The Wairarapa Automobile Association

The initial idea of an Automobile Association was floated during a 1912 social gathering of J Bidwill, J C Bidwill, I Wilson, and G Fenwick at Bidwill’s Pihautea Homestead. The discussion came around to the motor reliability trials which were being held in England with Wilson suggesting the setting up of an organisation to hold something similar locally.

A public meeting was held in Featherston on October 12^th  which attracted fourteen people. It was decided to form such an organization to be called the Wairarapa Automobile Association with Mr M Elgar President and I Wilson secretary.

Membership was open to ‘any owner or part owner of a motor car or motor bicycle or any lady or gentleman interested in motoring’. Annual subscription was set at car members ten shillings, motor cyclists five shilling and non-owners two shilling and sixpence ( 2020 = $86, $43, $22.50).

Initially most of the members were motor cyclists  and events were predominantly for these  including motor cycle races held at Tauherenikau racecourse. 

With the opening of the railway the hill road was mostly only used to drove stock and had fallen into disrepair with deep ruts and lose boulders lying everywhere. Members spent many hours making the road usable and establishing a cheap boundary fence which had soon twice saved cars from going over the edge.

Before the days of bulk petrol supplies fuel was sold in ten litre tins. The Association bought  a bulk supply of these to on-sell to members at an attractive price. 

The Association also bought matters of concern to the police, including the number of motorists travelling at night without any lighting. The Assn. also complained of speeding on the hill road. As a result In 1925 the Public Works Dept fixed a speed limit on the hill road at 12 miles per hour.

A New Zealand first was the establishment of an Automobile Association Mutual Motor Insurance scheme with an annual insurance fee of five pounds a year. This  started with twenty seven members  and eventually grew to become a very efficient insurance company.   

For many years the Association shared Featherston premises with the Wairarapa Racing Club.  In the mid seventies the Racing club relocated to the racecourse and, as the majority of members were now in northern Wairarapa, the headquarters moved to Masterton. The Featherston building was sold the Borough to become their offices.