Club Captain’s Chat
Our next club meeting is on the second Wednesday of July. Hope you all can come, it is going to be a video of the Irishman's creek rally. I have contacted Murray McKenzie and Trevor Holland from the Waimate vintage car club. At this stage I have not heard back yet from either of them.
Failing that I have asked Rebecca George to do a video. Please bring a plate of cakes or sandwiches, thank you. Waimate vintage car club are celebrating Henry Ford birthday on the 26th of July, car display etc. At Seddon square 9 am to 12 pm, you're welcome to bring your Ford along and join in.
Garage raid Waimate August 2nd needs numbers of who is going please.
Regards
Club captain
Athol J Caldwell 03 437 0897
Our committing meeting is on the 16th of July 25
Chairman’s Report
Last year the NOVCC branch operated without a chairperson with committee members taking turns to run meetings. I would like to publicly thank the committee for their diligence in ensuring the club ran efficiently despite (or maybe because of) the Chairperson’s position remaining vacant. This year I have been elected as Branch Chairman but we have lost both Ernest George (Club Captain) and Gordon Hay (Committee) otherwise the existing Secretary, Treasurer and committee was elected unchanged.
At our first committee meeting for the 2025/26 year Athol Caldwell agreed to take the Club Captain position and he will be seeking help from others as the year proceeds. His first challenge is to organise the Rally for Cancer on the 24th of August. I would ask all members to support Athol as he takes on one of the challenging roles with in the branch.
Also at this meeting Allan Holywell was seconded onto the committee, bringing the numbers up to six until Athol’s shift so we are still at five committee members. This is Allan’s first time on our committee, we welcome him and look forward to his positive contribution managing the branch. I am also pleased to advise that all of the “Appointed positions” have been filled details of which are set out in the meeting minutes.
I have asked the committee to think about projects the club should look at for this year with some suggestions ranging from extending the club captains storage to realigning/replacing spouting. Once a short list has been drawn up and costed we will bring these to the wider club members for discussion.
I will not be at the July Club Night but look forward to catching up with the wider membership as circumstances allow. In the meantime look after yourselves and if you have anything you think the club should do or any concerns regards the club please feel free to contact me directly (021 390 518). This is your club and we appreciate all and any input.
Derek Brehaut (Breo) Club Chairman
Obituary Neil Rooney
Good afternoon, everyone, my name is Ernest George, and I am speaking on the behalf of the North Otago Branch of the Vintage Car Club of New Zealand. Neil was a very active member of the Vintage Car Club until recently. He transferred to North Otago on 8th July 1970 from the Otago branch. Neil was involved and very supportive with the formation of the Central Otago branch. This included meeting Nonie on his way to a vintage car club meeting. He was late to that meeting. What a special piece of history. With Neil being a teacher, he had a great passion for history and books, he shared this in his own way to both young and old members and their family’s of the club.
I first meet Neil in the year 2000 when I moved here to Oamaru. Neil was the Librarian and Archivist for our branch, it was a role he enjoyed, and he spent a lot of time setting up the library and the collection of archives. Neil held this role for a considerable number of years. Thank -you for your hard work.
Neil received his 50-year badge on the 27th February 2021 which was very special honour for him to receive this. Badge 404.
Being a member of the Vintage Car Club, showed he had a long-lasting love of old cars, mainly Buick. Some of us will remember seeing Neil at swap meets, he had a board on his back saying I want your Buick parts. His search for parts, lead him all over the world. There are many stories to be told about Neil's life. Thank you for everything you have done for the Vintage Car Club of NZ.
Some of life’s adventures is not knowing what the future holds, Nonie so when Neil was away on his adventures, he often left you at home to look after everything.
Sunday drives where always an adventure. when Nonie and the girls would go with Neil. When ask where are we going and Neil replied here and there, or he head down a road then say so and so lives along here. Nonie was wise and had the books and food packed in the car for these occasions.
In my eyes the best things in Neil's life were teaching with a passion for the past, Vintage Car Club, Church and the most important, Nonie and Family.
Waimate Branch Vintage Car Club
Garage Raid 2025
Saturday August 2nd 2025
Registration from 9:30am at club rooms Harris St
Get a group together for an enjoyable day poking around others projects/ collections.
Mid Month Run on July 17th will be a lunch run. Please let me know if you are coming as soon as possible.
Phone John or Jo at 4371112. Leaving clubrooms 11am Cheers John
For Sale:
These are some of the late Tony Rhodes treasured gear which the family would like to see going to those who will appreciate its history, look after it and show it bringing pleasure to others as Tony so often did. Tony was a great supporter of everything that the Manawatu Vintage Machinery Club did, and its would be great if we can help the family find good homes for this gear. Details are as follows:
Caterpillar Crawler 22 - recently restored
Assembled 1937. Series manufactured 1934-1939
4.1 L 4-cylinder gasoline
25 HP (drawbar) - 31 HP (belt)
3-speed transmission
20 gal kerosene - 2 gal gasoline
6200 lb
Bedford truck KHLC14
runs well with lots of recent improvements, has a current COF
Engine #119
Registered 18/09/1964.
Series manufactured 1961-1981
400 ci (6.54 litre) naturally aspirated Leyland diesel
5-speed + 2-speed Eaton
GVM 12,701 kg
Killefer revolving scraper - recently restored
Model #27
Series manufactured 1928-1935 est.
Nominal capacity 22 cubic feet
Killefer Manufacturing Corporate, Peoria, Illinois
Patent - improved control for scrapers utilising a movable drawbar - filed 26 June 1931
Villiers 4-stroke engine driving a Renown jack pump - recently restored
Villiers is Model Mark 10. Series manufactured 1945-1957. Nominal capacity 98cc (50mm x 50mm). Power 1 hp @ 2,000 rpm; 1.3 hp @3,000 rpm. Villiers Engineering Co Ltd, Wolverhampton, UK. Villiers successfully innovated the flywheel magneto (1917) replacing the externally mounted magneto.
Renown jack pump was manufactured by WH Price & Son, Christchurch. Casting and manufacture of a range of pumping equipment.
Lister engine - unrestored
See picture - unknown if all parts are present.
If you are interested please contact Karen Rhodes 0274 053 144 or karenrhodes001@gmail.com) to arrange a viewing and to discuss price. The items are located in Dannevirke.
Tony treasured these items and would want them to go to someone who will show them and share the history.
Items for the Newsletter can be posted or dropped off to 6 Waiareka lane, off Saleyards Road Or emailed to gsimpsonyyy@gmail.com
Newsletter submissions. Preferred formats are Open-office, Libre-office or MS Word as an attached document. Plain emails create extra work. Please, no “enter” key at the end of every line. Contact me for advice if not sure.
Thanks, Graeme
NORTH OTAGO BRANCH
OFFICE BEARERS 2025/26
Chairman Derek Brehaut (Lee) 021 390 518
Immediate Past
Chairperson
Vice Chairman
Secretary Brian Harrison (Janette) 03 434 2148
Club Captain Athol Caldwell (Patricia) 03 437 0897
Treasurer John Gale (Jo) 03 437 1112
Committee:
Beaded Wheels Scribe
Custodian
Tony Hales (Jenny) 03 434 7729
Lindsay McLeod (Margaret) 021 871 526
Allan Holywell 0210 813 1323
John Adamson 0274 347 009
Murray Hayes 027 239 9009
Kathleen Perry 03 434 7226
Steve McDonald 027 928 0002
Librarian / Archivist Murray Bain 0211 785 783
Newsletter Editor Graeme Simpson (Wendy) gsimpsonyyy@gmail.com 027 293 1059
Spare Parts
Vehicle Verifiers
James MacKenzie (Angele) 029 770 7105
Wayne Croft 027 608 0002
Quentin Barrow (Ange) 027 434 5570
Ernest George (Brenda) 027 209 0609
Murray Hayes 027 239 9009
Club email address northotago@vcc.org.nz
Committee Meetings 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7.00 pm. All Members Welcome.
Club Nights 1st Wednesday of the month at 7.30 pm
