpine Road at the foothills of the Victorian Alps that matches our theme: “JCCA Alpine Rally”. For JCCA members, don’t be concerned about bringing your Bradford, we haven’t included any mountain passes like the legendary Col de Turini in our rally, it will be totally suitable for all Jowetts!

For those people who might want to spend additional time in or around Beechworth after the rally, you can join a major car event held In Beechworth the following weekend. “Drive Back in Time” is organised by the Beechworth Old Cranks Club and includes hundreds of classic vehicles on display in the main street of Beechworth. With events on both Saturday 4th May and Sunday 5th May 2020, this annual event is very popular.
See: Beechworth Old Cranks Club

Contact me if you would like a few ideas on ways to extend your visit to the Beechworth area; there are plenty of interesting places within 2 hours drive.

Kind regards,

Andrew Henshall
JCCA State Representative - Victoria

[Andrew Henshall]

2020 JCCA International Rally
If you visit the Jowett Car Club of Australia website's 2020 International Rally page (http://jowett.org.au/page-15.html), you will find the Registration Form for the 2020 JCCA International Rally in Beechworth. The form provides you with additional information about the rally, including the Rally Fee, the deposit, and our cancellation terms. We encourage you to complete your form and return it with your payment, as per the details on the form.
You will not be used to registering for a JCCA rally anywhere near as early as this, and nor have you been asked to pay a deposit for previous JCCA rallies. The reason why we have taken these steps is simply because Beechworth is a very popular tourist destination, and in order to secure catering and group entry to certain venues, we have had to pay holding deposits when placing our group bookings. Accordingly, we have given you the option to pay either a $100.00 deposit per person with your Registration, or the full amount at this time if you choose to do so. Because the venues’ terms state that after a certain date our deposits are non-refundable, we have provided you with detailed cancellation terms - see the Registration Form attached to this newsletter. We hope that you understand the need for these steps, which we recognise are new to JCCA members.

Accommodation: Motels
The 20 rooms at the Armour Motor Inn (https://www.armourmotorinn.com.au/), where we will be holding the free wine-tasting, are very nearly all booked; thanks to those members who have made your decision and contacted our host Fiona at the Armour Motor Inn to take advantage of their greatly discounted room rates. Remember that they have quoted very reasonable cancellation terms in the unfortunate situation should you need to cancel your booking. Once the few remaining rooms are filled, you will need to book your motel-style accommodation at one of the alternative motels we provided details for previously: Beechworth Carriage Motor Inn, 3.5 stars (http://www.beechworthcarriagemotorinn.com.au/), which is the closest available motel to the action all weekend, or at the Best Western Beechworth Motor Inn, 4 stars (https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/ ... 97329.html), which is on the outer edge of town.

Accommodation: Caravan Park
In a previous edition of the newsletter, we provided details of the Lake Sambell Caravan Park in Beechworth (http://www.caravanparkbeechworth.com.au/). We are pleased to advise that the owners have had a change of heart and are offering a 10% discount to members of the JCCA who book directly with them by phone on (03) 5728 1421, provided you mention the 2020 JCCA International Rally when booking. Those of you who have already booked at the Lake Sambell Caravan Park and contacted me to let me know have had the 10% discount retrospectively applied to their booking.
I have placed a group booking for a number of cabins at the Lake Sambell Caravan Park as follows: In Date: Friday 24th April 2020, Out Date: Tuesday 28th April 2020 - you can change the dates to suit your plans when you book.
At this stage, the cabins will be held until end-December 2019 (which is the same deal at the Armour Motor Inn). You are required to place a deposit equivalent to the first night's accommodation on booking, based on the 2019 rates less 10%, with the balance paid upon arrival. The 2020 rates are not yet set and they will not be available until around June this year. I am assured that the rate for the cabins will not increase by any more than $5.00 per night in 2020 vs. the 2019 rates shown currently on their website. Remember that we are talking about ANZAC Day weekend during their tourist season, and so the rates are high season & with a public holiday included. I have booked only Standard Ensuite cabins, but if this doesn't suit you, you can choose whatever cabin suits you (budget cabins or deluxe two bedroom cabins).

For further information, see: http://www.caravanparkbeechworth.com.au/ or contact the Lake Sambell Caravan Park via email: contact@caravanparkbeechworth.com.au

Beechworth Historic Precinct
There is more good news to share with you; we have decided to add even more value to your rally experience in Beechworth. Because some members of the JCCA have chosen to extend their visit to Beechworth by a few days, and some might even stay on longer and also join the “Drive Back in Time” event the following weekend, we have negotiated a special deal with the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre. In addition to securing a Group Booking for three activities in Beechworth on the Saturday following the Public Concours Display (to be held in the middle of the Historic Precinct), we have added a Full Precinct Pass to your rally package. This pass entitles you to free entry to the following historic attractions in Beechworth for 7 days: Beechworth Courthouse, Robert O’Hara Burke Museum, Ned Kelly Vault, Beechworth Telegraph Station, and the Beechworth Powder Magazine (pending successful repairs). This also allows you to return to three of these venues that we all will be visiting in case you want to spend more time there.

Don’t forget to complete your Registration Form and return it with your payment in order to secure your entry to the “JCCA Alpine Rally”.

Andrew Henshall, on behalf of the 2020 JCCA International Rally committee

[Andrew Henshall]

2020 JCCA International Rally
The 2020 Rally sub-committee members are still working diligently on detailed planning for our International Rally at Beechworth next year. Fifteen overseas guests have already registered (12 from NZ & 3 from the UK), and we understand that another one or two will be joining us from the UK and one from the USA. You need to make your decision and register for the rally; you don’t want to miss out on this opportunity to visit beautiful Beechworth. Remember that there won't be another JCCA rally in Victoria until 2030 at the earliest. Don’t forget to complete your Registration Form and return it with your payment in order to secure your entry to the “JCCA Alpine Rally”.
We are pleased to advise that all the rooms at the Armour Motor Inn have been taken up; and so people wanting motel-style accommodation will need to contact the alternative motel we suggested previously (Beechworth Carriage Motor Inn), or consider one of the cabins at the Lake Sambell Caravan Park that we have reserved for you until end-December 2019. Remember to mention the JCCA rally when booking at Lake Sambell Caravan Park. Refer to previous editions of “The Javelin” for details (published April & June 2019), or visit the JCCA website Rally page http://jowett.org.au/page-15.html, or contact Andrew Henshall directly.
Bookings for the free Fashion Parade at the Creswick Natural Fibres store in Beechworth are filling quickly. Because the venue can accommodate an absolute maximum of 30 people, we are accepting bookings on a first come first served basis, and will declare it closed to further bookings when 30 is reached. Please let us know if you have already registered for the Fashion Parade and have decided to change your mind and instead do one of the other activities available in the historic precinct, so that your place can be made available to someone on the wait list.
We can now share with you our change of plans for the Presentation Dinner on the Monday night. Instead of taking a private 65 seater coach out to “Amulet Vineyard” in Everton Upper (which closed suddenly recently), we have now booked “The Old Priory”, which is located very close to the centre of Beechworth, and so we don’t need a coach. The Old Priory was built in 1887 as a convent for the Sisters of the Brigidine Order. This historic building set in nearly an acre of established gardens has been used as a function centre, wedding venue and accommodation in recent years. We envisage that you would like to stroll around the gardens prior to dinner, and then partake of an elegant menu that we have arranged for you in their historic dining hall that is now used as a fully licensed function room. The Old Priory is an architectural gem, and features a wide verandah and a wonderful entry door with stained glass sidelights; it provides exactly the style of venue that we want for our Presentation Dinner, which is the conclusion of our International Rally.

I hope that you will decide to join us in Beechworth to enjoy the exciting activities we have booked for you, and spend four days with Jowett friends from all over the world.

On behalf of the 2020 JCCA International Rally sub-committee

[Keith Clements]

The Rally is regretably cancelled due to pandemic.

[Andrew Henshall]

I regret to have to inform you officially that the JCCA national committee held an extraordinary meeting last night and decided unanimously to cancel the 2020 Jowett Car Club of Australia International Rally as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent Australian Government directions.

I am totally devastated by this situation, as we were on track to deliver a great rally in Beechworth, Victoria next month. The health of all our rally attendees is paramount, and so although the decision was a difficult one to make, we had no choice. The fact that the JCCA will incur a significant loss as a result of cancelling the rally was not a consideration. The cancellation costs to people who have booked flights to Australia, and accommodation in Australia, is an issue that was considered however. Given that the Australian & New Zealand Governments have directed all overseas people to self-isolate for two weeks both ways, this effectively took one element out of our hands as all 18 of our international guests were coming to Australia via the JCC-NZ rally.

I will be contacting everyone who has registered for the rally and sending you a letter from the JCCA President, Ed Wolf, which informs you of the club's decision, and advises you of the full refund of rally fees that you will be receiving from the JCCA. Should anyone choose to forgo part of your refund to help cover the losses to the JCCA, the club will be very grateful.

Unfortunately, we decided that the International Rally could not be postponed to a date later in 2020 or even into 2021, and so the next JCCA International Rally will be held in 2022. No decision has been made as to which state will host the 2022 rally, although it seems a pity to waste all the time, and effort that our rally sub-committee has put in over the last 2+ years organising the rally in Beechworth, Victoria which is still a very popular option.

I want to finally wish you all Good Health.

Kind regards, from a dejected,

Andrew Henshall
JCCA Victorian State Representative, on behalf of the 2020 rally sub-committee

[dougie]

Thankyou Andrew and the rally committee!
I understand that you must be devastated, after all the work that you and the committee put into the event.
As it has turned out the decision to cancel has been vindicated.
Take care and look after yourself and your family!
Kindest regards,
Doug Rath
Vice President JCCA