LOCAL LIFE
West HQ ’ s Golden
by Greg Martin
King George III ( 1760-1820 ), Queen Victoria ( 1837-1901 ) and Queen Elizabeth II all celebrated their 60 years on the British throne with lavish Golden Jubilee celebrations .
Well , the queen of Sydney ’ s west , West HQ , joins that illustrious trio in commemorating its own 60th birthday throughout September and October – yep , 60 days of celebrations !
Celebrations of course won ’ t match the pageantry displayed when the British Empire celebrated their sovereigns ’ longevity on the throne , but West HQ will be ensuring its members and guests will never forget the occasion .
Those 127 founding members of Rooty Hill RSL back in 1964 when the club operated out of small weatherboard building in North Parade , Rooty Hill , would be amazed and proud of what the membership and board of directors have achieved down the ensuring six decades .
The club morphed into West HQ , relocated to its current site in 1972 and now boasts membership exceeding 60,000 !
West HQ – perfectly named because it is the headquarters of entertainment in Sydney ’ s west ! Singer-songwriter , Arlo Guthri , reckoned “ you could get anything you want at Alice ’ s Restaurant ”, and so too can members and guests at West HQ .
Food is not only the way to a man ’ s heart but everyone ’ s heart - there are 11 venues to sate everyone ’ s hunger and tastes including Chu China Doll Restaurant , New Town Thai , Steak & Oyster Co and 33Grill Bar and Dining .
Throw in Timezone & Zone Bowling , Oness Health and Fitness centre , Sydney Gymnastic and Aquatic Centre and the fivestar Novotel Sydney West HQ – West HQ has something for everyone .
Not to mention – OK , I will mention - the truly magnificent 2000-seat Sydney Coliseum Theatre which will be the focal point of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations .
The Clarendon Classic Machinery , Truck and Hobby Show
The Clarendon Classic Machinery Rally incorporates the Kenworth Klassic Truck Show and the Model and Hobby Show . This annual event is over the weekend of 21-22 September at the Hawkesbury Showground and is hosted by the Sydney Antique Machinery Club Inc .
This family friendly two-day event includes a great display of restored tractors and stationary engines , vintage cars , trucks , bikes , antique tools and more . There will be a wide range of exhibits for all the family to enjoy , including models , collectables and old parts , art and craft , historical displays , classic vehicles , machinery demonstrations , and free kids ’ amusement rides .
On Sunday morning there is Tractor and Vehicle Trek . The Model and Hobby Show showcases running and static models , plus model and toy sales .
The Kenworth Klassic will feature over 500 Kenworth trucks , as well as over 300 trucks from other brands , from vintage Peterbilts to Macs . A display of special edition SAR and W models , known as Gold Nuggets , of which only 30 were made , will be on show .
A tractor-pulled ride trailer will come in handy to ferry sore-footed people around the grounds and there will be lots of items on sale from collectable stalls . The tractor pull is the biggest one in the southern hemisphere , and together with running steam engines , vintage engines and the huge 106 litre turbo charged Blackstone diesel ( ironically named Tiny ), there is something for all to enjoy .
Each year there are themes to encourage collectors to pull rare engines out of their sheds - this year is Chrysler cars , equipment made by Wolesley , tractors made before 1940 , Chevrolet trucks , and vintage motorcycles .
Hawkesbury Showground is at Racecourse Rd , Clarendon , only a hundred metres from Clarendon Station . Free parking is available via Gate 4 .
Entry - $ 10 for adults and $ 5 for kids . Eftpos and ATMs will be available . Free amusement rides for the kids . Displays open at 9am-4pm on Saturday and 8am-3pm on Sunday .
For more details go to www . SydneyAntiqueMachineryClub . com
12 ISSUE 42 // SEPTEMBER 2024 theindependentmagazine . com . au BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT