Kevin Amos (from Newcastle) and Desiree and Warren Mahy (Riverlands in SA).
A century-old journey is being brought back to life on Australian roads, with a group of dedicated volunteers following the path travelled by two evangelists 100 years ago with a restored 1925 Citroën.
The historic car passed through Cobar on Friday, following a long loop around the country that closely mirrors the original adventure.
While it’s not an exact replica of the original path, the modern-day travellers estimate they’ve followed about 80 per cent of the original route.
“We took a bit of licence,” volunteer Kevin Amos told The Cobar Weekly.
“Back then, Tom Munro went bush – real bush. We decided not to go bush-bush. And where there were bigger population centres than in his day, we headed there instead.”
The volunteers found the 1925 Citroën about four years ago in South Australia.
“We don’t really know its history or where it’s been,” Kevin said.
The restoration of the vehicle was a labour of love by three volunteers, including Warren May, who was travelling on the reenactment trip with his wife Desiree.
“It cost $3,500 for the tyres. They were $700 each,” Warren said.
With a top speed of 35 to 40 kilometres per hour, the volunteers are trailering the little car for the journey.
“We’re just close to 400 times putting it on and off the trailer,” Warren said.
The aim isn’t just to move the car from place to place, but to put it on display and retell the remarkable story of the original journey.
Kevin estimates they have spoken to an average of 1,000 people per week at schools, aged care homes, supermarkets and community events.
A hundred years ago, two men set out with a simple goal: to drive from Perth to Darwin.
Along the way, they visited remote outback communities across Western Australia, selling a Christian book to fund their travels, while also learning how people were living in some of the most isolated parts of the country.
The following year, one of the original drivers, Neville, set off again, this time driving right around Australia in a different car.
He returned to those same remote communities, but brought something extra with him: a nurse who’d been given a six-week crash course in dentistry.
Kevin reports she remarkably “pulled out more than 1,000 teeth along the way!”.
