What is the Bash

The Variety Bash is not a race or a rally. It’s an adventure with mates driving through regional parts of Australia you might not otherwise see, all in support of Variety – the Children’s Charity NSW/ACT.

On this ultimate road trip, Bashers visit local towns, stopping into schools and organisations to visit kids and their communities. Bashers get to see the direct impact of their fundraising efforts along the way, with a range of educational health and mobility equipment to local schools and organisations enroute.

The Bash is run in each state across Australia, but it originally began in NSW and it is now known as the Variety B to B Bash. Since it began, over $200 million has been raised, changing the lives of thousands of children and their families across Australia.

In the Beginning

For its first decade, from 1975 to 1984, Variety Club Australia focused on raising funds for children in need through events tied to the entertainment industry.

The Story of the First Bash

Then, in a groundbreaking move, the legendary entrepreneur and adventurer, Dick Smith, gifted Variety Club Australia the proceeds of the first Bash event which he hosted, a nostalgic nod to his childhood adventures.

Thrilled by the excitement and adventure of the Bash, the Variety team thoroughly embraced the event. For over four decades, the Bash has travelled the vast Australian landscape, from the outback town of Bourke to the tropical paradise of Batavia Coast and many place inbetween. All with one unwavering goal - to raise funds for children in need.

A glimpse into the Variety history, Tony Hasham AM, left, and Grahame Mapp AM, centre, were the 4th and 3rd Chairs of the Variety Australia Board, respectively.  

Timeline of the Bashes

Over the years, the B to B Bash, has journeyed over 189,000kms with an average of 115 cars for each event and raised over $250m.

Starting in 1985 Bourke to Burketown Bash commenced from the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House, followed by a short 783km drive to Bourke for the official start, it was covered by the BBC, ABC and Channel 10 television teams.The $250,000 raised enabled the purchase of 15 Sunshine Coaches – an incredible result from a single fundraising event for any charity in 1985.

Showing enormous foresight, Variety Club Australia’s Chief Barker Tony Hasham continued the motoring events. 

In 1988, we held our first national Bash with 208 teams leaving Bondi Beach on their 3,825km journey, 20 leaving Melbourne and 22 departing Adelaide – raising over $1.4 million. 

By the 1990’s every State was running their own motoring events, with New South Wales running the B to B Bash out of Sydney, the Newcastle NSW Bash and even an ACT Bash out of Canberra, briefly. It has continuously, except during Covid years, for that time.

The ongoing success of the Bash can be attributed to a mix of dedication, belief in our mission and sense of adventure. As Australia's longest-running charity motoring event, the Variety Bash remains a testament to the power of community and the lasting impact of individuals coming together to make a difference.