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I attended my first Australian Street Rod Nationals at Geelong, Victoria back in 99, think it was. By yankee standards it was small, but fun, with the aussies cutting huge donuts in the drought shrunk show grounds to the delight of all the dust covered participants, spectators, and assorted riff-raff. Great giggles.
The OZ Nats returned to Geelong this year, for about the 3rd time (downunder Nats are held every two years, at alternating sites around the nation), hauling out something over 1400 registered rods and a few customs, and the same spirit of "It'll be right, mate" prevailed.
Keep in mind that Australia has about 30 million people, and you get about the same ten percent ratio to population as rodding in the States. I think the difference is that down here, they are not as jaded as we are in the US. They camp out to shave costs (ostensibly) but the real reason is that they love to have a stubby or two and this keeps them safe from the highway fuzz.
The way it works is that the national Australian Street Rod Association kind of farms out the event to a local club or association in a designated state, and that club then makes it all happen. Victoria state is right at the bottom of the country, and is by default the automotive center, since it is where Ford and Holden (read GM) and some Japanese makers have assembly plants. In the past, other nameplates have been here. Today, Ford holds sway in Geelong and Holden is up the huge bay at Melbourne. Best thing for you to do is Google a map to get the lay of things.
Anyway, the Geelong street rod club has something like 200 members and they did a bang-up job of organizing things around a showgrounds which has a large grass oval mid-way, with a paved perimeter road. It reminds me very much of a typical midwestern midsize town fairgrounds.
For three days over Easter, the official event happens, spilling over either side a day or two. Participants and spectators drive and fly in from around the nation, which is almost the same dimensions as the US. Because this is THE BIG ONE folks, and it lures a fair share of Americans each time. Corky Coker sent over his two sided Deuce roadster, then showed in person as a celebrity. In the past there has been a long list of individuals come down under to see how hot rodding fares in the Antipodies. The LA Roadsters came as a club a few years past. It's well worth the time and effort to come down. You might want to dust off your 'Strain language, however.
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