WHEN Cliff and Ingrid Pallister brought their vintage caravan to Forster last weekend it was a homecoming.
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They’re from Toronto in Newcastle but their 1964 Sunliner was born in Forster.
The story ‘Forster Leads Fibreglass Field’ in the Advocate’s own March 7, 1958 issue, hailed a new era in caravanning for the Forster Sunliner company which completed its first fibre glass caravan in February 1958.
“Already the largest fibre glass factory in the Southern Hemisphere producing two caravans per week, the company has plans for greater expansion to two caravans per day,” the article says.
One of them ended up in a paddock at Cassilis in western NSW when Cliff rescued it.
“We’d had a 13 footer in the past so were on the lookout for a 16 foot one,” Cliff explained.
“I heard there was a bloke at Cassilis with one leg who owned one, so we asked around at the pub and they told me where he lived. You wouldn’t believe that in Cassilis (population 100) he was the wrong bloke, there were two blokes with one leg.”
Eventually he tracked down what was left of the 16 ft van – what was left of it at least – and for a bottle of whiskey it was his.
“It was like finding gold.”
They’ve since restored the van with a red and white American themed interior “we have a number of American cars as well” and brought a few friends from vintagecaravans.com with them to Forster last weekend for a Christmas in July run.
Sandra and John Masson also from Toronto also tagged along with their 1954 Propert.
“It’s six-by-six-by-six,” John said of the cosy interior.
Suzanne Baker from Queensland also paid a visit in her 1941 teardrop.
“We found it and said that’s definitely a keeper. My husband is 6ft7 and he still sleeps in there with me.”
Michael and Anne Toole from Canberra came along as well with their 1967 Millard on the back of their 1934 Buick.
“I picked it up (Millard) as a shell for a carton of beer, the beer economy is how a lot of this works.”
Sandra Stewart also made the trip with the paint still wet on her pre-1954 Gypsy.
“I picked it up in Dubbo. It’s only nine-by-six but I just love it.”