Coffs pit stop on historic England to Australia Birtles and the Bean reenactment Coffs Coast Coffs Coast - popup ad Coffs Coast News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - February 2, 2025 Epic road trippers Warren Brown and Matthew Benns arrive at Coffs’ Bunker Museum and Gallery. A WELL-KNOWN cartoonist and a journalist made a pit stop in Coffs Harbour in a 1924 model Bean 14 Sports Roadster, as part of their reenactment of a road trip from England to Australia. Warren Brown AM, the Daily Telegraph’s cartoonist, and Editor-at-large Matthew Benns, left London in September and planned to arrive in Sydney for Australia Day. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au The pair are recreating the historic drive of Francis Birtles who drove the same model car from London to reach Melbourne in 1928. Pootling into the National Cartoon Gallery and Holden Motor Museum in time for lunch last Thursday, they were met by an enthusiastic crowd. Gallery and Museum Manager Bruce Nelson said welcoming the Bean and its drivers to Coffs Harbour was a real delight for the gallery and the crowd. “Warren and Matthew and their support team really enjoyed stopping by, especially Warren who has won cartoon of the year previously and knows the gallery well,” Bruce told News Of The Area. “We managed to collect a few hundred dollars for the Royal Flying Doctor Service – their charity – and they generously gave their time to speak with the car enthusiasts who turned out… before they headed off on the last leg of their epic journey.” Gallery and Museum Vice President Margaret Cameron, said Warren has always been a great supporter of the gallery and it was exciting to see him return. “Warren won the National Rotary Cartoon Award in 1990 and was guest presenter at its 30th anniversary in 2018,” Ms Cameron said. “His pitstop at the gallery means a lot for us, as I’m sure it did for him. “Ironically Holden made the bodies for the original Bean cars, so this just goes to show cars and cartoons do fit together.” The endeavour had raised more than $115,000. Just as Birtles did, the men started from Australia House in The Strand in London, driving across Europe via the Bavarian Alps, by ferry from Athens to Cairo, across the Saudi Arabian desert and across India and Asia before landing in Darwin by ship from Singapore. By Andrea FERRARI Matthew Benns and Warren Brown addressed the gathering. The Bean 1925 body by Holden at Coffs’ Bunker Museum and Gallery. Warren Brown drawing a cartoon of London to Melbourne on the Bunker cafe wall. Photos: Steve Little. Warren Brown greeted by Rotarians Graham Lockett, Chair of the Gallery and Museum, and John Walker.
