History of Great Endeavour
The Great Endeavour is a major fundraising venture for the Endeavour Foundation
The beginningThe Great Endeavour first started in 1988 as a bicentennial project by the Road Boss, Allan Lawson. 37 cars participated and travelled from Toowoomba to Kooralbyn Valley via Birdsville, approximately 5000 kilometres. Due to the huge success of this one-off event it was decided to continue with the Great Endeavour on an annual basis and the 1989 event travelled from Toowoomba to the Gold Coast via the Gulf with 80 entrants participating.
1990
1990 saw 120 vehicles travel from Toowoomba to the Gold Coast via Magnetic Island with all 120 vehicles being transported by barge to Magnetic Island for a Lay Day.
1991
100 vehicles travelled the course in 1991 from Toowoomba to the Gold Coast via the "3 Deserts". 1991 also saw the introduction of the Super Endeavour, an event which will be held every 4 years. The inaugural Super Endeavour was a 14 day trip, Brisbane to the Gold Coast via Darwin with 25 cars participating.
1992
The 1992 Great Endeavour travelled Toowoomba to the Gold Coast via "The Isa" and "The Sea" with 84 starters.
1993
The 1993 rally travelled South Bank to Toowoomba via "The Back 'o' Burke" with 114 entries completing the course.
1994
1994 saw over 120 entries in the Great Endeavour starting from Pittsworth and travelling to South Bank via The Whitsundays with a Lay Day for competitors on Daydream Island.
1995
1995 saw the running of the second Super Endeavour with 35 entries travelling from Point Danger to Toowoomba via Cape York. 80 entrants in the Great Endeavour travelled from the Sunshine Coast to Toowoomba via Cooktown linking up with the Super at Mareeba for the journey home.
1996
Roma was the destination for 90 vehicles in the 1996 Great Endeavour. Entrants travelled from Toowoomba via "Woop Woop" in the most challenging event to date.
1997 - 10 year anniversary
1997 celebrated 10 years of Great Endeavour Rallies and as a special event entrants travelled from Ipswich to Toowoomba via the Barossa Valley.
1998
The 1998 Great Endeavour saw 92 cars in the Rally and 28 vehicles in the tour venture from Gladstone to Toowoomba via Ayers Rock. To date this rally has been the most successful Great Endeavour, raising more than $200,000.
1999
In 1999 we once again broke new ground with the third Super Endeavour Rally and 44 cars travelled across Australia from Byron Bay to Redcliffe via Broome. In two weeks these people saw and experienced the rugged ranges of Western Queensland, the Red Centre of Australia, the vast isolation of the Tanami Desert, the breathtaking blue water and white sand in Broome, travelled through the heart of the Kimberley Ranges, enjoyed the Northern Territories famous hospitality and "not" swim in the crocodile infested waters in North Queensland. 38 cars in the Great Endeavour and 16 in the Tour left Toowoomba and joined up with the Super at Escott in the Gulf for the journey to the finish line at Redcliffe.
2000
The year 2000 Great Endeavour had everything you ever wanted - challenge, excitement, atmosphere and snow. A large field of Rally and Tour cars left Brisbane to head for the Snowy Mountains via Nymbodia, The Pub with No Beer and Gulgong, tracking winding forest roads, mountain tracks and river crossings. After the snow fields it was off to the outback again to kick up the bulldust and to compete in the Noorama Mini Olympics before heading for the finish line in Toowoomba.
2001
The 2001 Great Endeavour headed west for a wild trek though the Darling Downs and then to Quilpie before continuing on to Birdsville and down the Birdsville track into South Australia. The 83 Rally vehicles and 33 Tour cars then turned their heads for home and travelled up the STRZELECKI into NSW before finishing at the Gold Coast.
2002
121 cars entered the Great Endeavour Rally and Tour in 2002 to head to Cooktown from Bundaberg before completing the 5000km journey at Broadbeach. Entrants visited the historic town of Ravenswood, spent a night at the Undrara Lava Tubes and passed through other fantastic outback towns and tracks enjoying the camaraderie, mateship and a million laughs that is part of a Great Endeavour.
2003
2003 was another Super Year. This year 48 cars headed west to cross the Simpson Desert, and what an adventure it was. After 4 days in the desert, these experienced rally drivers and their crews joined up with the 52 vehicles involved in the Great Endeavour Rally and Tour in Mt Isa to travel the rest of the journey to the finish line in Hervery Bay.
2004
2004 saw our Rally and Cruise entrants gather in Toowoomba for the start of the 5000km journey that would take them through parts of outback Queensland, New South Wales and finally into South Australia before arriving at our destination of Lake Eyre. After our Beach Party at the Lake, it was homeward bound and onto the finish line at Caloundra on the beautiful Sunshine Coast.
2005
2005 made a big splash as 115 motor vehicles crossed Bass Strait so the Rally and Cruise could discover the delights of the Apple Isle. Kingaroy to Coffs Harbour Via Tasmania saw the entrants drive through some of the most spectacular scenery this country has to offer.
2006
2006 and the 102 entrants travelled from Rockhampton to Coolangatta via Karumba. Great roads, amazing out of the way places and fresh prawns from the Gulf, what more could our Great Endeavourites want?
2007
2007 was the 20th anniversary of the Great Endeavour and the rally and cruise entrants retraced the first event from Toowoomba to Kooralbyn via Birdsville, but this time we also had a day off at the Bedourie Camel Races. There were 5 people on this rally who have participated each year since 1988, original Road Boss Allan Lawson, John Leadbetter, Richard and Peter Ryland and Wayne Coleman. What an effort.
2008
2008 was the year of the Super, Great and Cruise. The Super departed Longreach on 9th July to travel across the centre of Australia to Alice Springs, and Kalgoorlie before turning eastwards crossing the Nullabor Plains, then through South Aiustralia and into New South Wales to meet up with the Great and Cruise entrants at Viewmont Station. Almost 10,000 klms and 5 States or Territories in one hell of a trip. The Great and Cruise left Toowoomba on 17th July to head towards Broken Hill and then onto Viewmont Station. The combined rallies then spent the next 5 days and nights together before crossing the finish line in the small NSW town of Baradine where the locals organised the biggest street party it had ever seen. See the final results and award winners for 2008
The Great Endeavour continues to be Endeavour Foundation's largest single fundraising event, and to date has raised over $2m for the charity.
