The beginnings of a State Association

Our Past

Queensland Model Boat Club. The beginnings of a State Association.

by ARYA HISTORIAN Steve CREWES

Bruce Sorenson
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G Manders, B Delisser and Brian
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Russel Mc Goughlin
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This club first kicked off in the 70’s it was mostly power boats, scale ships, and some yachts. It really got going when the power boater had to be formed into an Association to be members of the MPBA so they could compete in an event in Melbourne, later in that year. After a little time the power boaters decided they would go their own separate way.

The model yacht owners kept the association going. The clubs involved in the newly formed Queensland Model Boat Association about (circa) 1982 were: Townsville, Burnie, Bundaberg, Towoomba and Gold Coast model yacht clubs. This Association always had radio yachts; vane was never sailed to any extent in Queensland. They had their first meeting of the Association in the Kangaroo Point Hotel, Kangaroo Point. A sociable lot these Queenslanders!!

Some of the early events were a state championship in 1982 for Marbleheads at Palm Beach, Dave Black said he remembers it well. He and Bruce Sorenson had to canvass the local neigbourhood to get approval from the residents to hold the championship at the lake there.

The 2^nd memorable event was the National Championships in 1984 at the beautiful Pizzey Park, Gold Coast. Pizzey Park was also the venue for the Worlds EC12 Championship in 1987 that was won by David Shepherd from Tasmania. After a close tussle between him and John Cleaves of England.

Right up to until recently, Queensland had kept the word “Model” in their Association’s name because they had among them some Scale ship clubs from Mackay. They have now changed to ‘Remote Control’.

Some of the founding members like for instance, Dave Black. Dave has played a most energetic role throughout these years. The Queensland Association received a boost from a little winch he put out from the early eighties. This came at a time when a really light winches were needed. I’ve still got one in my boathouse.

Bruce Sorenson on the other hand was really good putting out boats and hulls for 10rater, Ms and he was also the leading manufacturer of EC12 metre hulls in Australia. Most of the 12s came from ZORO’S as he called his model boat business. It was always easy to see a Sorenson made boat because of the extent Bruce finished them off, some of them had “Indians” and “hotrods” ‘airsprayed’ on the decks just like the famous panel vans.

Tom Porter ( I always thought of him as being a real bushy) he is a really beaut sailmaker. Within this little team had the makings of a rather industrious model yachtmaking future.

Some of the early members of the QMBA were: David Black, Bruce Sorenson, Tom Porter, Brian Delisser, George Manders, Graham Horward and Russell Mc Goughlin from Townsville. I remember when I went to a regatta up there in 1984, we had a couple of days at Maryborough, in the lake near the Lamington Hotel, (it only sold four xxxx) but it was a fun weekend, for we sailed with Marbleheads, about fifteen turned up.

I know there are some holes in this story. Please, if you have got any info or photos from that era, don’t sit on them, send them in, so we can all see them, they will be returned.

If you would like to tell your story or add to the memories contact me on- shcrewes@bigpond.net.au

An Appeal to Victoria.

I would suppose that not many people would be interested in what their state did in the early days of model yachting. On current figures available, about 1% of the R/C fraternity even knows that there was some history. We’ve researched pretty much what has happened in NSW since the 1860’s. Done some research on Tasmania, which is turning into something really exciting and could lead us to a date of about 1830 ish, for their earliest model history.

Some progress is happening with the ACT, Queensland and South Australia. What the disappointment is, is Victoria? Here is a state that has a history second to none, for there were some great model yacht clubs there including the Melbourne Model Yacht Club (1903circa), the Frankston Model Yacht & Powerboat Club (1969circa), the Ballarat Model Yacht Club (1922 circa) and the Albert Park Model Yacht Club (1927circa). Of these four clubs, I have scant information about. Except in 1929 the then secretary of the Melbourne club, a Mr Eldridge, lived at Burke St in Melbourne, (I received that information from the USA). All the records of the National Association have been ‘picked clean’ of all information on the Victorian clubs, so that there is nothing left, only some references in some national correspondence letters. How or where their history is, one can only guess.

The problems for the Victorians are, they don’t know where they have come from or they don’t know where they have been. But I do know this, there is some history associated with the Myers Department store in the 20’s and 30’s who had a policy of fostering employees who wanted to compete in model yachting events, that needs to be looked into. I have been told recently that there was a old time model yacht club in Geelong in about 1900’s, has anyone, down there, heard about that?

Leads we have, actual information is slim pickings indeed. Overall in the scheme of things, we’re got enough to keep us busy writing the history of the other states. If Victoria is not there, then that’s tough. If you think you could help out that would be good.

How can you ‘Help out’? Well it comes in many different forms. You could tell about any conversations you have heard of people saying what they did in the ‘old days’?

Sometimes, these are mentioned at Full size yacht clubs, Some Historical Societies have write-ups on these happenings. The Model yacht making was done in ‘School of Arts’ woodworking classes around the 1920’s.

Now obviously the people doing it have passed on, but the children are still around and their grandchildren may have old photos of Grand Pop, doing his ‘thing’. If you think I won’t be interested in what you know, try me? Another good source, are Newspapers. During the 30’s, model yachting was more popular then. It was the ‘Demonstration’ sport of the 1936 Olympics. There was a model yacht articles in one of the Melbourne papers in 1929 (circa) about a Scottish 6 metre champion, that had just moved to Melbourne. Maybe someone could go and look it up? Has anyone got the old records of, say, the Frankston Model Yacht Club about (circa 1969) that I can borrow maybe?

If you find anything, no matter how small. Just remember, I had a chance meeting in a Sydney street with a person who had an old photo, entitled “off Sandy Point 1900” that led to almost the entire history of pre-1900 Tasmanian model yachting coming out.

NOW, WHAT DO YOU DO about information? Let me say we don’t want you to write the article, just ‘jot’ down the Saleint points as you remember them, like When did it happen? Where and What happened? Then call me on 02 9558 5675 or Email me on shcrewes@bigpond,net.au.

A picture, like the Tassie thing helps, but is not always necessary to start a search. The entire information I have on Victoria is contained in this article.

So all you Cabbage Patcher’s, try something new / old for Victoria.

Stephen Crewes. Historian ARYA 2003

Stephen Crewes. National Historical Officer. ARYA 2003.

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