"The Happy Wanderer"

[Deleted]

Some pics of a caravan my father built in 1954, two years before I hit the scene .......

Dad was 26yo when he built "The Happy Wanderer" , he's now 79 and still caravanning, he has however updated his rig (many many times )





at Boyup Brook WA .......just up the road from Bridgetown WA (where several WA forum members reside)





this shot was taken in 1955 at the Middleton Beach Camp ground at Albany WA .......note the power supply pole & outlet





no caravans here .....a picnic at Kalamunda ......Kalamunda is now Perth suburbia





my great grandfather and great grandmother picnicking at Greenmount WA (Perth hills) in 1929


Mark

[cobber]

Hey Mark,

Your been sitting on these photos for a while, what else did you find in the box when you opened it?

Does you dad feel nostalgic when he sees the old vans you play with..or does he think your a bit of a nutter, like we all do?

Love the A40..and I see the van has a "smart door" on it

Cobber.

[wildmanaus]

I See the old Pram under the front of the van looks like that would be very old now
wildmanaus

[Deleted]

Oiy Mark

Are you one of the rug rats sitting on the rug between the two Morris Minors....
Could that have been your pram under the van???
Is that where they made you sleep?

Great photos mate.

I can't recall any caravans in our family as a kid. My old man was more the "Camper bus type"
These included an Austin countyman panelvan, a Morris J2 van, a commer van and a 2 tonne humber van .

All where converted to 4 berth campers . Dad knocked off most of the building material from the pit where he worked at. Everything was made out of 4x2 hardwood and wieghed a ton. by the time he put me and 2 mates as well as all our camping, shooting and rabbit trapping gear onboard the old pommy 4 bangers where fair struggling to go up hills .

I will do a scatch around the old albums and see if i can find any van related piccies.

Once again great stuff. Not hard to see that you where destined to become a vint van fruitcake nutter later in life .

Cheer mate
reddo

[Deleted]

Thanks guys for your comments.

Reddo ......I pobably am the 1yo rugrat between the two Morries, but I can't really remember ;D

Cobber ......my father doesn't have one ounce of nostalgia, and always owns the latest, but not necessarily the greatest.

As for his son playing with old cars & caravans, he thinks I'm left of centre, and can't stand the smell of a musty old caravan.

He wanted to join us on last years Spring Tour for the fun of it all, but wanted to bring his VX Commodore and 2004 poptop caravan.

Needless to say, he wasn't welcome, and didn't come on the tour

[Koala]

Great photos
The car in the first 2 photos with the van is a Austin A40 Tourer not a Morris. A friend is currently restoring one and also has a Austin A40 station wagon which is virtually the same as a panel van except for a rear seat and side windows.

Ken

[Roehm3108]

Hi Mark. Great pics! Is it my imagination, or is there something "Donish" about the shape of that van, with that squat rounded top section??
Ray