Community Display Jelly Bean Park | Nowra NSW

Tuesday: 25 March 11am – 4pm 

Community Display | Jelly Bean Park

We departed from our weekend base in the Illawarra region around 8:30 am. After refuelling, we drove down the Princes Highway to Nowra, arriving at the Nowra Community Center just before 10 am. We accessed the facility using the provided security code and parked the caravan by the cottage on the property, disconnecting it from the car.

The property owners, Roger and Angela Kerr, arrived to provide us with the cottage keys and orient us to the facilities. After setting up our mobile fridge and switching the cars on the trailer, we locked up and followed Angela’s directions to Jelly Bean Park.

In the park, we needed to station someone in the car park while unloading the display vehicle, Bubsie. Once positioned, Kevin took the trailer to a nearby all-day parking area. We then proceeded to set up the rest of the display.

Almost immediately, people began arriving to view the car, as there was a lot of foot traffic near the shopping mall entrance. Rebecca Mahon, who had coordinated the event with the council, arrived to assist Angela and us in engaging with the attendees and distributing informational materials.

Throughout the day, a steady stream of people passed by or sat nearby, many of whom were enthusiastic about the car and its story. Several attendees, including some with their own restoration projects, expressed keen interest.

As the afternoon progressed, the crowd thinned somewhat, but we were able to have some meaningful conversations with interested parties about the motivations behind the display.

Graeme Day, a local radio personality, ensured the event was announced on air that morning, which brought in additional visitors who had heard the announcement.

Toward the end of the day, we had the opportunity to speak with a woman who felt a strong connection to the event and its significance. Her life experiences resonated with those of Rebecca, the event organiser.

After packing up the display, we returned to the community center, where we relaxed and freshened up. We then joined Roger and Angela Kerr for a lovely evening meal and fellowship at Christine and Lee Johnstone’s home.

Overall, it was a successful day, with over 200 informational materials distributed and many engaging conversations with the public.