Car enthusiasts gather at Thales’ Bendigo site for the 2022 Jonty Blackley Memorial Car Show

Each year, on the last official day of work, our Bendigo site hosts the Jonty Blackley Memorial Car Show. The show provides staff, both former and current, with the opportunity to share their passion and enthusiasm for all different types of vehicles.

The show is named as such to commemorate the life of Jonty Blackley who passed away in 2022. Jonty was a passionate car enthusiast, key organiser of the event, and a vital part of the Thales team at Bendigo. 

The first Thales car show was held in 2011, with only 12 cars taking part. Over the years, participation has steadily increased and, in 2022, there were over 100 participants. 

The event isn’t just for past and present Thales employees, but also suppliers who make the brilliant work at Bendigo possible. The show is open to all vehicle types: from old muscle cars and hot rods, to race cars and go karts. Last year’s show saw the debut of Protected Vehicles (PRV) special vehicle, the Hawkei 'Project X'. 

Project X is based around a Hawkei command cabin, but modified by a team of Thales car enthusiasts who replaced the Hawkei’s traditional 6-cylinder 3.2 litre diesel engine with a V8 8.8 Litre supercharged petrol engine. Project X also caught the attention of Thales Australia CEO Jeff Connolly and former CEO Chris Jenkins who were in Bendigo for the event.

The organisers of the show since its inception, Stuart Wallace, Rhett Nankervis & Murray Brown, saw the opportunity to host a car meet when they noticed that many people on site were, like them, car enthusiasts.

“The show is always a relaxing way to finish the year and provides the team and I with a great opportunity to catch up with people you don’t see so often. I myself am a fan of older cars, but I can definitely appreciate the variety of cars at the show. I personally own a Volkswagen, a Ford and a Holden, so it’s a bit of a mixed bag!”

Stuart Wallace, Prototype & Machining Group Leader.