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Darvall Club Member of the Year Award

Stories: Ron Widdison, Andrew Bonwick, Geoffrey Mould and Mark Horton Andrews

At times in the history of an organisation it is important to pause and reflect on significant contributions, and to acknowledge and celebrate them.

On behalf of the Club’s General Committee, I am delighted to announce the naming of the Porsche Club of Victoria Club Member of the Year Award in honour of William Darvall and Barbara Darvall. The award will now be named the Darvall Club Member of the Year Award.

Back in 1975, Barb Darvall (then Clearihan) attended the first meeting of the Club with husband Brian. Barb joined the Committee in the following year, served as Secretary for two years, and joined the Committee again for a further four years in the late eighties. Barb was a contributor to the Porsche Club of Victoria book 1975-2015 the first 40 years, providing valuable historical reflections on the early years of the club.

Barb was celebrated as the Club Member of the Year in 1985 and was awarded Life membership in 2012. Barb is a generous and popular stalwart of Club events, including numerous Club Nights, Social and Register runs, Tours, and Competition events, participating as both Competitor and Official. He was an avid competitor for many years in the club as well as broader State and National competition. In the early 2000s he introduced the club marshalling group which has grown steadily since to provide a highly professional and reliable set of competition officials for the club. Will is a past President of the Club, was a joint Club Member of the Year in 2006 and was also recognised with Life membership in 2012.

Will was instrumental as Editor in production of the Porsche Club of Victoria book 1975-2015 the first 40 years. Together with magazine Editor Ron Widdison, Will is an integral part of the enormously popular ‘What’s in Your Garage” series. Like Barb, Will is a popular Club member and regular attendee of Club events.

Ron Widdison: Clubs are built by volunteers who share a common interest, and the PCV has been fortunate enough to have had many who have put their heart and soul into building the successful Club we have today. Will and Barb Darvall are not just amazing PCV volunteers, they are also Porsche people through and through!

In 1969 Barb bought her first Porsche, a 1965 912, progressing through 356s, 914s, SC’s and 911s. In 1974 Will bought his first Porsche, a Black 911S sporting the number plate MY911. It was in 1977 he bought his new daily driver, a holy grail 2.7 RS which he ran in the Vic, SA and Australian Hillclimb championships, winning the SA and Australian title in the under 3 litre sports car class. In the final round of the Vic title, he put the car up a tree, destroying it and nearly himself! And to top it off he even built himself a 550 Spyder replica sporting 911 brakes, engine, and gearbox!

Both founding members, being present at the first club night in 1975 they got to know each other socially through club events. They lost contact in the 80’s while raising their families but reunited in 2002 through Will’s famous 550 Spyder replica at a 356 concours event where they said hello, got married and lived happily ever after!

In 2000 I was lucky enough to meet my then neighbour Barb who introduced me to her lovely Guards Red 3.2 Carrera; two months later I had my own 3.2 Carrera, and the rest is history. I have been lucky enough to call Barb and Will friends for the past 20 odd years. It’s not often you meet truly special people, but Bab and Will certainly fit the bill. Their enthusiasm and passion for the Marque, PCV and life has brought them as much joy from the club as they have given.

In 2009 I asked Will to write the article for a new feature for Porsche Parade. Will agreed and we spent the next 12 years (46 editions) travelling Victoria for “What’s in Your Garage” I am forever grateful to him for organising and writing the stories and the time we spent together.

Quite often these types of honours are made posthumously. I am so happy that the Committee has named the Club member of the year after Will and Barb at this time so they can feel the love and appreciation from the Club for their lifetime of contributions over the past 47 years.

Barb and Robin, marshalling at Phillip Island

On the Dummy grid at Winton

Andrew Bonwick: Barb and Will have been at the core of the club the whole time I have been a member, as stalwarts of the social and competition aspects of our club and in my early days whizzing along in their beautiful 550 replica. They both have significant insight as motor sport competitors and into the marque, and the relationship between Porsche and the Club. They have also been instrumental in bringing the variety of Porsche marque clubs closer together since the schisms of the 90’s.

Will was always very particular, whether that be about safety, or organisation of a motor sport event, or chasing down every errant punctuation mistake in the state Government’s model constitution before it was adopted by the club, grammatically perfect, in 2013.

Their vignettes about the people and places know no bounds. Their motor sport knowledge has been particularly helpful with Will being a mentor to decades of club officials and Barb’s insight as Marshal after she finished her racing career. The professional strength of our marshal group is a tribute to their consistent participation, broad motor sport capability and their elegant focus on continuously developing the experience that club members have when they participate in club events.

Geoffrey Mould: Both Will and Barb Darvall have become very close friends, a friendship that began way back in 1985 when my wife Barbara and I joined the Club. Not long after joining, Barb Darvall and I together were the total of the Social Committee in charge of the Annual Gala Dinner and Awards Night.

With so many more events to cover today that small beginning became the genesis of a much broader social committee of around eighteen. Will has been the backbone of the club as can be seen by his contribution over many years to Competition Events as Clerk of Course and other administrative rolls within the Competition Committee, together with the logging of the history of the club culminating in the publication of a book and What’s in Your Garage for the magazine.

Looking dapper at the PCV Annual Ball

Will in his 2.7 RS at Lakelands 1978 Will receiving his life membership

You’d be proud too if you built your own 550!

Barb and Will flag marshalling at Winton Will & Barb enjoy the music at a social event

Barb Darvall’s contribution after serving on the General Committee and after giving away competing in sprints has been the “Caller” for many years at sprint events. Between the two of them individually and as a team it is evidence of their commitment to our club. A Club which has grown to be the envy of many other car Clubs. My wife Barbara and I continue to be close friends and share many an enjoyable time with the Darvalls. Congratulations to the Darvalls on the Club’s recognition of their contribution over many years; a worthy accolade to them both.

Mark Horton Andrews: I have enjoyed Barb and Will’s good humour, engaging personalities, and warm and kind support. Will has been a mentor as a Competition Official, and I have relied on Barb’s knowledge and experience many times at the Track.

The Club Member of the Year award recognises the most conspicuous contribution by a member to the general activities and benefits of the membership of the Club over the entire year, based on a range of factors. It is entirely appropriate that it be named after two of the Club’s longest serving, avid and most generous members.