The original club started in 1969 with a collection of Mk IV, V, 7, 8, and 9 and several E-Types. These enthusiasts became members of the Sydney based Jaguar Drivers Club of Australia. Brian Rowse arrived in Brisbane from South Australia in December 1974 with his SS Jaguar and was surprised that there was not a local club.

However, in May 1975, at a get together at the home of Ian McNally, nurtured by three avid enthusiasts, the Jaguar Drivers Club of Queensland was formed, approximately 35 people attended that first meeting where Peter Fast was elected President. Since then the membership grown steadily. To better cater for the membership  in the centres distant from Brisbane a series of Regional Registers were established in the late 1980's. The club has expanded to the stage where we now have over 500 members, half of these in the Brisbane area and the remainder in the regional registers.

1n 1975 the JDCQ was still a branch of the JDC of Australia and a very shaky branch at that. Discussion centred around the previous months economy run, the weather had been dismal with numbers disappointing but with less than 30 members you couldn’t expect a lot. It was September 18th, 1975.

Tony Cook recalls the first Concours held at Slaughter Falls Park, Mt Cootha on 2nd November 1975. It was pretty naive in those days. Sponsorship was sought from a number of firms in the motor trade. They suggested that the club purchase the trophies, then they would reimburse the club. Needless to say, the sods never paid. The event went off marvellously. The idea of attracting members through such events became established alone with the principal of employing judges from outside the club membership.

1975 ended with a Christmas party at Brian Rowse's home at Eight Mile Plains. The beer was late as the chap sent to collect the keg diverted his attention to chasing fire engines on their way to an emergency. Savouries went cold, conversation dwindled until the grog arrived. Never the less those present took it in good humour.

The first full club year began with a general meeting on 22nd January, 1976. Brian Rowse was elected President, Tony Cook was elected Secretary and looked forward to the task with a determination to see the club prosper. A big year lay ahead with 24 separate events.

The January meeting also saw the "Clubman of the Year " trophy awarded for the first time to Brian Rowse for his efforts in fostering club spirit in 1975. Some confusion surrounds the purpose of the award. Minutes of 15/1/76 state, "The annual trophy for outstanding work for the club has been organised. A score will be kept covering meetings and outings attendance". Ian McNally, an organiser of the original meeting to form the club, donated the trophy on behalf of Ray White Real Estate.

Word that the club was firing on all six soon spread, the first outing for the year, a trip to Somerset Dam was marvellous. In those days the club entrants actually saw XK's, pushrod cars and even E Types came along. From the small membership, over 14 Jags made it, which would be the equivalent of 200 turning up now.

Meetings became less like an enthusiastic rabble as correct business procedure ensured all reports were given and important items discussed. New ideas were tabled like a "service directory listing firms or individuals who carry out work on Jaguars to a satisfactory standard".

Prospects of becoming a club in it’s own right was officially raised when Tony Cook as Secretary read to the second general meeting in 1976 a number of points that were not widely known.

The most crucial motion in the club's existence read "the Committee take steps to effect official club status", was moved by Len Seeman, seconded by John Cleesman and carried unanimously.

Sporting events weren’t every member's cup of tea in 1976. Mal Young, Sporting Secretary gave the members a rocket at the third general meeting for non attendance on the economy run in March 1976.

The first social event for the year a wine and cheese evening was held in late April 1976. These unsophisticated gatherings were a lot of fun and well attended. Mal Young was a little more content with 9 members contesting the previous month’s night navigation run.

At the May 1976 meeting Mal Young also spoke on the McLeans Bridge Meeting, this commencing another club tradition, and the need for Sports Car Clubs to band together for a common good.

Ideas of promoting the club through a Concourse came to fusion in 1976. The Committee knew such an event should generate interest from those who already owned Jaguars. What about people who were thinking about buying one, much less joining the club? The idea of a static display of cars in a shopping centre to grab attention of anyone remotely interested was raised with the committee. Letters to Garden City and Indooroopilly followed.

With the Concourse a month away, the August 1976 meeting held a few surprises. A chap who owned a superbly restored XK 150 F.H.C. donated $100 toward the purchase of a perpetual Concourse trophy for pushrod cars. He wanted to call it the John Hitzke "Puss 'n’ Boots" trophy after his business name. It remains an exceedingly generous gift that has been lost to the club. The committee reported on the display - at Indooroopilly Shopping Centre. It featured Richard Carst's Mk V, Peter Fast's XK 140 D.H.C. and Tony Cook’s Mk II. Action photographs of a Motorkana added interest. With lots of bonnet lifting and members on hand to answer questions, it was the most successful form of advertising we had ever tried.

On a less cheerful note, Brian Rowse advised he had received a letter from Leyland stating they would only supply discounts on spares bought in bulk. The Treasurer said the club, "was in desperate need of financial support," or in other words ..... broke.

The Sporting Secretary wasn’t happy either. He was disappointed at the small numbers of Jags attended the Motorkhana on 25th July and the President was not happy with the State Government over the continuing delay incorporating the club.

September's general meeting saw a change of venue from Ann Street to the function room of Communication House in Fortitude Valley. The Secretary wrote immediately to U.K. Motors requesting permission to hold monthly meetings there in the new year – this happened in April 1977.

During the meeting, the President recounted the story the gold leaping cat. He had requested from Brysons a large Jaguar motif for display at our Concourse. Shortly after, the Post Office advised him to collect a large cat. Bewildered he went there to find a huge fibreglass leaping Jaguar had arrived. After paying for the leaping Jaguar - Brian dragged the thing to meetings and events for years until it finally found a well deserved resting place; the wall of his workshop.

The S.S. Register came formally into being during that September night when John Taylor moved to change the name from the Pushrod Register.

In 1977 the club after having a newsletter in place decided to produce a new magazine "The Queensland Jaguar Driver". The initial issue was produced in February 1977, the next in May 1977. In that initial edition Brian Rowse as President congratulated the editor Graham Garson and his "workers" for producing that magazine and had hopes of it becoming a monthly edition, in this edition were photos of activities in 1976 such as Moogerah Dam, Purlingbrook Falls, Indooroopilly Shopping Town, Concours and a Motorkhana.

Late in 1977 Brian Rowse spoke of the Christmas Party at the Greek Club and spoke of the membership of being around 100. John Carter as Treasurer gave information that the club was in the "Black" even after the costs of incorporation as a Limited Liability Company.

SS Register - Eugene Bouel spoke of the meetings and the Christmas Party held at John Rogers home on December 4^th.

XK Register – Janice Ruddick organised an event to Rob and Jane Switzers place at Palm Beach on 20^th November with 12 cars and 23 persons

Mk 1 and 11 – Tony Cook spoke of the workshops that were organised with Graham Martin and Peter and Sara Solomon.

Brian Rowse stepped down as President with John Carter taking over as President.

The first meeting in 1978 (with John Carter as President, Perry Murray as the Secretary and Peter Barrett as Treasurer) had over 50 persons in attendance and spoke of the Night Navigation Run that started at the Kmart at Chermside and went through the wilds of Aspley and Bald Hills finishing at the home of the Vice President /Social Secretary – Rick Parkin, and then the following Sunday saw a run to Bribie Island.

For 1978 the E type register set up a busy schedule with workshops, parties, Lakeside events, runs to Misty’s at Montville on 28^th May, Toowoomba on 9^th July and Advancetown.

The MK1 and 11 register had a dinner party with 29 people at the Red Hill Mediterranean Restaurant. The many register members there (Peter Lehrke, Doug Appleton, Tony Cook, Graham Martin etc) joined Brian Rowse in turning a wine glass into a musical instrument.

The first Combined Register run (the forerunner of the Jaguar June Jaunt and was held over a weekend) was organised by Tony Cook (Mk 1 & 11) and Cam Day (Independent Rear) and went from Toowoomba, Warwick, Stanthorpe, Tenterfield, Casino, Lismore, Bangalow, Brunswick Heads to Kingscliffe – it was a round trip of about 450 miles. 6 MK11’s, 2 S Types and 38 people attended. At Stanthorpe it is reported that wine was bought for $1 a bottle at one of the wineries.

The Concours was held at the Botanical Gardens on Sunday September 24^th as part of the Warana festival. Tom Armstrong’s XK150 with 473 points, Perry Murray’s S Type with 481.5, Byron Chisler’s Daimler 2.5 with 470 and the XK150 with 466 and Brian Rowse Mk 11 with 460points. There were 39 Entries !!! The same year on 26^th November saw an Economy run where Brian Rowse gained 35.8mpg, Doug Appleton with 33.9 mpg and Barry Meertens with 34.48 mpg all in Mk11’s.

In 1978 the club held one of many picnic runs to Mt Glorious.

Regularly there were up to 20 cars - many of the members with young families and the intent was to take your Jaguar out for the day with the family on a picnic or a sporting event.

The Christmas Party was organised for December 9th at Samford with a Bullock on a Spit - $5.00 a head covered BBQ, wine, smorgasbord and a band (times have changed). Membership reached 160 with the various registers being very active.

The President was Perry Murray with Secretary Peter Barrett and Denise Barrett as Treasurer. The meetings were now being held at the Mt Cootha Auditorium. Membership was around 170. Events became varied with the Registers organising social and technical events as well as the club runs.

The 1979 Concours was held at the Botanical Gardens with 32 entrants. The overall winner was Perry Murray with his S Type, second was Brian Rowse with his Mk 11 and third was Tom Armstrong with his XK150.

A contingent of Queenslanders visited Sydney for National Rally at the Opera House and the winners were Brian Rowse in his Mk11, Perry Murray in his S Type and Tom Armstrong in his XJ6.

The XK Register organised a party after the State Concours that was well attended – the register secretary Les Harrison reported on the events held. The Mk 1 & 11 register had workshop days covering everything from changing a fan belt to how to remove and replace radiator cores to clean out the cores. The Mark 2 register dinner was held at the Penny Farthing Restaurant in Albert Street in the City and the register Christmas Party held at Brian and Margaret Rowse’s place.

Club person of the year was contested between Brian Rowse. Perry Murray, Doug Appleton and Peter Lehrke.

A Motorkhana was organised for Carseldine on 25^th November which was the sporting climax of the year with entrants such as "Deadly Dudley", "Perilous Perry" and "Crazy Carter" being just a few.

The wine and cheese nights were again a success with more than 30 people attending, the Christmas Party was again at the Golden Valley Hotel at Samford.

Tony Haslam took over as President in 1980 with Secretary Peter Barrett and Denise Barrett as Treasurer and the year was quite social as Peter Lehrke took over the Social Secretary position.. A cruise was organised on the Captain Cook on the river and a Beef and Burgundy night was held at Peter Lehrke’s place on August 23^rd where more than 30 people attended.

The Mk 1 & 11 Register had their register dinner at the Chinese Club on 7^th June with 18 people attending.

An economy run was held and the winner was Tom Armstrong (XJ6) with 38.75 mpg, Peter Barrett (S Type) with 32.28 mpg, Graham Garson (XJ6) with 31.95 Brian Rowse with 31.56 (Mk 11) being the highest mpg runners.

In September the Concours was held at the Botanical Gardens. Add in results

On November 23^rd the club had a run to the Gold Coast where in the next year (1981) the National Rally was going to be held.

The Christmas Party was held at the Taylor Range Club at The Gap.

National Rally Year – the first one organised by the JDCQ and an overall success. Brian Rowse was elected President, Peter Barrett as Secretary and Peter Lehrke as Treasurer and the committee including Tony Cook, Rob Brown, Graham Martin and Garry Ballinger worked on both the club and the National Rally at the same time.

The National Rally was held at Surfers Paradise and for example there were 100 registered for the poolside BBQ and 175 attended, and the presentation dinner had 150 and 210 attended. Ian Cummins D Type was on show and the concourse was held at Pacific Fair – 50 cars entered. The motorkhana was held on bitumen. Eric Sommers (aka Boris the Black Knight) was the MC and a great entertainer and afterwards entertained some of the committee members with an hilarious session of jokes, magic etc

The State Concours was held in conjunction with Warana with Gordon Turner with his white E Type winning overall " Car of the Day" and the trophies were presented by Lofty England at the club meeting at the Mt Cootha Auditorium.

Other concourse winners were Carolyn Armstrong with an XJ Ser 2, Brian Rowse Mk11and Garry Ballinger with his XJS.

In a few days Lofty England went to a dinner gathering at Brian Rowse’s place, attended the Motorkhana, and the club meeting before going to Sydney.

The Mk11 register again organised the annual register restaurant night at Bill Cunliffe’s Tortilla Restaurant in Elizabeth Arcade, and the Mk 2 Combined Register 2 Day Run was held in late October and went to Toowoomba, Oakey, Dalby etc camping out under the stars.

The Christmas Party was held at the Moreton Bay Trailer Boat Club - $12.00 per head. At the end of the year there were 192 members.

For 1982 Perry Murray was elected President, Graham Martin as Secretary and Peter Lehrke as Treasurer. John Egan visited and met with some committee and club members and a BBQ was held at Simpson Falls as well as an Economy Run to Toowoomba.

The club meeting venue was moved to East Leagues Club at Stones Corner as the Commonwealth Games planning committee wanted the Mt Cootha venue. The Christmas Party was held at Lennon’s Hotel in the city.

In June 1982 the club with it’s editors John Carter and Graham Garson published it’s first colour cover magazine with a story from Graham Martin who wrote of buying a Mk IV for restoration.

Concours results

Sporting events were held as a Motorkhana in late 1982 with Brian Galloway, Brian Rowse and Peter Best among the winners and then at Lakeside in November with Richard Marks, Brian Carrick and Graham Hein the winners.

In 1983 Brian Rowse was elected President, Graham Martin as Secretary and Peter Lehrke as Treasurer. Events organised were a picnic at Simpson Falls, an economy run to Toowoomba, a Progressive Dinner, Wine Bottling and a 2 day run to Coffs Harbour to meet up with JDC members from Sydney, yet another forerunner of the Jaguar June Jaunt. National Rally was at Albury.

In 1984 Brian Rowse was elected President, Graham Martin as Secretary and Peter Lehrke as Treasurer.

In 1985 Roger Wilkinson was elected President, Graham Martin as Secretary and Peter Lehrke as Treasurer.