Twenty-three members of the Skoda and Tatra Register made their annual pilgrimage to Oberon on July 30 to hold their annual general meeting and enjoy the delights of a traditional Christmas dinner with all the trappings.

The Grand Indian licensed restaurant located in the Titania Motel was the venue, and host Denise and her delightful crew made the evening one to remember.

The Register is becoming somewhat of a fixture in Oberon as members are also working to establish a motor museum in town.

“Our members come from the eastern states and territories to experience the joy of a cold climate gathering with traditional Christmas fare and with a little luck might even see a dusting of snow on the night,” said John Hebblewhite, president of the Register and chair of the proposed museum.

“During the course of the evening we were very pleased to welcome mayor Kathy Sajowitz.

“Oberon Council has been very supportive, as has the Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway Inc. committee.”

The evening featured the naming of the Register’s proposed museum as the “John Hebblewhite Museum”, in honour of the hard yards John has put in to make the museum viable for car enthusiasts and Oberon in general.

Groups such as the Skoda and Tatra Register really enjoy the charm of Oberon and the friendly welcome they always receive from the local community.

It has been previously reported that Oberon was chosen as a possible site for the museum because of its easy access from Sydney and surrounding towns.

The Skoda and Tatra Register evolved from the Skoda Register, which was formed in 1948 in Victoria, bringing together owners and people interested in the marque. 

Skoda emerged from Klement and Laurin in the early 20^th century and has been, with Tatra, a pioneer marque in mechanical design and production in the Czech Republic. 

When the “Iron Curtain” collapsed, Volkswagen became the major shareholder. Imports to Australia ceased in the 1970s, but were later revived.