Daffodil Day Co-ordinator 2026 Denis Knight 027 351 3190
Daffodil Day Assistant Not yet filled
Vehicle Identity Card
Signatories
Evan Henderson
John Tremaine
John Parish
027 650 8056 027 432 0197 (03) 208 5505
Chairman’s Report
Well, that’s another month done and dusted. The maintenance crew have been busy and have cut out the remaining poplar trees from the Waimea boundary which will, in the long term, make maintenance easier. Thanks Bruce and Roy. A discussion will need to work out what we should do with the trees around the car park. From what I’ve heard generally, it’s felt that they should come out. That’s something we should look at carefully because every major expense we put elsewhere is money that we take away from finishing the toilets.
We had another Clearwater Capers & Frank Robson run using Greg Elder’s home as the destination. A well-organised afternoon and Greg’s home is the perfect place for a picnictype afternoon tea, along with a look around Greg’s sheds and projects.
Our AGM is not far away, and nomination papers are now out with The Wiper. It’s time to think about what you could do to help to make our branch the friendly and successful club that it is. If you’re not too sure, members who have held positions in past years will help you. I am not standing next year so we will need a chairman. With a great group of committee members around you to help and assist no job is really that difficult.
Everyone will have seen, in the Beaded Wheels, the registration notice for our 60th anniversary. I believe that there will be a registration form out shortly. Do fill it out and return it back to Paul Herron as soon as you can, because knowing numbers early really is a help to event organisers.
Murray Proctor
Joke from Gerry Kennedy
Just found out why this month is called May.
It May rain
It May snow
It May be 35ºC
It May be 10ºC
Reminder
Gore Branch AGM, Tuesday 9th June
The Agenda and the Minutes of last year’s AGM will be in next month’s issue
Nominations are invited for all branch positions, a nomination form is printed in this month’s issue
NOTE
Gerry Kennedy, Keith Nunn and Murray Proctor have all indicated that they will be standing down from their branch positions at theAGM
The Editor
Club Captain’s Report
Time has come around for my report. I, with the help of son Barry, organised the March Run. It was the first Gore Vintage Car Club run that we have had to organise. Also on the same day was the Hokonui Pioneer Park Jubilee celebrations,
Another job I did this month was to work on the gate at the Swapmeet. It amazed me who came through the gates and left with items that will be able to be used again or used to fix some machinery back to top running order.Time went so fast meeting old school mates, sport members and neighbours. Also, I spoke to several visitors from outside our area which is great for the branch.
A very big thank you to Katherine and her team from all branch members for the excellent organisation that they put in to make the day such a successful and interesting activity.
I attended the March branch meeting and was very happy to meet up with John Peterson, to listen to his talk on travelling on the Ghan and Indian Pacific trains. It was a very interesting talk with several beautiful clear images. I have known John for several years while he was chief organiser for Conservation Volunteers for Southland and Otago. For a period of about 11 years, I have spent a week a year with John and other volunteers fixing huts, cabins, painting and general maintenance around Otago and Southland Conservation properties. It would amaze members what work John has done for trampers, mountaineers and residents of Southern NZ by looking after all our old historic tracks, lighthouses, etc. for us all to enjoy.
It would be great to welcome John back to the branch at a future time to talk about Conservation Volunteers, I am sure a lot of members would be very interested on what he has organised and completed during his time as chief of the volunteers.
Alan Ritchie
From the Editor’s Keyboard
An absolutely jam-packed edition this month, with (part 1 of) a wonderful story on the Vero Rally by Paul Katon, Greg Elder’s brief account of the Southland Branch Veteran & Vintage Rally and Katherine Welsh’s report on the Swapmeet.
Also included this month is a Notice of Motion to make a small, but important, change to the Branch constitution and the usual notices of forthcoming events, not all of which are car-related this time.
I am still (always!) looking for articles to fill these pages, so if you take part in any of the events, please send me a wee story about it!
Did you all remember to put your clocks back at the end of Daylight Saving? One of the people I know in Riverton put the clocks forward an hour and somebody who resembles the photo above completely forgot – maybe I’ll take NZ-Compare’s advice (opposite) next year!
Looking ahead, June’s events will include the Gore Branch AGM and also the 60th anniversary of the branch being founded. A registration form with details of the weekend’s celebrations is on page 23 of this issue.
Happy reading!
David North
Q: What begins with the letter "T," is filled with "T," and ends with "T"? Answer next month
Answer to last month’s Brainteaser
Q. What makes this number unique: 8,549,176,320?
A. This is the only number that includes all the digits arranged in alphabetical order.
BRAINTEASER
Wealth Comparison
In 2022, the data journalist Mona Chalabi presented readers with nine ways to visualize the sheer scale of Jeff Bezos’ wealth across space and time. “In order to accumulate as much money as Bezos ($172 billion),” Ms. Chalabi wrote, a factory worker on Amazon’s standard salary “would have had to start working in the Pliocene Epoch,” 4.5 million years ago. She put things in conceivable perspectives: If the median wealth is a flake in a snow globe, Bezos’wealth is the Statue of Liberty. If the median wealth is the height of a piece of Toblerone, Bezos’ is five stacked climbs of Mount Everest.
Car photos for the Clubrooms
Any members wanting to update the picture(s) of their car(s) or who have a new car and want to display it in the Clubroom photo gallery, please contact Alan Ritchie for a time and place to suit you both.
Phone 03 208 6790
Southland Veteran and Vintage Rally 7th March 2026
Cleaned up my 1924 Star Tourer and loaded it into my covered-in trailer the night before. Daphne and I went away to Invercargill at 8am on the Saturday morning. Briefing at the SouthlandVintage Car Club rooms and morning tea at 10 am. First car away shortly after in fine weather.
The Southland Club had combined Veteran and Vintage cars at the same event to get better numbers I suspect - tenVintage and five Veteran cars, one motorcycle. I decided to give my Veteran Cadillac a spell and to take our Vintage Star.
The Star
Some of the other entrants
Ashley Bell’s 1912 Renault AX
We motored out via North Invercargill, Branxholme, Wallacetown and to Thornbury where the timed section finished. It was then towards Riverton with a detour into the Bupa Longwood Retirement Village where many residents were out to greet us.
Howard Kingsford-Smith’s Model T
Lunch and field test were held by the Jetty Street park next to the Aparima River. It was a lovely day, so we motored round to the back beach where many surfers were seen to be enjoying themselves. Then it was back to the SVCC Clubrooms for prize-giving just as a misty light rain started to fall.
Paul & Lynne Herron won the Veteran class in their red Model T, and Bob Herron won the Concours in Vintage in his ModelAFord.
Paul had to change a coil box to get the T to run nicely on all four cylinders.
Paul & Lynne Herron, Model T
Overall Winner, Dave Harris’ Oakland
Agreat day’s motoring on lovely roads. Happy Motoring, Greg Elder
Notice of Motion for the May General Meeting
Thatclause23.2 oftheGoreBranch constitution beamended as follows:
If such resolution is confirmed at that further meeting, then the Branch shall be wound up under the provisions of the Act. If there remains after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any property whatsoever, such property shall not be paid to or distributed among members of the Branch but shall be donated, as the Branch in Special General Meeting shall determine, to the Club, some other Branch or Branches of the Club or to such othernot-for-profit sporting orcharitableorganisation as approved by the Inland Revenue Department and the Club Secretary/Treasurer.
Proposed by David North
Seconded by Katy Parish 24 March 2026
Background
Extract from email received from the National Office:
Dear Branch Secretary
The Club has recently become aware of an amendment that all Branches will need to make in their Branch Constitution to be compliant with the IRD for our income tax exemption as an amateur sports promoter under section 46 of the Income TaxAct 2007.
The amendment relates to the Winding Up Clause in your Branch Constitution. In most Branch Constitutions it will be Clause 25.2.
Each Branchwill needto includetheaddition ofsporting as thespecification for a not-for-profit organisation as an option to donate the Branch property to. Acharitable organisation is still an option; it is just that if a not-for-profit organisationistobeconsidered asanoptionfordonationofBranchproperty, then it must be a sporting not-for-profit to meet the Club’s tax exemption requirements.
For example, if the current wording states:
25.2 Ifsuch resolution is confirmedat thatfurther meeting,thentheBranch shall be wound up under the provisions of theAct. If there remains after the
satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any property whatsoever, such property shall not be paid to or distributed among Members of the Branch but shall be donated, as the Branch in Special General Meeting shall determine, to the Club (so long as it is a not-for-profit entity), some other Branch or Branches of the Club (so long as it is a not-for-profit entity) or to such other not-for-profit or charitable organisation as approved by the Club Secretary/Treasurer.
Then the wording will need to be amended to:
25.2 Ifsuch resolution is confirmedat thatfurther meeting,thentheBranch shall be wound up under the provisions of theAct. If there remains after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any property whatsoever, such property shall not be paid to or distributed among Members of the Branch but shall be donated, as the Branch in Special General Meeting shall determine, to the Club (so long as it is a not-for-profit entity), some other Branch or Branches of the Club (so long as it is a not-for-profit entity) or to such other not-for-profit sporting or charitable organisation as approved by the Club Secretary/Treasurer.
The requirement for this change was discussed at the March 2026 Executive Meeting on the weekend, so your delegate will be aware of the situation.
Should you have any queries please contact me.
Kind regards,
Linda Duffell OfficeAdministrator,
The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand Incorporated
The Historic VehicleAuthority of New Zealand
St James Theatre $5 Film Screening
At the December meeting, the overwhelming preference was for a weekday evening screening. Paul McPhail, manager of the St James Theatre, has said it will be a Monday at 6pm and he will be in touch with a day and date sometime in the New Year.
Full details will be published in The Wiper. David North
Tuesday Ramble 26th May
11.30am: meet at Gore VCC clubrooms BYO lunch. Hot water, tea, coffee, milk supplied
1.30 pm: depart for short trip up the road to look over Barry Scott’s boat which is nearing completion (Barry has been building the boat over many years)
Numbers to Gerry: 027 233 4634
BEFORE 21st May
Gore Branch Events for the 2025-26 Season
Event Date Organiser(s)
Night Trial
2026
Not being run this year Keith Nunn
BranchAGM Tuesday 9th June (Meeting night)
End of Season Run
To be run in conjunction with the 60th Anniversary Celebration
Branch 60th Anniversary Celebration Friday 19th – Sunday 21st June Committee chaired by Paul Herron
Daffodil Day Rally Sunday 23rd August TBC
Tuesday Ramble
Usually the last Tuesday of the month (except December) Co-ordinated by Gerry Kennedy
Editor's note to event organisers
If you want to see a report in The Wiper, please provide one yourselves or organise somebody to do it for you. (N.B. This works best if you ask them before the event!)
Correction
I don’t know where “Adrian van Newton” (page 6 of the March issue) came from, apparently it should have been Adrian van Uden. My apologies for the error. The Editor
Other Events
In New Zealand History This Month
NZ's first woman barrister and solicitor appointed 10 May 1897
Born into a prominent Dunedin Jewish family, Ethel Benjamin excelled at Otago Girls’ High School, where she passed the university junior scholarship examination in 1892.
The following year she became the first woman to be admitted to law school when she entered the University of Otago, the first university in Australasia to permit women to take a law degree. She proved to be an outstanding student and duly graduated LLB in July 1897.
Following the passage of the Female Law Practitioners Act 1896, on 10 May 1897 Ethel Benjaminbecamethefirstwomantobeadmitted as abarrister andsolicitorof the SupremeCourt of New Zealand.
From: NZ's first woman barrister and solicitor appointed, URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/nzs-first-woman-barrister-and-solicitor-appointed (Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 10-May-2021
2026 Gore VCC Swapmeet –
15 March
This year’s Swapmeet, like many before it, started bright and early, with cars arriving from 7am, despite trying a later start time this year. As cars and trailers trickled in, so too did the rain. Thirty-six stalls were set up, including a couple of vehicles for sale. It was the making of a great swapmeet, as stallholders and public filtered in. There were many options available to purchase, with books, puzzles, clothes, food, car parts, antique and modern knick-knacks, models and plants, to name just a few.
Luckily no-one was too hungry first up, because the team tasked with running the deep fat fryer found themselves in a bit of hot water.
The cooks: Keith Dodds behind Star McDougall, Chris Scoles, Roy Buchanan looking on They hadn’t had a thorough run-down on how to work the fryer.They forgot to pre-melt the fat, set up the fryer wrong, and consequently couldn’t get the fat up to temperature. Luckily, (again) the 1st Gore Scouts were there selling baking to fundraise for Jamboree. One of their leaders came to the rescue and, after half an hour or so, the fryer had been taken apart and re-assembled and cooking began.
Some of the outside stalls in the car park (top) and the Pioneer Village grounds
The inside stall holders were happy to see people rush inside as the rain became more persistent. The Parts Department also saw a rush of people as the rain came down.
However, after a couple of hours of persistent drizzle, the public stopped arriving, and people started filtering out, in hopes of the weather improving for other events around the district later in the day.
Stalls inside the clubrooms (top) and the Pioneer Village Museum
Draped in disappointment and wet jackets, we made the call to finish up at midday and suggested our indoor stall holders, still dry but with no remaining customers, head home.
Stalls inside the clubrooms, (bottom picture, Toby Welsh and his stall)
I would like to say a massive thank you to the amazing team of volunteers who made this event possible:
• Those on the maintenance team, who helped set up, set out signs and were there to help where needed.
• Those who braved the weather from 7 am to man the gates, collect money and point vehicles in the right direction.
• Those who cooked food, either in the garage or the kitchen, and served the customers with a smile every time.
• Those who helped in the Parts Department and other areas.
Finally, a big “Thank You” to our stall holders, we couldn’t run this event without you. Hopefully next year we will see you back, the sun will shine on our event - and many more customers will come through the gates.
Katherine Welsh
Devonshire teas
Jokes from Gerry Kennedy
If a deaf person goes to court, is it still a hearing?
A man’s garage is his castle even if it’s full of junk. A farmer’s wife went missing but a few days later “He tractor down”.
What We Did on Our Holidays
Vero International Festival of Historic Motoring 2026
(Part
1)
by Paul Katon
Day 1
Packing the car for our holiday to Nelson, there was everything bar the kitchen sink jammed into every available space, gentlemen may I ask, “Is it normal for ladies to have a suitcase just dedicated to shoes????” Poor car. Another side was the war forcing fuel prices up, with me wondering if the choice of a 2-ton V8 vehicle was a good one. Ahh it’s all about smiles per gallon not miles per gallon!
At the Trout
We met at the Trout at 8.45am, Lindsay & Robyn Crooks towing their 1918 Ford T and Paul & Lynne Herron towing their 1911 T. We left in convoy travelling together to Palmerston and that’s where we separated, we had organised to have dinner with Lynley’s parents.
On the road again our only hold ups were roadworks, one just out of Palmerston.At the stop light the truck driver ahead got out and had a wander around, so I thought this is going to take a while... I was right! The weather was wet and with the road works it was a good decision not to wash the car before we left.
Because I have a dickie fuel gauge I decided to top up in Oamaru since it was halfway. The weather improved to dry and overcast all the way to Christchurch, we arrived around 5.30pm at our accommodation, the old Galaxie never missed a beat. Paul had organised a visit to see Kathryn Smith’s collection of cars in a massive shed, Model Ts, ‘47 V8 pickup, Buicks, tractors, Walker electric and many more.
Day 2
Checked all the fluid levels, all good. Off we went, following the Crooks out of Christchurch, I think they took the long way as the Herrons beat us to Amberley even though we left before them. Top fuel up in Amberley, then morning smoko for a caffeine top up. Onto the Lewis Pass, a first for me, what a beautiful drive, it helps with a blue sky above. We caught up with the speeding Crooks on the West Coast side and we noticed that the side door was flapping in the wind, worth a fine I feel, no other incidents to report.
Dinner at Murchison, another top up of fuel then a nice trouble-free run into Richmond to our accommodation. Incidentally, the fuel gauge has finally died on me, as it was next to useless it was no great loss. We celebrated a successful drive with a wee few gins, then in bed by 9.30!!!
At Murchison
Day 3
Was pretty cruisey, after breakfast I drove down to the car wash and washed the road grime off the Galaxie then back to our quarters, then we took Lindsay's and Paul’s trailers off to the A & P grounds as space was at a premium at our camp.
Cars at the sign-in for the rally and views of Trafalgar Street
Lindsay and Robyn had their daughter and two grandchildren spend the day with them at the beach, so Paul & Lynne joined Lynley & I to check out Nelson. I hadn't been there since 1994 so was keen on seeing what had changed, first impression was it seemed a lot busier, and homeless layabouts lying about the streets. We decided it was too cold to have homeless layabouts downhome. Iwas certain therewas abig statueofAdmiral Nelson
at the top of Trafalgar Square. I searched high and low for it, I even asked some locals and they didn't seem to know what I was on about either, oh well, I must have imagined it back then.
After dinner we found John & Katy Parish enjoying dinner so had a catch up with them. Then we went to the Trafalgar Centre to sign in and catch up with fellow rally entrants and check out the many vehicles. That night the six of us piled in the Galaxie and headed to the Speights Ale House for tea. After returning to camp for more drinks we had our first court session, presided over by Robyn. At this early stage Lindsay is leading in the points closely followed by Lynley.
Day 4
Dawned another beautiful sunny day; after topping up with fuel we headed to theTrafalgar Centre to take off for a run.What an exercise in patience that was, what with normal Nelson traffic and trying to squeeze 500-odd cars though a narrow bottleneck! The temperatures were rising, even the car’s temp needle was the highest it's been, I had to turn the heater on to keep the temp down. There was a PA Vauxhall stalled in front, I think Sir Lucas’ starter motor didn't like the heat, and there were reports a BMW cooked her engine. Couldn't blame the organisers as there was roadworks around the entrance that didn't help.
After a while, checking out more cars the temp gauge had settled down and we took off.Taking in the sights around a coastal village where Lynley made her first navigation mistake, if I carried on we would be in the middle of the estuary. After that episode we wandered through Richmond then headed west, we went through some lovely winding roads through little villages and the same up the Motueka Valley, we travelled places that you would never have bothered if you were just visiting the area, it was brilliant! We stopped at Kaiteriteri Beach for lunch, such a beautiful place, Lynley dipped her toes in the water, the first time since she was 15 when on holiday with her family.
After dinner we carried on through Kaiteriteri and up through and down through some very tight windy steep roads, testing the drum brakes on the big Galaxie. We travelled through some beautiful scenery with coastal views, very impressive. After a freshen up at camp, the six of us piled in the Galaxie and headed to the Centre for our first formal dinner and speeches, drinks etc. We met more people and genuinely had a good time with some laughs thrown in.
Day 5
At Kaiteriteri Beach
The start of day saw us travel out to the Nelson Speedway for the start of the next leg of the rally. The route took us around the back of Richmond, Stoke and Hope then up through Pig Valley Road. Very picturesque winding roads then onto a very rough, narrow gravel road, we eventually made it back to
tar seal. Then a leisurely cruise to Lake Rotoiti for lunch and a wander around taking in the scenery, and cars. We had a nice cruise back to camp.
Lake Rotoiti
Once again, the six of us climbed aboard the Galaxie and headed back to the Trafalgar Centre for tea and a bingo night, no prizes for our crew! On the way home the crew were getting boisterous with the stereo cranked up, bloody oldest teenagers in Nelson! We had to call into McDonald's so Lindsay could have his ice-cream of course! Back at camp the partying carried on, didn't have any complaints so all good!
Day 6
Started a bit later, so after a bit of a sleep in and breakfast, Paul Herron had to repair the right rear wheel of his T as the rim tried to part company with
the felloe. While Paul was away to Bunnings for a cheap drill and some wood screws, I managed to repair the fuel gauge on the Galaxie. Paul, Lindsay and I removed the tyre and tube from the rim, we done a temporary repair on the wheel to get though the Rally. Lindsay and I were taking notes on removingand replacing tyres onthebeadedwheels as weareboth owners of veteran Ts.
Working on the wheel
Mr Crooks driving Paul’s T with wife, Robyn, daughter and grandkid(s) in the back
We headed back to the start at the Speedway to begin the Rally, which we ended up at the Pigeon Valley museum for lunch. There was a collection of stationary engines, trucks, cars, tractors, a working sawmill, steam engines etc. etc. I had a good wander around as the ladies enjoyed a good natter under a shady tree. Lynley disgraced herself with her navigation today as she took us to the wrong lunch venue, then, after, had us traveling towards the West Coast, totally the wrong direction!
At Pigeon Valley Museum
Wemadeit back to camp without anymoremishaps, aquicktrip to thebottle shopthenwepiledintheGalaxieandheadedintoNelsonforapublicdisplay of the cars. Once again the stereo got a good work out on the way back to camp for drinks and another court session, with Lynley taking over the lead from Lindsay.
Paul Katon
(To be continued next month. The Editor)
Birthday Celebrations
Mary & Gerry Kennedy and Jean Smale all celebrated their 80th birthdays in April, while a (somewhat shyer) Beb Kennedy celebrated his 90th .
(L-R) Mary Kennedy, a friend, Gerry Kennedy and Beb Kennedy
Jean Smale (left of picture) Photos by Murray Proctor, words by the Editor
AGM NOMINATION FORM
GORE BRANCH 2026 - 2027
I wish to propose ……………………………………………… (name of proposed person)
For the position of
Proposer
(name) (signature)
Seconder (name) (signature)
I accept the above nomination:
(name) (signature)
Please return this form to the Secretary on or before the June meeting
REMINDERS
NOTICES and FOR SALE & WANTED ADVERTISEMENTS ARE FREE to CLUB MEMBERS.Advertisements will usually be published in three consecutive issues. Please contact the Editor.
The Branch receives commission if you insure your vehicle(s), boat(s), house(s), contents or travel with Vero Insurance and quote the Branch number (300135).
https://vcc.org.nz/vero-vcc-insurance-scheme/
Gore Branch VCC name badges: are available to order by contacting the Branch House Convenor, Paul Herron, (phone 027 210 4131). N.B. If you’re not wearing one at a meeting you will attract the Sheriff’s attention and are likely to be fined!
You are very welcome to come on Branch runs in your modern.
Join the VCC online at https://vcc.org.nz/how-to-join/
Both Bluebridge and Interislander Ferries offer discounts to VCC members: https://vcc.org.nz/membership-benefits/
To Let: the Gore Branch Clubrooms are available to VCC members for personal functions at very reasonable cost.
Newsletters from other Branches are posted on the VCC Website each month. Go to: https://vcc.org.nz/news-from-our-branches/
They are also sent to each Branch by email and can be obtained on request from the Secretary or the Editor.
GORE BRANCH BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER
The Branch bank account number is 03-0915-0246885-00
Please put your name and the reason for the payment in the details boxes. Thank you. The Treasurer
Thank you. The Treasurer
In Welsh History This Month
21st May
Born on this day 1841, Joseph Parry
“Myfanwy”, Wales’most famous love song was first performed on 21st May 1875, at the opening concert of the Aberystwyth and University Musical Society. The occasion was the 34th birthday of the song's composer, Joseph Parry, who at the time was Professor of Music at Aberystwyth University. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj3D1wQb0cA&ab_channel=Ingen
Aprestigious classic car, well looked after, in un-restored original condition. Odometer reading 89,000 miles, owned by my dad, John MacGregor (Gore VCC), since 1995. Current WOF & REGO. Price $10,000 ONO
Also, two car bodies, a Vauxhall 10 & a Vauxhall 12, multiple car parts too. Contact Jo Toogood, cell 027 688 2376
Interior: walnut dashboard & leather seating original. Restored in ex condition through 1996. Good history kept over the years of service.
Many spare parts available. Located in Gore, Southland.
Tailpiece
Run reports, articles of interest, photos, technical tips, letters and feedback are always welcome.
The Wiper is usually distributed on or around the last Tuesday of each month
Please note - advertisements & urgent notices must be received before the Sunday following meeting night each month for inclusion in the next issue of The Wiper
If you don't have a computer, I can get a hand-written article typed up or put your notes or jottings into shape for The Wiper. If you prefer, I can even take notes as you talk to me and write up the story for you - I am always ready to help so just let me know how!
Please send all contributions to David North Preferably by e-mail: northd14@gmail.com
physical and mailing address: 4 Trotter Street, Riverton 9822
telephone (mobile) 021 172 3281
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The opinions and statements in The Wiper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy or views of the Gore Branch or of the VCC. The Branch accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any statements.
The Wiper is printed by I-Cue 10 Wood Street, Invercargill Telephone (03) 218 3350