Volunteers of the Sir Henry Royce Foundation Australia are always welcome. If you are interested in volunteering at one of our locations: Rowville VIC, or Coolum QLD, or Fyshwick ACT, please contact us. Foundation Volunteers Interested in volunteering at one of our locations - Rowville VIC - or - Coolum QLD - or Fyshwick ACT - Please email us: chair@henryroycefoundation.com SHRF Volunteers. These are our very important people. Bills Allsep House – Archives Geoff Down – Archivist David MacArthur John Reis Howard Wraight Terry Harris Lionel Gell School of Instruction Peter Jordan-Hill History Consultant David Neely Canberra Showroom RROCA ACT members and friends of Tina and Ian Oliver Coolum Showroom Keith Wilson Col Smith Iain Davidson Chris Cantor Website Manager Shay Gillings Volunteers Dec 24 Left to Right: David MacArthur, Terry Harris, Howard Wraight, Russell Rolls, Geoff Down, John Reis Coolum Volunteers Peter Jordan-Hill Peter Jordan-Hill Volunteer at Lionel Gell School of Instruction Volunteers Dec 24 Left to Right: David MacArthur, Terry Harris, Howard Wraight, Russell Rolls, Geoff Down, John Reis 1/7

Awards as held by the Sir Henry Royce Foundation in research, photography, art, engineering and automotive apprentice. Foundation Awards Sir Henry Royce Foundation - Award for Australian Apprentice of the Year The SHRFA wishes to promote excellence in the engineering tradition of Sir Henry Royce by recognizing and annually awarding a current apprentice who demonstrates an outstanding skill-set and attitude and who is currently employed in Australia in the servicing of Rolls-Royce and Bentley products including diesel, aero or commercial engines as well as coachbuilding. The award is $1000 plus name added to the perpetual trophy. Applications close on February 28, 2026. Click here for current and past winners . Click here for details and information. Click here for the 2026 application form. FJ Engish Award for RROCA Club Members' Photographs of Club Events The name of the Award recognises the photographic contribution to The Foundation of the F. J Engish Photographic Archive, containing some 20,000 photographs of cars and people, particularly of RROCA and Branch events. This Archive was gifted to The Foundation by 50-year RROCA Member Fred Engish who has taken these photographs over his time with the Club. A prize is awarded to the Club Member whose photograph, taken at a Club event during the calendar year, is judged by the Trustees as being of artistic merit and is representative of the ethos of the Club in relation to both Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars and fellowship amongst Members.” The current process is for the Praeclarvm Editor to “advertise” the Award in the last two issues for the year with a closing date of end-January and the winner announced in Praeclarum. Entries close January 31, 2026. Click here for current and past winners . Click here to download the entry form. Sir Henry Royce Foundation - Award for Excellence in Automotive Engineering Sir Henry Royce Foundation - Awards for Excellence for Apprentices in Automotive studies. There are two awards for apprentices in Automotive studies at Kangan Institute. 1) The SHRF award is presented to an automotive apprentice who has made a significant contribution to the pursuit of excellence in their studies at the Victorian Kangan Institute. The award was first presented in 2007 and consists of a trophy and a cheque for $1,000. 2) The Lionel Gell School of Instruction Award to the apprentice of the year in Automotive studies which carries a cheque for $5,000. A perpetual trophy which records the award winners is housed in the Foundation's Archive. Click here for current and past winners . Foundation Trophy This trophy is awarded solely at the discretion of the Trustees. This trophy is awarded to a person (or people) who, in the opinion of the Trustees, has made a significant and long-term contribution to the ideals of Sir Henry Royce – the pursuit of excellence. Click here for current and past winners . The Sir Henry Royce Foundation - Art Award The Foundation’s Art Award, held under the auspices of the Sherbrook Art Society, Sherbrook, Melbourne. Paintings entered into this competition must have a Rolls-Royce or Bentley as the main theme. The standard of paintings is extremely high. The three prize-winning paintings are acquired by The Foundation under the terms of the competition and are and are hung in Bill Allsep House. Cash prizes for first, second and third. Click here for current and past winners . The Si r Henry Royce Foundation - Research Award In 2017, the Trustees of the Foundation initiated ‘The Sir Henry Royce Foundation Research Award. This award, with a prize of $500, which will be awarded annually to the person who in the opinion of Trustees, has made best use of Foundation ‘Archive’ to research a topic of Rolls-Royce and Bentley interest and who has published this research in Praeclarum or in a wider distribution, publicly available media. This Award is open to all, not just members of the RROC-A. Entries must be submitted to the Hon. Archivist by end-January so that the Trustees and Archivist can decide on a winner for announcement at the annual Federal Rally of the RROCA. Click here for the Nomination Form . Click here for current and past winners. ©All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording without express written consent from the copyright owner. Individual works of art are copyright of respective copyright owner.

Visit the Sir Henry Royce Foundation Geebung Museum. Landaulet body from Chassis 1492 The arrival of the “1910 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost – Chassis No. 1492 – Timber Body”. Kindly donated to the Sir Henry Royce Foundation by Bill Hall, the Timber Body from the 1910 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost – Chassis No. 1492 duly arrived on Tuesday, 11th January 2022 just in time for the re-opening of the Museum on the 15th January. Timber Body being collected from Sydney by Trustee Frank Carroll and his wife Joan – aided by volunteers Steve, Martin, Brian and Bill Hall who assisted with loading the body ready for transport. Transported on an open Trailer, with due care and careful driving, the body arrived in very good condition. Its arrival sparked animated conversation on what to do next to prepare the Body for display within the Museum. Curator Barry Sparks, Volunteers Sue, Ann and good neighbour Dean were on hand to meet Frank and Joan and to assist with the unloading and homing of the Body. Many hands make light work, as they say, and within an hour the body was homed ready for preparation. 1915 begins the history in Australia of the 1910 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost - Chassis No. 1492 – with its original owner being a Mrs. Dunlop of Kew in Melbourne. Sold on, the custodians became the Whitney’s of Orange, NSW who sold it on to Kinsela Funerals in Sydney in 1925. Kinsela’s Funerals had the body converted to a Hearse. The Hearse was then sold again into the ownership of Coopers of Uralla in the 1940’s. In 1956, 1492’s next custodians were Margaret and Barrie Gillings of New South Wales. As the Gillings were committed to Post-Graduate Studies overseas in early 1957, George Green, a well-known Vintage Car enthusiast volunteered to curate 1492 in their absence and to organise a more appropriate body than a hearse to be built on the Chassis. After extensive research a Landaulet body was chosen. The body was built in 1958 by W. S. Grice, Body Builder of Summer Hill NSW who built Ambulance bodies at the time which, Margaret supposes, could have been why the body has always been white. This company still exists today. The only modification to the body has been the addition of half-doors to the front cabin. Respecting the chassis number 1492, the Silver Ghost was christened “Christopher”. ‘1492”, with its distinctive Landaulet body has, with the exception of Western Australia, travelled to every other State in Australia numerous times, twice attended Bi-Centennial Rallies, has been used by numerous brides, extensively used by the whole Gillings family and had the distinction of driving NSW Premier, John Fahey, as the first car driven through the Sydney Harbour Tunnel at its opening in 1992. “Christopher – Chassis No. 1492 ” turned 100 years on 28th December, 2010. In the custodianship of the Gillings family it was owned and lovingly maintained for 60years. It proved to be a very reliable vehicle and had not been off the road for more than a few weeks during the period of their ownership. Chassis 1642 was sold to Bill Hall in 2016. Bill has had a complete rebuild of its engine and a new body, built by Roger Fry of Western Australia, fitted. His donation of the Wooden Body is greatly appreciated. A remarkable history for Chassis 1492 and for the Timber Body thus far. Look for notification in future Newsletters as to when this Body will be on permanent display. Photos courtesy of Margaret Gillings, A. Sparks, Brian Crump.

Past news, articles and more on the Sir Henry Royce Foundation Australia Foundation Column in Præclarvm - Archives Commencing in 2006, successive Foundation Chairmen have published documents or contributed pages to the RROCA magazine, Præclarvm, outlining the activities of the Foundation and details of its Archive collection. 2020 Foundation Column - December 2020 Foundation Column - October 2020 Foundation Column - June 2020 Foundation Column - April 2020 Foundation Column - February 2019 Foundation Column - December 2019 Foundation Column - October 2019 Foundation Column - June 2019 Foundation Column - April 2018 Foundation Column - December 2018 Foundation Column - October 2018 Foundation Column - August 2018 Foundation Column - June 2018 Foundation Column - April 2018 Foundation Column - February 2017 Foundation Column - December 2017 Foundation Column - October 2017 Foundation Column - August 2017 Foundation Column - June 2017 Foundation Column - April 2017 Foundation Column - February 2016 Foundation Column - December 2016 Foundation Column - October 2016 Foundation Column - August 2016 Foundation Column - July 2016 Foundation Column - April 2016 Foundation Column - February

Fred Engish Photography Award Winners

Fred Engish Photography Award Winners

Sir Henry Royce Foundation (Australia). Created to preserve the heritage of the past in relation to items manufactured by Rolls-Royce and Bentley, the history of the Founders and all printed material relating to the Company’s automobiles and aircraft engines. The Sir Henry Royce Foundation The evolving role of Henry Royce engineering. Enter Site

SHRF Trustees Brian Crump FRSA (Chairman) Brian Crump is a member of the RROCA and of the RREC and RROC as well as the Royal Automobile Club of Australia. He is a past President of the RROCA NSW Branch Inc., and is passionate about all types of mechanical devices that demonstrate excellence. Brian’s favourite possession is his 1933 Phantom II Continental sports saloon with body by J Gurney Nutting. He is fascinated by the history of motoring in Australia and enjoys nothing more than engaging in a long run in the Australian bush. Brian is engaged in International Education at the tertiary level and holds post-graduate degrees in philosophy. Chairman : chair@henryroycefoundation.com Russell Rolls Russell Rolls is a professional mechanical engineer with a life-time interest in engineering heritage. He has been a member of the RROCA, the RREC and the RROC Inc for over 50 years. He is a regular participant in classic and historic car events both in Australia and internationally. He is a former Federal President of the RROCA, a former President of the Victoria Branch of the RROCA and is an Honorary Life Member of the RROCA. Russell held the position of Chair of SHRF for eleven years, 2011 to 2022. Clare Gordon Clare Gordon is a member of RROCA and RREC. Actively associated with supporting the servicing, maintenance and sales of Rolls-Royce motor cars, her firm is the only Australian member of the Rolls-Royce and Bentley Specialists Association (RRBSA). Clare is passionate about the engineering and design excellence which is the undeniable thread that runs through all aspects of Sir Henry Royce’s pursuits. Her exposure to the Trades has resulted in a strong, practical commitment to supporting the recognition and transfer of knowledge and skills which capture the craftsmanship and culture that is Sir Henry Royce. Dr Howard Wraight Dr Howard Wraight is a medical doctor with an extensive career in pharmaceutical medicine and clinical research. He is a past President of the RROCA (Victoria Branch) and a long standing member of the RREC, the RROC Inc as well as the 20-Ghost Club. Howard is a passionate admirer of Sir Henry Royce and his dedication to engineering excellence and also the history of the Rolls-Royce Company. He has a keen interest in the Foundation archives and is dedicated to see the SHRF fulfill its objectives.. Frank Carroll Frank Carroll is a retired Solicitor in Queensland, with decades of work in charities and community organisations enriching our society. Now the custodian of several Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars, he is a member of the RREC(UK) and serves in the Queensland Branch of RROCA, where he is Chief Judge. Inspired by the engineering genius of Charles Rolls, W.O. Bentley and especially Sir Henry Royce, Frank is keen to see this Foundation fulfill its objectives, with an active presence in Queensland at the "Coolum Showroom" since October 2018. Wallace Moorhouse Wallace Moorhouse is a Foundation Member of the Queensland Branch (1969). Served on Branch Committee including periods as President, Secretary, Treasurer and Registrar. Assisted in organising several Annual Federal Rallies in Queensland and participated in most “Overlander” runs since 1997. Served as Federal Delegate on numerous occasions. Served as Federal Secretary from 2009 to 2014. Honorary Life Member 2007. Established the Current Federal Member and Car Database in 2010 and been Federal Database Administrator since and assisted in preparation of Chassis Plate. Ian Oliver Ian is a long-time member of RROCA ACT and brings an accounting and commercial background to the SHRF. Ian is currently the treasurer of RROCA Ltd. Ian’s has a serious interest in motoring and includes many different unique makes and models in his collection. His first Bentley was a 1951 Bentley Mk VI bought over twenty years ago and from that time onwards his passion for Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars grew to be a passion. Ian became a Trustee of the SHRF in 2024 and has also established the SHRF Canberra Showroom in Fyshwick ACT along with a display of his other makes in Ollies’ Garage. Ian and Tina Oliver are truly committed to the engineering excellence of Sir Henry and Ian has a particular interest in the past history and provenance of Rolls-Royce motor cars. In 2018 Ian shipped his Bentley Mark VI Park Ward Drophead Coupe to the UK for the RREC Rally and won much acclaim for its outstanding presentation. In Memoriam June 2021: Malcolm Johns was an initial Founding Trustee. Malcolm died in Sydney on 8/6/21. His legal knowledge and advice was instrumental for the Foundation's structure in 1996 and he remained a Trustee for eighteen years - read more.... Please CLICK HERE to read our list of past Trustees.

Information held by the Sir Henry Royce Foundation (Australia) on Walter Owen Bentley. Walter Owen Bentley Born: 16 September 1888, Hampstead, England Died: 13 August 1971 (aged 82), Woking, England Nationality: English Occupation: Engineer In 1931 Rolls-Royce acquired Bentley, the small sports/racing car maker and potential rival, after the latter's finances failed to weather the onset of the Great Depression. Rolls-Royce stopped production of the new big Bentley 8 Litre, which was threatening sales of their current Phantom, disposed of remaining Bentley assets and made use of just the Bentley name and its repute. After some years of development Rolls-Royce produced a new quite different ultra-civilised medium-size range of Bentleys advertising them as "the silent sports car". They were very much in the Rolls-Royce mould. From soon after World War II until 2002 standard Bentley and Rolls-Royce cars were often very nearly identical apart from the radiator grille and minor details. Interesting snippets .... The famous “Winged B” hood ornament was designed with forgers in mind. As a counter to the red-hot faux hood ornament market, there’s actually a different number of feathers on each side, in the hopes that forgers wouldn’t notice. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded as Bentley Motors Limited by W. O. Bentley in 1919 in Cricklewood, North London—and became widely known for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, and 2003. Woolf Barnato was a wealthy playboy who raced cars for fun. He ran at Le Man three times, winning all three, then took over as CEO from W.O. Bentley after Rolls-Royce took over the company. Rolls-Royce took over the assets of Bentley Motors (1919) Ltd and formed a subsidiary, Bentley Motors (1931) Ltd. Rolls-Royce had acquired the Bentley showrooms in Cork Street, the service station at Kingsbury, the complex at Cricklewood and the services of Bentley himself. Bentley had neglected to register their trademark so Rolls-Royce immediately did so. They also sold the Cricklewood factory in 1932. Production stopped for two years, before resuming at the Rolls-Royce works in Derby. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the resulting Great Depression throttled the demand for Bentley's expensive motor cars. On 10 July 1931 a receiver was appointed. The British Central Equitable Trust made a winning sealed bid of £125,000. British Central Equitable Trust later proved to be a front for Rolls-Royce Limited. In 1934 Barnato was appointed to the board of the new Bentley Motors (1931) Ltd. Until some time after World War II, most high-end motorcar manufacturers like Bentley and Rolls-Royce did not supply complete cars. They sold rolling chassis, near-complete from the instrument panel forward. Each chassis was delivered to the coach builder of the buyer's choice. The biggest specialist car dealerships had coachbuilders build standard designs for them which were held in stock awaiting potential buyers. All Bentleys produced from 1931 to 2004 used inherited or shared Rolls-Royce chassis, and adapted Rolls-Royce engines, and are described by critics as badge-engineered Rolls-Royces. W. O. Bentley was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1995. " . . . In the eyes of those who own, have owned, or aspire to own, one of the 3,040 Bentley cars designed and built by the 'old' Bentley company under the leadership of "W. O." he was admired and respected—indeed, I think, loved is not too strong a word—for to know his cars was to know him. During his working life "W. O." suffered a series of ups and downs which might have broken a lesser man. It certainly marked him and it was a disillusioned "W. O." I first met 25 years ago [1946]. . . . "W. O." has said that the pleasure he derived in the post-war years from Club activities; from making new friends among its members; and from seeing the loving care bestowed upon 'his' cars has more than compensated for all his earlier disappointments." "The six years during which I worked for "W. O." were a period of education and pleasure. His modesty, lack of pretension, mental honesty and reasonableness endeared him to those in contact with him, and his over-riding interest in the improvement of the car provided the education in a period which included the post-war 2 1⁄2-litre Lagonda development, schemes for 4 and 8 cylinder derivatives, for the pursuit of shorter strokes in engines, for a small transverse-engined front wheel drive car and for a performance engine for the Morris Minor in place of the 850cc side valve engine it then endured. Though normally of reflective habit his experience showed him when swift action was necessary, and he could be very determined in pursuing it. Big enough to admit mistakes when they had occurred, he also knew when to modify and when to start afresh in remedying them. It is a pity that circumstances prevented his influence on car development from being greater than it was. Though motoring and motor cars were his life he retained a keen interest in locomotives." Mr Donald Bastow.

SHRF Trustees History The formal ‘Instrument Creating the Sir Henry Royce Foundation’ was signed by the four Founding Trustees: 1996 - David Jones, AM OBE KSJ appointed as a Trustee 1996 - Malcolm Johns appointed as a Trustee 1996 - Jim Kelso, OAM appointed as a Trustee 1996 - David Vann, OAM appointed as a Trustee All founding Trustees were former Federal Presidents and Honorary Life Members of the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club of Australia (RROCA). The signing was witnessed by two of the RROCA’s Foundation Members, Barrie and Margaret Gillings at the Federal Rally Presentation Dinner in Wollongong 29th April 1996. It came as a surprise to everyone there except the trustees. The signing was witnessed by two of the RROCA’s Foundation Members, Barrie and Margaret Gillings a t the first meeting of Trustees in Sydney on 16 August 1996: 1996 - David Jones † was elected the Inaugural Chairman. 2006 - Jim Kelso † resigned. 2007 - David Neely was appointed as a Trustee in 2007 and resigned in 2012. 2008 - David Jones, AM OBE KSJ † became Patron. 2008 - David Vann appointed Chairman and resigned in 2011. 2008 - David Davis appointed as a Trustee in 2008 and resigned in 2012. 2010 - Russell Rolls appointed as a Trustee 2011 - Russell Rolls appointed Chairman 2013 - Brian Crump appointed as a Trustee. 2013 - Eric Henderson appointed as a Trustees and resigned in 2025. 2016 - Frank Carroll appointed as a Trustee. 2017 - Jeanne Eve appointed as a Trustee and resigned in 2024. 2019 - Wallace Moorhouse appointed as a Trustee. 2022 - Brian Crump FRSA appointed Chairman 2022 - Russell Rolls remaining as a Trustee 2023 - Clare Gordon appointed as a Trustee 2024 - Ian Oliver appointed as a Trustee 2025 - Dr Howard Wraight appointed as a Trustee Gilbert Ralph, MBE OAM - Foundation's Honorary Archivist - 1996 to 2022 David Neely is the Foundation's Historical Consultant.