The EastLink Great Australian Rally was held on Sunday 20 January 2019.

The event raised $58,000 for Peter Mac Cancer Foundation, exceeding expectations.

Around 1,000 veteran, vintage and classic vehicles attended the event at Cruden Farm, which is a record for the Great Australian Rally, and double the number that was expected to attend this year.

In addition to the 2,000 drivers and passengers of vehicles, approximately 2,000 members of the public also attended Cruden Farm to see the spectacle, and enjoy jazz played by the Royal Australian Navy Band Melbourne.

The EastLink Great Australian Rally raised $58,000 for Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation, which is a record for public fundraising at the Great Australian Rally. The $58,000 fundraising cheque was presented to Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation on 21 February.

The EastLink Great Australian Rally truly is Australia’s premier showcase of veteran, vintage and classic vehicles.

Thank you to everyone who rallied for a cure at the EastLink Great Australian Rally.

$58,000 provided to Peter Mac Cancer Foundation

Rally event organisers tour the Peter Mac research laboratories

Representing the EastLink Great Australian Rally, Tony Pettigrew (President of the All British Classics Car Club Vic) hands the $58,000 fundraising cheque to Carl Young (Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation fundraising director).

Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation communications manager Anna Jones thanks EastLink Great Australian Rally organiser Rex Hall after receiving the $58,000 fundraising cheque on 21 February.

Head of the Victorian Centre For Functional Genomics, Associate Professor Kaylene Simpson (above) explains the 3D bioprinter for cell biology to visitors from the EastLink Great Australian Rally team. The 3D bioprinter (the pink box), produced by Australian start-up Inventia, is one of the first 5 such devices in the world and the first to be extensively used in a cancer research facility.

Read the recent ABC article for more details about this bioprinter.

One of the large, well-equipped labs at Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation (above).

EastLink Operations Centre, Ringwood

Rallying point for 125 vehicles, prior to proceeding to main event site

From 7:30am on 20 January, 125 veteran, vintage and classic vehicles gathered at the EastLink Operations Centre in Ringwood. Owners and passengers enjoyed chatting together over free coffees and bbq sausages.

At the same time, vehicles were gathering at three other sites: Hastings Marina, St Kilda Road Melbourne and Stud Park Rowville.

Starting at 9am, the vehicles at the EastLink Operations Centre were waved off one-by-one, by Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation fundraising director Carl Young, and the vehicles headed down EastLink to the main event site at historic Cruden Farm, Langwarrin.

Cruden Farm, Langwarrin

Main event site with around 1,000 vehicles

Winner of The EastLink Trophy

Peter Hibbert for his Ford Victoria 1956

Congratulations to Peter Hibbert (right) for winning The EastLink Trophy for his Ford Victoria 1956 (below), which was judged Best Outright Vehicle at the EastLink Great Australian Rally 2019.

Other trophies were awarded for these categories:

• Best Veteran: Benz Patent Motor Wagon (Jim French)
• Best Vintage: Elite 1923 12/40 (Graeme Simpson)
• Best Early Classic 1931 – 1940: Chevrolet Phantom 1932 (Wayne Robertson)
• Best Late Classic: Fiat 850 Sport Coupe 1969 (Tony & Shirley Di Gennaro)
• Best American: Ford Victoria 1956 (Peter Hibbert)
• Best British: Morris Mini 850 1961 (Leigh Rawlings)
• Best Commercial: Bedford K Model 1948 (Warren Dodd)
• Best Motorcycle: V-Twin Zenith 1929 (Alan Greenway)
• Best Club display: Classic Historical Automobile Club (CHAGA)