History of the Bash
1985
The Variety Bash started in 1985, when entrepreneur and adventurer Dick Smith took a group of intrepid motorists from Bourke NSW to Bourketown Queensland in old cars, raising $250,000 for charity along the way.
Dick had friends from all walks of life – from multi-millionaires to battlers – and the event was his idea of a great equalizer. Touted as “a drive in the outback with a few mates”, Dick made sure everyone was on a level playing field – all cars had to be over 30 years old and non performance modified, a sentiment the Variety Bash retains today.
The Bash is not a race, rally or speed trial. The single most significant rule of the Bash is to relax and enjoy the Australian Outback and help raise funds for kids in need!
Variety NT ran it’s first ever Bash in 1992 “Heart to Heart” from Darwin to Ayers Rock with 12 cars and travelling 4400km.
Today
Since that first event, over $200 million has been raised, changing the lives of thousands of children across Australia, hundreds of thousands of km’s travelled and millions of snags turned on the bbq!
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Take a Trip Down Memory Lane
See the full list of NT Bash start and finish destinations!
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