Speeches
Tuesday, 25 November 2025
Reception to celebrate 50th anniversary of the 48-FJ Holden Club of SA
Well, what a magnificent line up of cars outside!
Welcome everyone to Government House to mark the 50th anniversary of the 48-FJ Holden Club of South Australia.
I can see from the spick and polish of the cars outside the window that at the heart of the club is pride: pride in your cars, pride in preserving history, pride in sharing these wonderful vehicles with others; and pride in getting them out of the shed and regularly driving them.
Such is the allure of Holdens, we have here today several of the Government House staff, two of whom are likewise Holden aficionados, owning a couple of more recent cars and others who just love Holdens.
To say the FJ and earlier FX are iconic is an understatement.
They are quintessentially Australian. They are rugged. They roar. They are part of our motoring heritage which has now ebbed. They were built for Australia. They turn heads. They are part of our cultural identity.
Many families will still remember when granddad or dad bought their first Holden – it was affordable - and washed every week before it was taken out on family outings.
That tradition created generations of families loyal to the brand.
Just as importantly, if anecdotally, it is almost certainly true that, in its heyday, practically anyone living in South Australia knew someone who worked at Holden.
So now, when you as club members take your lovingly cared-for cars out on runs and show them in various places, you evoke memories in all these people.
As one of our Government House staff members – who incidentally happens to drive a Commodore V8 - told me: Holdens should be driven not hidden!
You keep that spirit alive. The spirit of youth, the spirit of being part of the Holden family.
Friends
I am pleased to add a Vice Regal touch to your 50th anniversary.
One of my predecessors, the late the Honourable Sir Eric Neil, was photographed on the 50th anniversary of Holden at Fisherman’s Wharf Port Adelaide with the 1950 Holden owned by club member Don Lines.
I hope you will allow me to join your photo album too.
I thank the original members of the club for recognising the FX and the FJ were becoming rarer in their preserved original form and banding together to preserve and restore these cars.
I know members are extremely generous in sharing their knowledge with each other and also much more widely so non‑owners can enjoy the cars almost as much as you do.
Fifty years later the original five members has grown to 187 members with the opportunity for both men and women to share their passion and camaraderie.
I am sure many stories are swapped when you get together.
I thank everyone past and present who have worked hard for the club over its history, in particular those who have undertaken leadership roles.
May you all drive the future of the club for many years to come.
Congratulations on your 50-year milestone.