C H Applebee Caravan Hire (Ulverstone, Tas)

[Don Ricardo]

C H APPLEBEE CARAVAN HIRE

Built and hired by C H Applebee
19 Water Street, Ulverstone, Tas

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On 15 June 2014 Akeepsake posted:

Bit of local Vintage Caravan memorabilia from Tassie!
C.H Applebee operating from 19 Water Street in Ulverstone Tasmania built and hired out these super caravans!
Got these pics from a friend of the family



The guy was ahead of his time with each caravan having its own unique mural ( the prelude to the 70s panelvan mural ) This was taken late 50s, early 60s at his place of business in Water Street Ulverstone.



Business stationary



Not sure of the date on this one but taken at the Bayview hotel Burnie ( suspect earlier maybe 40s )



Original tin advertising sign ( now hanging on the wall at the Ulverstone Museum)

If anyone has seen any of these vans or has any other info I would love to hear from you !

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On 16 June 2014 JBJ responded:

Hi,

Some pix I saved of a lantern roof for sale in Tassie on Ebay a couple of years back.
Interestingly it seems to have the same unusual shape on the front of the towbar as the ones from Ulverstone, so maybe a different one from same manufacturere.
But we will probably never know, but this one should still be out there somewhere.









JBJ

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And Murray added later that day:

JBJ,
Just did a rego check on this van UT1118 .
Expired 2012. Was registered as a (brown? ) homemade 1966
We will all keep our eyes peeled down here in Tassie
Cheers
Murray

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On 17 June 2014 Griffin posted:

Hi akeepsake,

I'm impressed by Mr Applebee's vans, what an effort to go to. Hopefully one will be surviving in a shed somewhere. As a local the onus is on you to come up with some more info and photos in time. Hard to imagine such creations didn't catch the eye of the local press at some time. A 'Trove' project for a rainy day.

George

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And Akeepsake replied:

Thanks all for your input !
JBL that ebay van is a similar looking beast and as it's from Tassie could well be an Applebee special! Need to scrape off some paint and see if theirs a bird mural underneath!

Murray great detective work with the plate id 1966 sounds right as from what I know he made vans from the 40 till late sixties!

Griffin your right I'm sure there's one out there somewhere! Who knows it could be in a garage or shed just round the corner! I did some Troving but better still there is a family member I am hoping to catch up with . Ulverstone is a small place so once I start scratching around something will come up ! Have more pics of earlier Applebee van shots ...just need to find them

[Don Ricardo]

G'day all,

There is an interesting lantern roof caravan in Tasmania currently advertised on Gumtree which Akeepsake has checked out, and is fairly sure is an Applebee caravan. There are certainly a number of similarities with the Applebee vans shown in the post above.

I am posting some photos on Akeepsake's behalf, together with some of the photos from the Gumtree listing:























Looks like the table folds up into the cupboard...





And some more detailed shots of the fittings, etc:

















In relation to the Applebee vans note the overall shape and design, the lantern roof with the two clerestory windows and the location of those windows, and the curved A-frame. No mural visible at this stage though. Maybe under the paint??

The van has a whole heap of interesting and novel features. I'm sure Akeepsake will tell us more.

Don Ricardo

[akeepsake]

Thanks Don for giving recognition to a local Entrepreneur. I was talking to my father- inlaw this morning and he knew Mr C ( Cyril) Applebee and has find memories of him as a boy growing up in Ulverstone and remembers him building vans
This van was found at Lulworth ( north east coast )at a shack where it's current owners found it
It is a unique van and very spacious inside
Further investigations by current owners have revealed remnants of what is possibly the mural at the front quarter of the van
See below

[griffin]

What a coincidence, speak of the devil as it were and it appears.  Nice to see one has survived, and Akeepsake, surely you have space in that nice new shed for such an important piece of local history. 

Ever since the name Applebee was first posted it has been driving me mad as I thought I had something relating to the name and caravans and at last I've located it.  An advertisement from the Tasmanian Business Guide for 1964, a simple advert featuring the caravan on the right of the letterhead, but with some background, along with the location etc.  It has the heading 'Hire Caravan Service' and as to how I have it is a mystery, it's not a publication I have ever seen and the photo properties tell me it came from another computer, but I don't know whose.  Some memory fade, and I don't seem to be able to post it at present, but will try again.

George

[akeepsake]

George it is amazing how sometimes you find out something about something and soon after that "something" turns up! It has happened to me before and being an avid collector of "stuff" it never ceases to amaze me when it happens!
Yes I would have loved to rescue this van as it is quite unique and looks better in the flesh than the picks! ....but alas, I have accumulated 4 vintage vans that all need restoration ( two are still in Vic) and the other is at a mates place so shed is full ! I have a feeling it may go to a forum member but if it doesn't I have passed on details to owner who will pass on to new buyer and hopefully I will be able to keep an eye on it
Please post the add when you can
Cheers Andrew
Ps Rule of coincidental finds: They always turn up in threes so two to go!!!

[murray]

Griffin,
what a memory

[griffin]

Hi Murray

That's the advert!  Talk about coincidences and hoarders, I'm sure every good Taswegian has his 1964 Business Guide at hand, great stuff.  Anything after 1964 to indicate how long he was in business?

Thanks

George

[akeepsake]

:DOn Ya Muzz ! Would be a good project for you!!!

[sage60a]

I just wish one of you two would rescue her!!

[murray]

Andrew,
your shed looks strong enough to stack another row on top.
Don't worry about shading the neighbours place
cheers
Murray

[akeepsake]

Jul 14, 2014 20:00:21 GMT 10 murray said:

Andrew,
your shed looks strong enough to stack another row on top.
Don't worry about shading the neighbours place
cheers
Murray

Too late I think it's sold!

[sage60a]

I hope it went to someone who will do her justice.

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Akeepsake, Griffin and Murray,

That's some fascinating information you've been able to post above about C H Applebee's caravans - the evidence of a mural on the side of the van recently sold, and the advert from the 1964 UBD directory.

I've been doing a bit of digging about Applebee vans via Trove. The first reference in the press for C H Applebee is the following advert from the Burnie Advocate newspaper published on Saturday, 30 December 1939 (page 11) - see the sixth advert for a 'large camp van, 4 berth' which was set up for hire at Ulverstone beach:


(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article68342766 )

So from that we know that C H Applebee was hiring out caravans at least as early as 1939.

It seems that the Applebees may also have used their vans for their own holidays, as suggested by the following social note printed in the Advocate on Friday, 14 March 1941 (page 7) - see first item:


(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article68497826 )

C H Applebee sold as well as hired vans, as shown in the following advert for two three berth caravans from the Advocate published on Saturday, 13 March 1948 (page 11):


(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article69077458 )

And another advert for a 12 ft three berth published in the Advocate on Wednesday, 24 March 1948 (page 7):


(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article69079097 )

The next advert gives us a clue about what Mr Applebee did for a day job, and was printed in the Advocate on Saturday, 16 March 1946 (page 11):


(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article6896687 )

Note the reference to "plaster bags". A further hint from the Advocate of Saturday, 13 January 1945 (page 9):


(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article68910302 )

The answer is that C H Applebee was a builder and also part owner of a plaster factory in Ulverstone, as part of the firm of Applebee Brothers.

The last advert for C H Applebee's caravans was published in the Burnie Advocate in August 1953. I'm not sure why he stopped advertising there, but he certainly didn't close down his business at that point - there were listings and adverts for Applebee's caravan hire and service in the Winser Caravan Manuals of 1953 and 1955, & 1960 and 1961 (and most likely other editions I haven't been able to check). And then of course there's the advert from the 1964 UBD directory shown to us by Murray. That means that Mr Applebee ran his caravan hire business from at least 1939 to at least 1964 - 25+ years, which is a pretty remarkable effort.

Don Ricardo

[akeepsake]

Bravo Richard! I have seen some pics of the Applebee's holidaying in their van but am yet to get my hands on them but when I do I will post them!
The Applebee van that was for sale has gone to a local who is keen to restore it From what the seller has told me he is keen to preserve it and I hope to get in touch with him soon and make sure he posts some pics on the forum!
Thanks again for your Troving!
Cheers Andrew

[akeepsake]

Was working on my Jennison the other day and a guy came up the drive to check it out . We started chatting and he told me his parents used to own a van believe it or not that had a mural of two pelicans painted on the side ( which were painted over at a later date) ... Small world ah! I showed him the pic of the Applebee vans and he nearly fell over!
Anyway he dropped some pics in later for me to post

[sarahlou]

I have been in contact with the Ulverstone History Museum and Janelle (one of the researchers at the Museum) has done some research on Applebee Caravans for me. She sent me the following photos.

Plaster racks for caravans 19 Water St Ulv


D Wellard and C Applebee


C Applebee 19 Water St Ulv


Applebee's caravan yard 1950s


Dulcie Applebee (Hingston) 19 Water St Ulv 1959


Mr and Mrs C Applebee and Dulcie Caravan yard 1959

[akeepsake]

Jul 10, 2014 23:59:24 GMT 10 Don Ricardo said:

G'day all,

There is an interesting lantern roof caravan in Tasmania currently advertised on Gumtree which Akeepsake has checked out, and is fairly sure is an Applebee caravan. There are certainly a number of similarities with the Applebee vans shown in the post above.

I am posting some photos on Akeepsake's behalf, together with some of the photos from the Gumtree listing:























Looks like the table folds up into the cupboard...






In relation to the Applebee vans note the overall shape and design, the lantern roof with the two clerestory windows and the location of those windows, and the curved A-frame. No mural visible at this stage though. Maybe under the paint??

The van has a whole heap of interesting and novel features. I'm sure Akeepsake will tell us more.

Don Ricardo

Here is what I believe to be the same van taken in 1959 at Applebee's yard . In the window is CH Applebee's and the van was made for a Mr Higgs
Pictures came from the daughter of Mr Applebee's

[jamie85063]

Hi I am new here I was shown an old caravan today that I may be able to buy. I have been searching on the web today trying to find out what it is and the closest I can find so far is these C H Applebee caravans. This van is in Tasmania. Can any one confirm from these pics that It is or maybe an Applebee van ?

Thanks Jamie

[akeepsake]

Hi Jamie and welcome aboard !! Well it looks as though another Applebee caravan has surfaced . I have a stack of pics that I'm yet to post and chances are that van is in one of them! Can you get some inside shots to compare ?
I have PM you with my details and happy to chat about it with you
Cheers Andrew

[jamie85063]

Thanks for the welcome here.

[freecampingaustralia]

I have recently purchased an Applebee from Cygnet Tasmania, it was under some very large pine trees on Guys rd. I did some research on the registration plate and found it was last registered January 2014.

Apparently this forum has exceeded its megabit space and won't let me post a picture of my Applebee caravan. Regards Glenn. 

[shesgotthelook]

Hello & welcome. Another Applebee, how exciting!

Regarding photos, have a read of this;

vintagecaravans.proboards.com/thread/16409/post-photos-on-forum

I personally find Postimage very easy to use once you get the hang of it.

[Roehm3108]

Have written to "freecampingaustralia" after he ran the "for sale" ad on FB. He gave me permission to post these pics of his van on our website.