Created: November, 1995
Last updated: 8 July, 2006

Automotive museums in Australia and in New Zealand

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Automotive museums in Australia

Bus Museum
Mr Pat Hallahan, 11 Trafalgar Road, Lesmurdie 6076, Western Australia
Telephone: +61 8 9291 6071 [new contact info 20 July, 1998]
The museum building is closed to the public, but the buses are on show at the Heritage Village in Whiteman Park (businesses set up as they would have been 100 years ago) once a month and they provide free transport within the park during the annual Classic Car Show (the show organisers make a donation to the museum).
"It is not open to the public, being a large storage shed and workshop in Whiteman Park, which is a large nature and recreation reserve about 20 km by road from the centre of Perth, the state capital.
Its aim is to preserve buses and related vehicles which are important in the history of public transport in Western Australia.
The oldest item is a 1927 Thornycroft chassis. Not only is the body missing, but all clues as to the original body builder have been lost.
Others date from 1929 to 1974. The 1929 models are Leyland Lions (I think, T1s with bodies by Campbell & Mannix of Western Australia and by Leyland.
The chassis of the only double decker to enter stage service in WA is also there, a 1937 Daimler (with Gardner Diesel engine). The body, built by Park Royal in the UK, is long gone unfortunately. The bus was operated by United Buses.
Nearing completion is the restoration of a 1941 Leyland trolleybus, No 38 in the WA Government Tramways fleet. Its body was built by the WA Government Railways Midland Workshop." - commentary by Bob Campbell.
The Curtis Collection
5-7 Awgel Close Forster New South Wales 2428

Dizzy Lamb Park
Tel: +61 8 9407 5388
Another Western Australian car museum which is a theme park in Karaborup Road, Carabooda which is north of Perth. A collection of restored but not over restored cars from 1913 to the 1950s plus a very good collection of military vehicles from World War II. Its worth a look for the classic car enthusiast or military vehicle fan.

Fremantle Motor Museum
B Shed, Victoria Quay, PO Box 1520, Fremantle, 6160, Western Australia
WWW: www.fremantlemotormuseum.net

Kev Rohrlach Heritage Museum
The museum has been closed in December, 2003

Museum of Fire
Penrith, New South Wales
It has an extensive collection of hand drawn, horse drawn and motorised vehicles from the 1700s to 1970s
www.museumoffire.com.au
More information: mail@museumoffire.com.au

National Motor Museum
Shannon Street, Birdwood 5234, South Australia
Tel: +61-85-685-006
Here's a report by Bob Pilgrim submitted 25/09/98:
The drive through the Adelaide hills to reach the National Motor Museum at Birdwood in South Australia is a worthwhile enterprise in itself, capped by the chance to visit the foremost motor museum in Australia. Rooted in the private collection of vehicles and curiosities of one man, the National Motor Museum has grown to be a dedicated motor museum with a focus on the story of Australian motoring. Although the vehicles have long been displayed in the typical fashion - rows of cars and motorcycles in a big hall - the opening of a new wing to the museum in December 1998 will change all that.

The intent within the new building is to show a social and cultural history of the motor vehicle in Australia using a collection of vehicles drawn in from other museums and from private collectors all over the country in order to look at the development of the Australian motor vehicle and the impact it has had on Australian society. It will go a long way towards making a good museum great. but, if this is not your cup of tea, do not despair, the old buildings will still be used to show a great collection of great vehicles.

The National Motorcycle Museum
25 Kemble Court, Mitchell act 2911, Australia
Tel.: +61-2-6241-8131. Fax: +61-2-62303-227
museum@ozemail.com.au
www.ozemail.com.au/~museum

Road Transport Hall of Fame
2 Norris Bell Avenue, Alice Springs, NT 0871
WWW: www.roadtransporthall.com

York Motor Museum
116 Avon Terrace, York, 6302, Western Australia
Tel: +61 8 9641 1286
http://YorkWA.com.au/Motor.Museum

The Motor Museum of Western Australia
Lord Street Whiteman Park, Whiteman 6068, Western Australia
Telephone/fax: +61 8 9249 9457
Information was submitted by Bob Campbell. According to him "this museum has been set up and is administered by the Combined Car Clubs of WA. The exhibits change as most of them are on loan. There are theme exhibitions, for example a Jaguar one at the release of the XK8".


Automotive museums in New Zealand

Classic Car Museum
Epsom, Auckland
E-mail: info@classiccarmuseum.co.nz
WWW: www.classiccarmuseum.co.nz
Privately owned collection with a focus on British sportscars.

East Coast Museum Of Technology (Inc.)
82 Main Rd, Makaraka, Gisborne, New Zealand
ecmot.8m.com
info@ecmot.8m.com

Motormania and Cadillac Cafe Ltd
P.O.Box 106,Putaruru 2371, New Zealand
Ph: +64 7 8833114
Ted Church sent me this note in late June, 2006: We have just opened a new 50s and 60's style Route 666 type diner and a vehicle display of the same era. . The cafe or diner is done out with a chequered floor, Cadillac Couch, Juke box and pictures of Marilyn,Elvis,Marlo Brando, James Dean etc on the walls. There is rock and roll music playing all the time and it has a great atmosphere. We are Statehighway one in Putaruru which is 7klms south of the tourist town Tirau in the North Island of New Zealand.
Added: July, 2006

Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT)
Great North Road, Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand
Tel: +64 9 815 5800 Fax: +64 9846 4242
WWW: www.motat.org.nz
Huge transport and technology museum with cars, streetcars, tramways etc.

Southward Museum Trust Inc
Otaihanga Road, Paraparaumu
Ph: +64-4-297-1221
E-mail: southward@kapiti.co.nz
Museum open daily 9 to 4:30, except for Christmas Day and Good Friday.
www.southward.org.nz

Te Puke Vintage Auto Barn
Te Puke, Tepuke-Rotorua Highway
Phone: 64-07-573-6547
WWW:www.vintagecars.nzhere.com

Wanaka Transport & Toy Museum,
SH 6, RD 2, Wanaka, New Zealand
Ph 064 3 443 8765 Fax 064 3 443 8750
This is New Zealand's largest private collection on display, with over 250 vehicles, 9,000 toys and 1,000s of miscellaneous items.

World of WearableArts and Collectable Cars Museum
95 Quarantine Road, Annesbrook, Nelson
Phone - +64 3 547 4573
WWW: www.wowcars.co.nz
The World of WearableArt (WOW) gallery showcases garments from the historic World of WearableArt garment collection. The Collectable Car gallery features an array of beautifully restored Classic Cars displayed with the same imagination and humour used in the WOW Gallery.
Added: July, 2006

Yaldhurst Museum of Transport and Science
School Road, Yaldhurst RD 6, Christchurch
Open every day (except Christmas day) 10:00am to 5:00pm; 5:00pm to 9:00pm (For groups of 10 or more by appointment)
enquiries@yaldhurstmuseum.co.nz
www.yaldhurstmuseum.co.nz

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Copyright November, 1995- 1998.
Paul Negyesi (npaul@hu.inter.net)

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