TSOA 60TH BIRTHDAY LIMITED EDITION REGALIA SHIRT

To commemorate our club’s 60^th birthday, we have organised a special shirt, with an embroidered badge designed by our own Noel Schmidt. It is a very smart, pale blue, long sleeve casual shirt with button down collar. Cost is $55.00. This is a limited-edition shirt available by order only.

Contact Sue Smithson – ph 0409 675 343 or email scsmithson@hotmail.com to place your order and advise your size.

Payments by EFT preferred – Payment should be made to TSOA of SA Inc – General Account. BSB 065-006. Account # 00902024. Please include your name and “60Shirt” as reference. 

TRIUMPH SPORTS OWNERS ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA INC   60TH BIRTHDAY LUNCH Sunday 20th July 2025

Current and past members and friends of the Triumph Sports Owners’ Association of South Australia Inc are cordially invited to join in celebrating an amazing 60 years of our club, founded by Tony Case and Ron Fergusson way back in 1965.

Sunday 20^th July 2025 at Dimples Restaurant and Function Centre at Tea Tree Gully Golf Club

60 Hamilton Road, Fairview Park

2 course meal (3 choices of main course)

Special 60^th Birthday gift to all those attending

$50.00 per head for first 100 bookings

$60.00 per head for all subsequent bookings

12.15pm for 12.45pm

Contact Alex Smithson – alex.m.smithson@outlook.com or phone 0412 823789 for further information or to book your place.

Payments by EFT preferred – Payment should be made to TSOA of SA Inc – General Account. BSB 065-006. Account # 00902024  

May 4th Sunday – MSCA 6-Hour Regularity Relay at Mallala . . . unfortunately, no TSOA SA Team this year

May 18th Sunday – Run to Middleton . . . meet at Crafers Hotel for a coffee before embarking at 10.15 am on a lovely drive through the hills and southern vales arriving at the Middleton Tavern for lunch

May 20th Tuesday – Meeting at the Sporting Car Clubrooms 51 King William Rd. Unley

June 6th/7th/8th –  Weekender at Burra . . . Bill and Margie Berlemon 0438 836 837

June 17th Tuesday – Meeting at the Sporting Car Clubrooms 51 King William Rd. Unley

June 22nd Sunday – MSCA Super Sprint at Mallala

July 1st Tuesday – Midweek Run to the Bridgewater Inn 12.30pm . . . Laurie and Kaye Placing 0407 286 837

July 15th Tuesday – Meeting at the Sporting Car Clubrooms 51 King William Rd. Unley

July 20th Sunday – 60th Birthday Lunch at TTG Golf Club Restaurant

The Run to the Stockwell Hotel and the midweek run to The Greenman Inn at Ashbourne were enjoyed and well
attended.
The Weekender, where we have a fabulous time with everyone, we will be travelling to Burra this year. Margie & Bill
always provide great eating and sight-seeing including little gems that are hidden in unusual places will now be on the
6th-8th June. Contact Margie or Bill on 0438 836 837. It is on in June instead of May because Burra will be
celebrating their 180th year and we could not get accommodations for May, and because of that the June Run to
Middleton has been changed to the 18th May. Roger Lange has set this run, again nice scenery and great food
ending at the Middleton Tavern 37 Goolwa Road Middleton. Meeting at the Crafers Hotel Car Park and leaving at 10
am.
It is shaping up to be a very impressive social calendar so far, and we have the 60th Anniversary this year as well.
This is on the 20th of July, at the Tea Tree Gully Golf Club Restaurant for Lunch. For the first 100 people the lunch
will be Subsidised by $10 to $50 each, after that it will be $60 each. We are expecting a large crowd so get in early.

On the 17th August Charlie and Carol Onody, new members to the club, are setting a run to the Inglewood Inn for
lunch, Thank you Charlie & Carol for your contribution. It’s great to see our new members enjoying the social side of
our club.
Don’t forget, the TR Register is having their annual Rally in October and have asked us to participate on the weekend
of 18th October to their show and shine at the Hahndorf Primary School Oval 10am – 3pm. Cars on the Oval by
9.30am.
Drinks and food are available at the oval and in aid of the School.
Also, on the 19th October is the Bay to Birdwood parade, and the TR Register is getting a group of Triumphs together
to participate in that as well.

We would like an EXPRESSION OF INTEREST now! if you would like to attend in one or both events. Contact Colin
Baldock a member of both clubs email colbtr2@hotmail.com or mobile 0405 396 874 or myself.
Hope you can participate with the social side of the club as it is your club, and we would love to see you there.
.
Cheers,
Natalie Farrell
Social Secretary
0455 250 990

Thanks to David Stephens and Ivan Powell for bringing their immaculate, but very different TR2’s to have on stage at our April meeting. David’s car was restored over more than 3 years in Victoria, starting as a relatively small engine bay project, but ending up as a full restoration. This must now be one of the best TR2’s anywhere and has a high degree of originality. It has won several awards at national TR Register meetings.

Ivan’s TR2 in contrast, is a tribute to its racing heritage in the Mille Miglia in Italy and is quite heavily modified. It is also in great condition and turns heads wherever it goes.

As advised at the April club meeting, the executive committee has decided to increase subscriptions for 2025/26 to $60.00 for full members and $30.00 for social members.

We are forecasting a modest operating loss for 2024/25, and we have budgeted some $2,000 for subsidies and other costs associated with our 60th birthday lunch and related celebrations in July. We expect other costs such as hire of Sporting Car Club rooms, and administration systems and insurance to rise next club year, so a modest increase in subs seems appropriate.

Our subs in 2018/19 were $75.00 for full members and were reduced during COVID, as many club activities were suspended at that time. We have managed to keep subs at a low level since then however we now believe a small increase is appropriate. TSOA is still one of the lowest cost car clubs in South Australia, and my thanks go to our treasurer, Lisa Macleod who has been able to keep operating costs down and subsequently, maintain low subs.

You should have received an email advising that these subscriptions are now due, and we ask all members to pay these promptly, and by 30th June at the latest. Lisa has a big job in keeping track and receipting 240 members’ payments, and it is unfair if she needs to chase late payments. Please try to make her job as easy as possible.

We had a great run to Stockwell in the Barossa Valley on Sunday April 6th. Thanks to Katherine Bradley and husband Derek for organising such a great run, which was very well attended. Unfortunately, I had mechanical problems on the North South Motorway coming home and spend some 3 hours at the start of the exit ramp to Port Road, waiting for a tow truck. A new alternator has however now fixed the problem (I hope).

Also, thanks again to Lawrie and Kaye Placing for arranging another well attended mid-week lunch to The Green Man Inn at Ashbourne on 10th April.

Lots of members have already booked their places at our 60th Birthday celebrations which will be on Sunday 20th July, at Dimples Restaurant and Function Centre at Tea Tree Gully Golf Club. Although still a little way off, we are looking to lock in attendees, so please book early. This will be great celebration of an amazing 60 years of history and should not be missed. Please see the flyer in Fastrak regarding booking for this very special event. There is a $10 discount for the first 100 registrants, so get in quickly.

There is also a special shirt being offered to members to celebrate our 60th Birthday. This costs $55.00 and must be pre-ordered. Please see details in FasTRak and on our website.

We now have a workable proposal for the 2027 Nationals, and after the 60th Birthday is behind us, a committee will start the planning for this event. Thanks to those who have already volunteered to join this committee, and please see me if you also wish to be part of the 2027 team.

The Weekender will be in Burra in the first weekend of June. This is always a great event, and Bill and Margie Berlemon have, as usual, arranged an exciting and full program at an amazingly reasonable price. I believe there are still a couple of rooms left, so please contact Bill or Margie if you would like to attend.

Alex Smithson
President

Thanks to all TSOA members who attended All British Day on Sunday March 2nd. It was very successful with a good turnout of Triumphs from our club, as well as TR Register and The Stag Owners’ Club. We had good weather and no incidents, unlike a couple of years ago.

Special thanks to ABD Committee member Stephen Wade for all his work on the organising committee and the layout of the TSOA display on the day. Also thanks to Dean Berlemon and Lisa Macleod for being marshals from the start, and Lisa for bringing the gazebos, cones etc. She overcame major (modern) vehicle problems with her car being stranded on Saturday with electrical problems, and she had to borrow her mother’s car to bring all the gear. This was dedication from Lisa above and beyond the call of duty.

Numerous members helped on the day with the setting up and dismantling of gazbos, and this was greatly appreciated.

Planning of our 60th Birthday celebrations are well under way with a 2-course lunch planned for Sunday 20th July, at Dimples Restaurant and Function Centre at Tea Tree Gully Golf Club. Member Sue Dowden, who is also the financial controller at the Club is helping with organisation of the event and giving us an extra special deal. We are aiming for a big turnout of existing and past members for this very important event.

Noel Schmidt has used his creative flair to design a logo for special regalia for the event, as well as a great poster. I hope that all members will try to get to this lunch, celebrating an amazing achievement of 60 years. Please see the flyer in Fastrak regarding booking for this very special event. There is a $10 discount for the first 100 registrants, so get in quickly.

Vice President Richard Sellers has circulated the new Life Membership criteria to all members and has made some minor changes as a result of this feedback. The document will now be adopted by the club and will be available on the club website.

As previously advised, the 2025 TSOA Nationals in Port Stephens NSW are fully subscribed, but there is a waiting list. Please see me if you want any further information. I have also been advised by TSOA Queensland that planning is well advanced for the 2026 Nationals, at a location is west of Brisbane.

Our turn to organise the TSOA Nationals comes up again in 2027, and although this seems a long time away, we need to start planning now to make sure we can put on a high-quality event. We have limited options, as we need a venue with 50 rooms, and with access to a range of activities and dining options for 100 people, at a reasonable price. As many attendees tow their cars on trailers, secure parking for tow vehicles and trailers is also a necessity.

I am looking for volunteers to join an organising committee. We have some “old hands” already on that committee, as well as some newer members who have volunteered, however new ideas and enthusiasm would be gratefully appreciated. Please see me if you wish to be part of the 2027 team.

The executive committee will consider the budget for 2025/26 prior to the April meeting and set subscriptions for next club year. Subscriptions will be open after the April meeting.

Alex Smithson
President

Our Club website needs your help!

There is little to no input from our members to make the site interesting.

Surely one or some of you have something to share.

If you need help with posting an item, contact me and I will happily assist.

Otherwise, this site will die a natural death . . .

Roger Lange

TSOA SA Website Manager

We are back to our regular club program in 2025, with a well-attended February club meeting. There were three cars on stage, and thanks to members Charlie Onody, John Golding and Ron Corso, for bringing along a Mark 3 Spitfire, Herald coupe and TR3B respectively. Each of these cars are somewhat of a rarity in our club and it was great to hear their respective histories and be able to look at such well-presented cars close up.
As advised at the meeting, the new life membership criteria policy document has been reviewed by existing life members and will now be circulated to all club members for any further input. My thanks to Vice President Richard Sellars who has done a great job in instigating this initiative and preparing the document.

The committee has decided that the comparatively low numbers at the informal January meeting does not justify the expense of hiring the room at Sporting Car Club, and that we will look at having an off-site location for future January informal club meetings.

At the time of writing this report, the All British Day is scheduled for next Sunday, 2nd March. I know that our ABD committee rep, Stephen Wade has done a lot of work in the layout of the ovals, and the Triumph marque clubs (TSOA, TR Register and Stag Club) display area in particular. I am sure this day will be a great success, and I thank Stephen for all his work with ABD on our behalf.

The committee has agreed in principle to having a celebration lunch to commemorate the 60th birthday of TSOA SA on Sunday 20th July, and we will shortly form an organising committee. More details are to follow, but I would like to see this as a major celebration, and hope that many of our club members who we don’t see regularly these days will attend.

The date of the Christmas dinner has now been set for Saturday 22nd November, and we plan to again hold this function at the Royal Adelaide Golf Club. More details to come closer to the event.
Unfortunately, registrations have filled for the 2025 TSOA Nationals in Port Stephens NSW in October, and there is now a waiting list. Previous Nationals attendees were given the first opportunity to register, and all spots were taken by these previous attendees within a few days of release. If you are interested in being placed on the waiting list, or would like to know more about this event, please call me on 0412 823 798, or log onto the TSOA NSW website.

Social Secretary Natalie Farrell continues to organise great social functions, ably assisted by Lawrie and Kay Placing who are organising mid-week runs. The MSCA picnic on 23rd February and All British Day at the start of March has curtailed other club activities for this period, but we will be getting back into the swing of things on the 6th April. See Fastrak or the website for more details.

We have two of our life members, Bill Berlemon and Rory Gibson on the sick list at present, and both were not able to attend the February meeting. Both Bill and Rory have been stalwarts of our club over many years, and I know all TSOA members will join me in wishing them both speedy recoveries. We hope to see Bill and Margie, and Rory and Sue back at club meetings in the near future.

Alex Smithson
President

Check out Richard Sutherland’s post on his new project – see below or click on Member’s Cars tab

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and ready to start the new year with enthusiasm for the social side of our
club. We have some exciting runs for you to participate in this year and enjoy yourselves with other members as well
as blowing the cobwebs out of your cars by taking them for a run.
By the time you read this in the magazine we have already had our annual Ice cream run. This year because Noonies
was sold, we went to Fasta Pasta. An enjoyable run with 30 people attending, going through Outer Harbour to Port
Adelaide. As well as an ice cream you could have a meal which I did, and It was very tasty. Australia Day will be
celebrated at Dino and Lisa Vettese’s place at Northgate with so far 24 members wishing to attend.
Wednesday February 5th will be our first “Mid-Week” Run for 2025. This will be at the Aldgate Pump Hotel at 1
Strathalbyn Rd., Aldgate. At 12.30 pm. See you there, ring or text Lawrie or Kaye Placing if you wish to attend.
Sunday February 23rd will be a MSCA Picnic/Presentation Day at the Virgara Winery 143 Heaslip Road, Angle Vale
from 11 am.
As Easter is on the 3rd Sunday of April we have organised a run on the Sunday 6th April instead. I will let you know
more details TBA.
It is shaping up to be a very impressive social calendar so far, and we have the 60th Anniversary this year as well.
More on that later.
Hope you can participate with the social side of the club as it is your club, and we would love to see you there.
Natalie Farrell
Social Secretary
0455 250 990