The AMHF continues with big steps towards its goals. We are working hard on it, enabled by Strategic Partners the ARDC and the CMC, by our Volunteers and by some great donations.
Our website has been re-set with its new domain name www.motorheritage.org.au and is much easier to use. A very generous in-kind donation from a new supporter and very experienced website builder Karyn Clarke has enabled this great improvement. We hope Karyn can continue to assist us for a long time to come.
Very soon the new and special relational database will be live and accessible from our home page. That database is the result of another very generous in-kind donation, again from a new supporter and very experienced software solutions provider Bill Fatouros. Bill also has enabled us to access the generosity of the Microsoft organisation under its program of aid for registered charities. These good people have made invaluable contributions to our start-up and they will be acknowledged on our site.
A major Australian data manager ZircoData is working with us and we have a pilot program under way, for digitisation of important elements of all our resources. Large samples of our resources in each category (books, brochures, photos, magazines, media releases, competition results for example) will be scanned and stored in our database, made searchable and housed in the Microsoft ‘Azure’ Cloud. The work of our Volunteers in ‘populating’ the database will be vital for us, and we will be wanting more recruits for that big and ongoing task.
So within a short time we will be online, our resources in the Cloud and our supporters wherever they are will not have to come in person to our home base in order to search the library. Our offerings and initiatives will be available on the net, our virtual presence will be truly global.
Meantime we are producing a further program of short video items with special help from Shannons. These will be available on our Facebook page, YouTube channel and website. We put the spotlight on our supporters and the themes of research, education, the wellbeing of the clubs. Also we emphasise the varied functions and purposes of the Foundation and its Strategic Partner the ARDC at Sydney Motorsport Park.
We still propose to produce a professional study of the economic impact of the historic and heritage movement within Australia. The preparatory work has already been done via a desktop study undertaken with the support of our partner Western Sydney University. We have agreed the scope and have received a reasonable quote for the more detailed study from a consulting group who have extensive experience in undertaking independent detailed economic impact studies for major events, industry groups etc. Funding for the detailed study is currently being sought and contributions to the cost of it would be very gratefully received. Those contributing will certainly be acknowledged in the final report. I believe the clubs, supporters, the historic and heritage vehicle industry and other stakeholders need this study and soon and AMHF is pleased to be the catalyst for it.
We have been given some excellent heritage materials from the family of the late David Shmith on his family’s long time at the helm of York Motors and Lancaster Motors in Sydney. The life and times of those important dealerships is a fascinating part of our NSW motor heritage.
This month we will receive a complete set of The Automobile, and long runs of Old Motor and VSCC Members Magazine, from a donor in the UK. As the UK is the origin of so much of our earliest motor heritage these are important documents of record for us.
We will be asking for renewal subscriptions soon, all our present supporters will I hope understand that we are doing well from a standing start not long ago. Please continue the support and please ask how you can help as a Volunteer now.
AMHF will be playing an important role in supporting the upcoming CMC display day at SMSP on Sunday the 14th August where some 1700 vehicles from Clubs all over NSW and ACT will be on display. On the Father’s Day weekend of the 3rd and 4th of September, AMHF will be similarly supporting the ARDC to celebrate its 70th Anniversary. Both should be great events and we look forward to seeing you there.
Also keep an eye on our new upgraded website for future events.
