We celebrate 100 years of serving Tasmanians
Published | 21 March 2023
Today we mark our 100 year anniversary, celebrating a century of serving the Tasmanian community.
From our humble beginnings as a car club with just a handful of members, we've evolved into an influential and trusted organisation that today, with more than 210,000 members, reaches 70 per cent of Tasmanian households.
Group Chief Executive Mark Mugnaioni said it’s incredibly unique and special to be part of an organisation that’s 100 years old and has played a role in shaping the Tasmania we know today.
“In 1923, a few short years after the end of the first world war and the Spanish flu pandemic, Tasmania was experiencing a period of change, our industries were growing and Tasmanians were purchasing this new technology – the auto car,” he said.
“In those days people got around on horse and cart, there were few road rules, and cars didn’t have seatbelts, indicators, brake lights, or even head lights.”
We paved the way to create a safer Tasmania – working with government to enact safer road rules, pushing for safer car standards, and opening up the state for motorists.
“In the early 1930’s we established a Queenstown branch which was active in fundraising for and building a road connecting Hobart and Queenstown which is still there today,” Mr Mugnaioni said.
“Other achievements include the introduction of what is believed to be Australia’s first roadside patrol service, the introduction of signage on council boundaries so motorists could identify where they were, successfully pushing for the establishment of a National Road Safety Council, and we were also a leader amongst Australian motoring clubs, with the first female appointed to the RACT Governing Council in the 1980s.”
“While many things have changed at RACT over the past century, one thing has remained, and that’s our commitment to serving our members.”
Our deeply rooted sense of place is reflected in our statewide presence, providing service in even the smallest towns through to our larger cities.
Today, we're Tasmania’s only local insurer, and we help around 200,000 members every year, including 78,000 stuck on the side of the road.
Our members also save about $4.6 million through the club’s rewards program, including more than $4 million through fuel savings annually.
“Being a member of RACT means having an influential and reliable organisation on your side when things go wrong, we always strive to help in any way possible,” Mr Mugnaioni said.
“Our commitment to serving our members and the Tasmanian community remains stronger than ever. RACT looks forward to another century of serving Tasmanians and being part of the state's journey,” Mr Mugnaioni said.
We celebrated the milestone across the state today, including at its Hobart branch, where RACT’s patron, Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC, Governor of Tasmania, presented the club with a birthday cake.
To celebrate the 100th year of serving Tasmanians, we'll be holding a range of public events throughout the year.
