One hundred years and thriving

This year the NRMA will join one of the most exclusive clubs in the history of corporate Australia – we’re turning 100 years old.

Australia is a relatively young nation so it comes as little surprise that this club has fewer than an estimated 30 members nationwide. This milestone is clearly one worth celebrating and I, along with my fellow directors, am so excited about the calendar of activities planned for NRMA members throughout the year.

Many companies celebrate milestones based on profit margins and growth. While these remain important benchmarks at the NRMA, they do not make up our DNA. A celebration of our history is akin to holding up a mirror to the chronology of our nation. For every big event that shaped Australia, the NRMA has been there in some capacity.

The NRMA had established its offices in the Sydney CBD at the same time that cranes were connecting the north and south sections of the Harbour Bridge. Australia was struggling through the worst global economic depression in history and the Bridge offered a beacon of hope to the people of NSW.

Still in its infancy, the NRMA played its part to help the community through the Depression, making land on its holiday parks available to families to base themselves and find work. Over the last few weeks those same parks have provided refuge to families evacuated due to the recent bushfires or those stranded while on holidays.

It’s well documented that the NRMA’s first workforce comprised veterans who had just returned from the WWI Western Front. In the Second World War, the NRMA set up transport auxiliary units to keep troops based in Australia mobile. We also launched education campaigns to teach motorists how to be fuel-efficient drivers in the midst of petrol rations during the war years.

Throughout our history we have always punched above our weight as fierce advocates for sensible policies that would keep our members safe. The NRMA broke new ground by launching the nation’s first anti-drink driving education campaign. And the NRMA supported laws that made seatbelts compulsory – this singular act can be attributed to saving tens of thousands of Australian lives.

Celebrating our past and looking to the future

In 1920 there were just over 20,000 motor vehicles registered in NSW. Today some 5.2 million vehicles drive across the 185,000km road network. You only have to look at Sydney to see the huge changes that have occurred since the NRMA’s inception.

George Street in the Sydney CBD remains the city’s central spine, linking our world famous harbour with Central Station. Back in 1920, Central Station had recently been completed and most of George Street was frequented by horse-drawn buggies and those early trams. Over a short 10-year period, it became a road exclusively for motor vehicles. At that time we were still a city of islands and peninsulas, relying on ferries to cross the harbour. Issues like road safety, road conditions, the price of fuel and parking fines were front of mind for new motorists.

Fast forward to 2020 and the city is almost unrecognisable. We’ve built bridges, most notably our iconic Harbour Bridge, and dug tunnels under the water. Australia has changed considerably since our inception but the NRMA’s commitment to keeping its members moving continues today.

The NRMA has much to be proud of over its 100-year history, but none of these achievements would be possible without the support from our 2.6 million members across NSW and the ACT. I’d like to thank everyone, particularly our Gold Life members who have been with the NRMA over 50 years.

As part of our centenary celebrations the NRMA will be bringing its Bright Futures family festival to Sydney and several regional centres. I encourage all our members to join the celebrations and to consider road-tripping to these events. With locations such as Wagga Wagga, Tamworth and Brunswick Heads, any dollar spent on the road in local cafes and shops goes a long way to support regional communities, many of which have been terribly afflicted by drought and recent bushfires.