Decades of fundraising from Palm Beach have helped support children across regional Australia, with long-time resident Beryl Driver OAM completing her 25th Variety Bash after years of community events and road trips with the Mermaids of Palm Beach.
The 93-year-old’s latest trip marked the end of her Variety Bash participation, but the milestone also traces a much longer local fundraising effort involving friends, fellow participants and community events around Palm Beach.
Mermaids Of Palm Beach Built A Local Fundraising Tradition
Driver entered her first Variety B to B Bash at 65 in 1999, travelling from Brickpit to Broome as part of the first all-female Bash team.
Her participation later became closely associated with the Mermaids of Palm Beach, with different team members joining fundraising trips across remote and regional Australia.
The fundraising did not take place only on the road. Activities connected with the Mermaids included Currawong Day events and fundraising dinners at Palm Beach RSL, creating a local base for efforts that ultimately extended well beyond the area.
Across Driver’s years of involvement, the teams associated with her Variety participation raised well over $1 million for children who are sick, experiencing disadvantage or living with disability.
Her broader charitable contribution was recognised in 2015 when she received the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the community through charitable initiatives.
Palm Beach Effort Reached Regional Communities
Regional school visits remained a recurring part of Driver’s years on the road.
She has described visiting smaller schools and seeing how Variety funding was used as an important reason for continuing to participate, connecting fundraising undertaken around Palm Beach with children and families in communities along the event routes.
That continued in 2026 when Driver joined Duncan Ross and Di Dennet for the Variety Backyard Bash from 9 to 14 August.
The six-day event began at Bella Vista and travelled through Mudgee, Dubbo, Griffith, Albury and Cowra before finishing in Bathurst.
The Backyard Bash was introduced as a one-year regional NSW event after the regular 2026 Variety NSW and B to B Bashes were cancelled amid rising fuel costs.
For Driver, it also provided the opportunity to reach 25 officially recognised Bash years. A shorter event held during COVID restrictions had previously not been counted towards her official Bash total.
Variety Motoring NSW & ACT has identified Driver as its oldest event participant.
Her team finished the 2026 event with The Putters Trophy, awarded to the crew having the most fun while making its way along the route.
Although the Bathurst finish marked Driver’s final Variety Bash, it was not expected to end her involvement in Variety motoring altogether. Before the August trip, she said she intended to participate in another Variety 4WD Adventure in March 2027, which she expected could be her final long drive through the Australian countryside.
Published 1-September-2026
