About the author

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DARRYL Starr is a veteran of the newspaper industry, having worked for 51 years at the Border Mail in Albury-Wodonga. As the award-winning regional daily's long-time motoring editor, he has road tested pretty much every new car released in Australia since 1967. His favourite road routes include some of the most scenic towns in North East Victoria and the Southern Riverina region of New South Wales, covering more conditions and test variables than any city-based motoring writer. He was the newspaper's motoring editor for 48 years and for 15 years he also wrote for Out and About and Domain, the paper's tourist and real estate supplements. Darryl is also an author, having written 'A spirit of progress - 110 years of motoring in Albury-Wodonga', and this online book, 'Are we there yet, Mr Holmes?' In 2025 he celebrates 58 years as a motoring writer, the last eight for his own publication, thecountrydriver.com. His knowledge of the roads of North East Victoria and the Southern Riverina is immeasurable. He has also ridden the highs and lows of various forms of motorsport. His wife, Julie, is also a keen traveller and an experienced co-driver/navigator.

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ALTHOUGH I was familiar with the story of the Thomson steam car from an early age, my fascination grew when I was out for a walk thinking what did Albury-Wodonga have to offer the motoring public to usher in the year 2000.

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Surely something happened 100 years previously and, on going through some old newspapers at the Albury library, I discovered that the Thomson steam phaeton overnighted in Albury on May 5, 1900, on its historic trip from Bathurst to Melbourne.

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'That's it,' I thought. What better way to see in the 2000s than to try and get the vehicle to Albury-Wodonga for a motor show.

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Along with colleague Brian Shepherd, and with backing from The Border Mail, we tracked the fully-restored steamer down to the Scienceworks Museum in Melbourne..

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Museum Victoria agreed to our request and it was trucked to the Albury Entertainment Centre as the centrepiece of an event named Phaeton's Run, in reference to what was to become the first long distance motor car trip undertaken in Australia.

 

We were also lucky to have a replica of the first practical modern automobile, a Benz Patent-Motorwagen.

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Phaeton's Run included new car displays, car club displays, trade exhibits, and an evening celebrating the achievements of local motorsport identities.

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Show guests included Australian Touring Car legend Bob Jane, and Geoff Thomson, a great nephew of Herbert Thomson.

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On its return to Melbourne, Museums Victoria advised that the Thomson steam phaeton would never leave Scienceworks again.

 

How lucky were we! - Darryl Starr