HORSHAM, Australia — When 65-year-old mechanic Gavin Hynam wrenches on an engine block inside his Horsham garage, he measures progress in sets of handed-over keys.
Nineteen young drivers now hold them. The National Australia Day Council named Hynam Victoria’s 2027 Local Hero, recognizing a grassroots vehicle rehabilitation initiative born from acute personal tragedy. Hynam, known across the Wimmera region as "Bear," channels his trade into buying discarded second-hand cars, rebuilding them to roadworthy condition, and giving them away to young locals stranded without reliable transport.
Hynam’s eldest son, Preston, died in an accident in 2008, just weeks shy of his 21st birthday. Grief consumed years. Yet the turning point arrived in 2017 when Hynam crossed paths with two young refugees resettled in regional Victoria. They possessed determination but lacked wheels. Transport in regional Australia dictates livelihoods; without it, jobs vanish and apprenticeships fold. Hynam salvaged two used sedans, overhauled their mechanical faults, and handed the titles over the moment both men cleared their licensing tests.
That single gesture solidified into Cars 4 Youth.
Under the initiative, Hynam hunts down low-cost used vehicles across Victoria. He strips faulty components, installs replacements, conducts rigorous road tests, and covers six months of mandatory vehicle registration out of pocket to shield young drivers from upfront bureaucratic hurdles. The impact altered trajectories across regional postcodes, opening routes to regional university campuses, factory shifts, and essential healthcare.
Every restored car is one more young person with the freedom to pursue education, find a job and build a better future.
Gavin Hynam, Victoria's 2027 Local Hero
Local community networks rallied to sustain the workshop costs. Preston’s family organized memorial fundraisers that gathered nearly $8,000, while a Wimmera commercial collective injected an additional $10,000 into the project in December 2024. Hynam personally sank roughly $20,000 of his own savings into tools, registration fees, and replacement parts to keep the bays moving.
| Program Parameter | Official Record |
|---|---|
| Vehicles Overhauled and Gifted | 19 road-tested cars (as of August 2025) |
| Personal Mechanic Capital | Approximately $20,000 invested by Gavin Hynam |
| Community Enterprise Contribution | $10,000 delivered by Wimmera business group (December 2024) |
| Memorial Family Fund | Nearly $8,000 raised in memory of Preston Hynam |
| Statutory Relief Provided | Six months paid vehicle registration per car |
| Driver Mentorship Platforms | TAC L2P Program & Center for Participation P21 |
A vehicle sitting on a driveway solves nothing if a teenager cannot legally turn the ignition. Victoria mandates 120 hours of supervised logbook driving for learner permit holders before granting a probationary licence — a threshold nearly impossible for youth without licensed relatives or access to an insured car.
So Hynam climbed into the passenger seat. He signed on as a volunteer supervising driver with the Transport Accident Commission’s L2P program, clocking hundreds of hours alongside eligible teenagers to drill highway handling and suburban navigation. He expanded his roster through the Center for Participation’s P21 driving initiative, blending technical steering guidance with steady personal mentorship during pivotal transitional years.
Hynam now prepares to step onto the national stage. The veteran mechanic will travel to Canberra on January 25, 2027, joining state and territory finalists at the national Australian of the Year awards ceremony at the National Gallery of Australia.