Australian celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of Land Rover were held at Cooma, in the Snowy Mountains (NSW), over the 2008 Easter weekend.
Over 750 Land Rover vehicles and 1300 enthusiasts from Denmark, England, New Zealand, the USA and every State and Territory in Australia descended on the region. Even the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made an unscheduled stop at Cooma to see what all the excitement was about.
The event was sponsored by Land Rover Australia and organised by the Land Rover Clubs of Victoria, Sydney and the ACT, as well as the Range Rover Club of Sydney. Daniel Fluckiger won the prestigious best in show award for his 2001 Defender 130 Crew Cab Chassis camper conversion. There were numerous other activities, such as the motorkhana and observation trial events, as well as a Gala Dinner.
The event culminated in a Grand Parade which consisted of 560 Land Rover's, with examples from right through out the company's 60 year history, driving through the streets of Cooma. The Parade was led by the first Land Rover ever registered in NSW, Chris Baker's 1948 Series 1.
Roger Jory, Land Rover Australia's General Manager, commented on the event, "It was fantastic to see so many enthusiasts celebrating this company's anniversary together, and what makes it even more special is that we are here, in Cooma, the birth place of the Land Rover legend in Australia."
"This gathering is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our loyal followers. Special congratulation must go out to the Land Rover Clubs who have devoted themselves to promoting and staging this magnificent event. To have over 500 Land Rover vehicles participating in the Grand Parade is truly a special moment in our history, and will be look back upon for years to come."
Cooma is the spiritual home of Land Rover in Australia. In the 1940s and 50s Land Rovers were used to build the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, cementing their reputation for tough all-terrain 4x4s.
The Snowy Mountains Scheme began in 1949, and took 25 years to complete. It ranks as Australia's largest engineering achievement. Land Rover were there right from the beginning, to help haul man and machine over and under the mountains. By the mid 1950's there were more than 800 Land Rover vehicles employed on the scheme.
One was even stripped and converted to rail use on underground tunnels, and four others were converted to fire engines. In the early days Land Rovers were used to survey roads and tracks, and once the roads were cut the vehicles were indispensible ferrying workers between sites.
It was in 1948 that Land Rover created a new segment in the automotive industry when it introduced to the market to a totally new concept in motoring. On the 30 April the company that pioneered go-anywhere transport, that helped to open up Australia, and the world, will officially turn 60.
Source: Autodeadline Australia
