Post by Don Ricardo on Jun 24, 2008 21:42:15 GMT 10
Wolfenden Highway Homes
Brooklyn, Victoria
Post by Wolf, 3 June 2008:
Wolfenden Bros produced caravans in Brooklyn, Victoria in the 1930s, and maybe earlier. Does anyone still have one - I would like to see one in the flesh. They used to hire them out too.
Post by Wolf, 4 JUne 2008:
The caravans were made pre World War 2, and not continued afterwards as supplies were needed initially for the war effort and then afterwards for recovery. Being primarily an engineering factory manufacturing woodworking machinery, the production focused on machinery as there was a post war building boom on. At some stages machine orders were not filled for 2 years. They had a huge range of machines, many adapted for particular requirements, and my grandfather, being an amateur photographer, left quite a record of probably a hundred or more machines. ( I have no idea how many were made over the decades the business operated.)
Re the Wolfenden Caravans: I have some pamphlet material, a few photos, and a few pieces of other bits and pieces. They were made in a number of sizes ranging from 12' to 16'. If anyone has a copy of a small magazine called The Caravan-eer, dated Dec 1, 1937, they will find a promotional article and advertisement for Wolfende Highway Homes, and also an article on Windmill Car Trailer co. There is also a picture or two in a recently published coffee table size book prepared by Footsray/Yarraville Historical Society - came out in the last year or two.
Further post by Wolf, 4 June 2008:
Thank you for your replies and interest. I have been doing a bit of digging in my archives, and phoned a couple of older relatives, and have come up with a few extra bits and pieces. It seems the number of vans produced was relatively small. It is thought that production did not start till the second part of the 1930s, and of course was totally interrupted by World War II. The caravan stocks were largely sold off and the building where they were built was used in the production of stuff for the war. That shed later contained some kind of machine for producing/processing flax - a scutching machine. Recuperating blocks for 25lb guns and aircraft cyclinders were two of the items my uncle remembers being prepared for the government.
Guesses as to how many caravans were built are around the 20 to 30 mark, so it is not likely that there'll still be one around for me to see. I do remember going for a holiday in one in the early 1960s. The caravans were initially a Saturday afternoon project of my grandfather Ernie, and his young son Stanley. Early models were made out of pine ply and were not waterproof. They had a steel frame and the ply, which was bent, was riveted into place, which required my uncle to be on the inside to place the dolly(?) on the other side of the rivet (not pop rivets), with his father on the outside hammering it in.
Later caravans were covered in canvas, glued on to the ply. This did not work. The use of waterproof/marine ply solved this problem, and then the war came and supplies were not available because of navy requirements. Stanley recollects that the 16' van had a shower, but is not sure whether it had a loo as well. (The pamphlet, which covers models from 12' to 15', mentions a folding lavatory seat and tent. The 16' van was perhaps a later model than the pamphlet.) The vans all had big windows front and back, which allowed plenty of air in. This also allowed a clear view for the driver when towing.
There was a list of stuff that was included with the vans. I will try to copy/photograph this and post it on site before the end of June. The independent springing (patents pending it says) had adjustable road clearance which enabled floor level to be fixed at any desired hight. There was also a veranda panel. Stanley (uncle) says that the vans even had radio sets which ran on a 12 V battery, with some kind of special power pack to raise the voltage up. (Hope I've got that right.)
The steel frame with bent plywood enabled a rounded corner which was rivetted into place. Frank, the youngest brother even built a van where the caravan frame came to a point where the connection ball went on to the car. This reduced air resistance, but only one was made, so I assume the experiment was not considered a success.
I am sure I have seen a photo of a van which had a place for a dinghy underneath the van. I will have to hunt through the family photos. A price list dated 30 June, 1938 lists the cheapest van being 175 [pounds], (12'), and the dearest, a 16 foot van. was 395 [pounds]. Somewhere around 1935-7 the firm exhibited at the Melbourne show. Jean (Aunt) remembers there were only 3 caravan companies there, Don, Windmill, and Wolfenden.
I will try to get on to another uncle who also worked there but this will have to wait until after the long weekend as I am going away.
Cheers, Wolf
Post by Wolf, 6 June 2008:
Dear Cobber,
The Windmill Car Trailer Co was at 5 Marion Street, Footscray, started in 1923, building vans in different states of the Commonwealth, owned presumably by Mr G Moreland. I have a bit more information about the Windmill Car Trailer co, and a lot more about Wolfenden caravans, having borrowed quite a bit of primary source material from my brother. Included are 3 old caravan magazines, two from 1930s and one from 1940s. One of the 1930s one is a UK mag, the others are The Caravan-eer. Also have lots of photos. It appears that there were at least 36 vans produced by Wolfenden, and it looks as if the hiring fleet was at least 21, by the numbering on the hiring records. More to come when I have time to look through and sort all the info I now have.
Cheers, Wolf
Brooklyn, Victoria
Post by Wolf, 3 June 2008:
Wolfenden Bros produced caravans in Brooklyn, Victoria in the 1930s, and maybe earlier. Does anyone still have one - I would like to see one in the flesh. They used to hire them out too.
Post by Wolf, 4 JUne 2008:
The caravans were made pre World War 2, and not continued afterwards as supplies were needed initially for the war effort and then afterwards for recovery. Being primarily an engineering factory manufacturing woodworking machinery, the production focused on machinery as there was a post war building boom on. At some stages machine orders were not filled for 2 years. They had a huge range of machines, many adapted for particular requirements, and my grandfather, being an amateur photographer, left quite a record of probably a hundred or more machines. ( I have no idea how many were made over the decades the business operated.)
Re the Wolfenden Caravans: I have some pamphlet material, a few photos, and a few pieces of other bits and pieces. They were made in a number of sizes ranging from 12' to 16'. If anyone has a copy of a small magazine called The Caravan-eer, dated Dec 1, 1937, they will find a promotional article and advertisement for Wolfende Highway Homes, and also an article on Windmill Car Trailer co. There is also a picture or two in a recently published coffee table size book prepared by Footsray/Yarraville Historical Society - came out in the last year or two.
Further post by Wolf, 4 June 2008:
Thank you for your replies and interest. I have been doing a bit of digging in my archives, and phoned a couple of older relatives, and have come up with a few extra bits and pieces. It seems the number of vans produced was relatively small. It is thought that production did not start till the second part of the 1930s, and of course was totally interrupted by World War II. The caravan stocks were largely sold off and the building where they were built was used in the production of stuff for the war. That shed later contained some kind of machine for producing/processing flax - a scutching machine. Recuperating blocks for 25lb guns and aircraft cyclinders were two of the items my uncle remembers being prepared for the government.
Guesses as to how many caravans were built are around the 20 to 30 mark, so it is not likely that there'll still be one around for me to see. I do remember going for a holiday in one in the early 1960s. The caravans were initially a Saturday afternoon project of my grandfather Ernie, and his young son Stanley. Early models were made out of pine ply and were not waterproof. They had a steel frame and the ply, which was bent, was riveted into place, which required my uncle to be on the inside to place the dolly(?) on the other side of the rivet (not pop rivets), with his father on the outside hammering it in.
Later caravans were covered in canvas, glued on to the ply. This did not work. The use of waterproof/marine ply solved this problem, and then the war came and supplies were not available because of navy requirements. Stanley recollects that the 16' van had a shower, but is not sure whether it had a loo as well. (The pamphlet, which covers models from 12' to 15', mentions a folding lavatory seat and tent. The 16' van was perhaps a later model than the pamphlet.) The vans all had big windows front and back, which allowed plenty of air in. This also allowed a clear view for the driver when towing.
There was a list of stuff that was included with the vans. I will try to copy/photograph this and post it on site before the end of June. The independent springing (patents pending it says) had adjustable road clearance which enabled floor level to be fixed at any desired hight. There was also a veranda panel. Stanley (uncle) says that the vans even had radio sets which ran on a 12 V battery, with some kind of special power pack to raise the voltage up. (Hope I've got that right.)
The steel frame with bent plywood enabled a rounded corner which was rivetted into place. Frank, the youngest brother even built a van where the caravan frame came to a point where the connection ball went on to the car. This reduced air resistance, but only one was made, so I assume the experiment was not considered a success.
I am sure I have seen a photo of a van which had a place for a dinghy underneath the van. I will have to hunt through the family photos. A price list dated 30 June, 1938 lists the cheapest van being 175 [pounds], (12'), and the dearest, a 16 foot van. was 395 [pounds]. Somewhere around 1935-7 the firm exhibited at the Melbourne show. Jean (Aunt) remembers there were only 3 caravan companies there, Don, Windmill, and Wolfenden.
I will try to get on to another uncle who also worked there but this will have to wait until after the long weekend as I am going away.
Cheers, Wolf
Post by Wolf, 6 June 2008:
Dear Cobber,
The Windmill Car Trailer Co was at 5 Marion Street, Footscray, started in 1923, building vans in different states of the Commonwealth, owned presumably by Mr G Moreland. I have a bit more information about the Windmill Car Trailer co, and a lot more about Wolfenden caravans, having borrowed quite a bit of primary source material from my brother. Included are 3 old caravan magazines, two from 1930s and one from 1940s. One of the 1930s one is a UK mag, the others are The Caravan-eer. Also have lots of photos. It appears that there were at least 36 vans produced by Wolfenden, and it looks as if the hiring fleet was at least 21, by the numbering on the hiring records. More to come when I have time to look through and sort all the info I now have.
Cheers, Wolf
