Over 100 Years of RACT

From Tasmania's first scout mechanics checking for stranded motorists in the 1920s to the iconic yellow vans of today, RACT has always been there.

It started with a conversation, and a simple question: what if motorists looked out for each other, instead of every driver fending for themselves? Back then, "fending for yourself" meant a breakdown or a crash and then a wait for whoever happened to drive past next.

That conversation became a club, a promise between neighbours. There was no helpline, just the assurance that someone would come. Fixed to the front of a member's car, our badge was a quiet signal to every other Tasmanian on the road: help was already on its way if you ever needed it.

As the decades rolled on, Tasmania kept changing. Roads got longer and cars got faster. Needs got bigger but funding often stayed thinner here than on the mainland. But that never stopped RACT's members. In Queenstown, they didn't wait for funding to arrive; they raised it themselves, then built the Kelly Basin Road with their own hands. Many roads like it didn't happen by accident: RACT members spent decades pushing to get them built.

It went beyond the building of roads. There were gas-powered lighthouses at blind corners, discounted insurance in 1929 during the Great Depression, first-aid instructions tucked into the touring handbook, an ambulance donated during the war in 1941. Time and again, RACT built what Tasmanians needed.

RACT didn't just insure against bad drivers, it helped build better ones. It lobbied for safety signs and speed limits, took a seat on Tasmania's Road Safety Council in 1947, and showed up to support the driver education launch at Clarence High School in 1951. Then in 1963, RACT started its own driving school, helping young Tasmanians become safer, more confident drivers. Safety campaigns played in cinemas and were printed on RACT's own vehicles.

Our cars and fashions may have changed, but our values haven't

Then came 1967.

Tasmania's worst bushfires. One of the deadliest single days in Australian history; homes became memories in an afternoon. RACT patrols helped whoever was stranded, no membership checked, and waived fees for anyone left homeless. Decades later, when Dunalley burned, help came again.

Today, our focus remains steadily on what Tasmanians want and need. We still provide roadside assistance, driver training and insurance, and we still advocate for our members and the broader community in the areas of resilience, road safety and connection.

The things that last aren't the loudest. They're the ones you can count on. RACT is owned by the Tasmanians it serves. Over a hundred years of showing up isn't luck; it's a promise kept.

In each other, and in what's next.

100 years of service

As we prepared to celebrate RACT’s 100th anniversary, we sat down with members plus current and former teammates who have a connection to the club to hear their stories.

100 years of stories

To celebrate 100 years of being Tasmania's shoulder to lean on, we commissioned Tasmanian-based historian and author, Nick Brodie to write a limited-edition book - RACT 100 Years of Service.

Learn more