Motor Car Trip to Tumut

Illawarra Mercury (Wollongong)

19 November 1904

On Monday morning last Messrs. S. Davis, sen. and jun,, of the Lilleshall foundry, Miss Davis, and Miss Graham, left Wollongong for Tumut by motor car.

A start was made at 6 a.m., and the first incident of any note was the behaviour of a horse attached to a baker's cart at Unanderra.

The animal tried to get a bit of pace on, but its efforts in that direction were stopped by the railway gates, which fortunately happened to be closed at the time.

The pace was then put on, and Dapto, Albion Park, and Tongarra were soon left in the rear. Macquarie Pass was negotiated with the greatest of ease, the first stop being made at Robertson for refreshments.

Moss Vale was reached at 9. 15 a.m. A stay of 1¾ hours was made for breakfast, the party being in Goulburn by 1.15 p.m.

The night was put in here and at 6 the next morning a start was made for Tumut.

The car had   been running some eight-miles out of Goulburn when Mr. Davies discovered he had by mistake taken the Queanbeyan road, thus adding an additional thirty miles to the journey, and giving the car a tremendous hill to climb.

The next town was Gunning, then to Yass, 32 miles, reeled off in 1 hour 10 minutes.

The next stretch, some 75 miles to Gundagai, was reached at 3 o'clock.

Here the first mishap occurred, the trouble being a puncture. This having been repaired and the oil tanks filled, a start was made for Tumut, over what is known as the Mark Tree line, a distance of 21½ miles, very hilly country, which was negotiated in an hour and ten minutes.

The return journey, with Mrs. Ashley additional, was very pleasant, and the party arrived in Wollongong without mishap at 8. 30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Arrival Of A Motor Car

The Tumut & Adelong Times

11 November 1904

People of our district who have not had an opportunity of visiting Sydney since the motor car rage has been on evinced great excitement over the arrival of a fine large car in town on Tuesday evening last, and it has been flying along roads near the town each day of its arrival. I

t is owned by Mr. Davis, owner of an iron foundary at Wollongong, and father of Mrs. C. F. Weedon. of our town. The landed cost of the car from Brussels was about £600, and the name of the make of it is 'La Metallurgique, No. 163.'

It is driven by a 11 horse power gasoline engine with twin cylinder, has seating, accommodation for five persons, and is capable of attaining a speed of over 50 miles an hour.

The Artillery wheels are covered with Continental Clipper Tyres, Dunlop patent, the cost of a set of them being' £49.

It is the largest car that has arrived in Australia, and will take part in the liability test shortly to come off between Sydney and Melbourne.

The batteries used are capable of driving the car 2500 miles.

The motor left Wollongong on Monday morning last, at 6 o'clock, in charge of Mr. Davis jun, an engineer, the passengers being his father, his sister, and Miss Graham, with all luggage required for a holiday trip to Goulburn and Tumut.

The first named town, 107 miles from the starting point, was reached at half past 1 p.m, with stoppages of half-an-hour at Robinson and an hour and a half at Moss Vale. Goulburn was left at 6 o'clock on Tuesday morning, but the travellers, not knowing the road, went round by Collector, making the distance to Gunning, over rough tracks and a very   steep gradiant, 60 miles instead of 31.

An hour and a quarter was occupied in running to Yass, over 30 miles, and a stay of an hour and three-quarters was made there. A short stoppage was also made at Jugiong; but Gundagai was reached by 10 minutes past 5 o'clock.

On top of the last, hill coming into that town a nail stuck in one of the tyres, puncturing it, which caused delay, but the party were hospitably treated by Mrs. Leary during the time it took to mend the puncture.

The car left Gundagai after the arrival of the Tumut train and travelled over the hilly Mark-tree road to Tumut, in au hour and 20 minutes, reaching here at about 10 minutes past 6.

To-day (Friday) a visit is to be paid to Adelong, and on Saturday the motor people will start on their homeward journey.

We congratulate the plucky ladies and gentleman on the feat they have achieved, and hope they will have a pleasant and successful trip home.