An ad was placed in the local paper, and 30-plus people turned up to the inaugural meeting - half of them were from Armidale. From there the club just rolled on to bigger and better things, and held their first rally in Manilla on the June long weekend, 1989 – June being considered the most suitable month to stage such a rally. The rest is history, and Manilla Vintage Machinery Group Inc Rally has been a popular attraction for vintage machinery/motor, vintage car and swap meet enthusiasts from a wide area every year.
The Group boasts a membership of over 200 enthusiasts from Bellata, Boggabri, Narrabri, Gunnedah, Griffith, Armidale, Tamworth, Quirindi, Muswellbrook, Woy Woy and Grafton as well as a strong line-up from Manilla area. And they range in ages from 11yr - Under 17 junior right through to the most seasoned 90-years plus vintage machinery veteran. Family memberships are also popular in the group.
In an attempt to attract new members, one incentive the club has introduced is to charge 11yr – Under 17 juniors $22 for insurance only, waiving the traditional membership fee. The club opted this decision as a good policy to encourage younger ones with an interest in motors or anything mechanical - even restoring older machines to join up. And they’ve got the added advantage of having the older members on hand to put them on the right track.
