flynn
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Posts: 15
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Post by flynn on Nov 7, 2014 6:58:24 GMT 10
Goodaye Don, Jack started building caravanettes in '49. He came from Hamilton in the Western District of Victoria. His background was in timber milling, he and his older brother had a smal mill that they lost along with everything they owned in the Black Friday fires in the 30's. Prior to the fires, they're youngest brother joined them to work at the mill, and was killed first day on the job, don't think Dad was sad to see the back of milling. He worked for a few years in the late 40's at The Tasmanian Timber Bending Works, in Carlton ( see ad in Keith Winsers plans for caravans), when he became disallusioned with the advent of mass production vans, which he termed rubbish, he bought the timber bending buisness and ceased making vans about '67 or so. I moved to Echuca in '75 and built a factory to manufacture trotting sulkys, was only gone a month when Dad bought the block next door and we built a new factory to operate the timber bending plant- he missed me! I finally sold Tasmanian timber bending in 2001, the plant still operates in Dayelsford, not bad considering it's been in daily production since 1888, when it arrived, second hand from Sweden. They sure built good stuff those Swedes! Nigel.
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Post by firefighter on Nov 7, 2014 7:26:25 GMT 10
G'day Nigel
Tasmanian timber works moved from the old woollen mills at Daylesford a couple years ago to Creswick also in a part of the woollen mills in Creswick (near Ballarat)
When the Works was at Daylesford we had a tour through the factory with all the 1880s plant working
A few of the Mexicans are on my back for another tour next year and a couple weeks ago I thought I might start the tour in Creswick and tour the factory
Cheers f/f
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flynn
New Member
Posts: 15
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Post by flynn on Nov 7, 2014 8:44:11 GMT 10
It's back in Dayelsford at Don and Sue's farm.
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Post by firefighter on Nov 7, 2014 13:59:50 GMT 10
G'day Nigel
Thanks for the update...... Daylesford my old home town..... can you please sent me a pm with their phone no
Do you know if they have tours now they work from the farm
cheers f/f
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flynn
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Posts: 15
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Post by flynn on Nov 7, 2014 17:53:35 GMT 10
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Post by Geoff & Jude on Nov 7, 2014 20:59:02 GMT 10
hi all here's the website for "the timber benders" in daylesford, that is the remnant industry from jack flynn's "tasmanian timber bending works", which was founded in 1887 in launceston, tasmania. timberbenders.com.augeoff 'n jude
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Post by Don Ricardo on Nov 7, 2014 22:34:55 GMT 10
Hi Flynn, Thanks for telling us about Jack's life story. Very interesting indeed. It's details like those that we often don't know, but fill out the story of the pioneers so wonderfully. As a result we have a better understanding of the 'Australian touring heritage', as we like to call it here on the forum. I was fascinated to hear that your father had a background in 'wood' - timber milling and timber bending. From what we've learnt so far on the forum many of the early caravan manufacturers came from one of three backgrounds: wood/timber (such as furniture makers, carpenters); coachbuilders; and motor mechanics. So your father was in the first group. Picking up on your discussion with Cobber regarding the Flynn Cabin-Car model, I thought I'd post a photo of one from the 1953 Winser caravan manual. The only picture of one on this thread is the concept drawing in the first post. The drawing always struck me as a being a pretty radical concept when I first saw it, and it was a few years before I saw a photo of the production model, as shown in the photo below. Your father obviously 'toned down' the design a little for production. I note that the photo shows the Cabin-Car with Keith Winser's Studebaker: (Source: K Winser, Caravans and Touring in Australia, Book 5, 1953, page 86) As the interior diagram shows, there were some pretty interesting features built into the van - one of them being the 'Well floor' (a dropped floor) to give the van more headroom. I gather that the purpose of the dormer window at the back was also to provide more headroom over the rear bedding area? I note that the Cabin-Car info shown in the 1952 Winser is the concept drawing only, so that appear to confirm that that model was introduced in late 1952 or early 1953. I presume the reference to the built-in lavatory is to the larger Flynn models, rather than the Cabin-Car? The other really interesting point from the 1953 Winser page I've posted is 'feature G' in the diagram for the larger Flynn vans - "Full length curved perspex window". I am guessing that's the 'bay window' on some Flynn vans that we've often commented on. I think that must mean that Flynn were the first or amongst the first to use perspex windows in their vans. That's something to be noted for sure. Don Ricardo
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Post by Julie O'Connor on Mar 24, 2017 19:17:58 GMT 10
Goodaye Don, Jack started building caravanettes in '49. He came from Hamilton in the Western District of Victoria. His background was in timber milling, he and his older brother had a smal mill that they lost along with everything they owned in the Black Friday fires in the 30's. Prior to the fires, they're youngest brother joined them to work at the mill, and was killed first day on the job, don't think Dad was sad to see the back of milling. He worked for a few years in the late 40's at The Tasmanian Timber Bending Works, in Carlton ( see ad in Keith Winsers plans for caravans), when he became disallusioned with the advent of mass production vans, which he termed rubbish, he bought the timber bending buisness and ceased making vans about '67 or so. I moved to Echuca in '75 and built a factory to manufacture trotting sulkys, was only gone a month when Dad bought the block next door and we built a new factory to operate the timber bending plant- he missed me! I finally sold Tasmanian timber bending in 2001, the plant still operates in Dayelsford, not bad considering it's been in daily production since 1888, when it arrived, second hand from Sweden. They sure built good stuff those Swedes! Nigel.
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Post by firefighter on Mar 24, 2017 19:54:57 GMT 10
I don't think its operating now the man that owned it was killed in a car accident a few months ago Geoff
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Post by anelda on Jul 10, 2018 12:54:16 GMT 10
Hi all,
I've just bought a little van that has a bay window fitted at the front so I've found this thread quite interesting. It's missing the curved top bit though that the Flynn and Overlander have so I'll take a guess that is it a homemade from a kit. When I take some more photos and conquer the photo posting challenge I'll be interested to see what you all think. No other markings found yet, but I'll be doing a big search as I restore it.
Anne
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flynn
New Member
Posts: 15
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Post by flynn on Jul 10, 2018 13:13:06 GMT 10
Good luck with the resto !
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Post by ranchero on Mar 27, 2021 14:50:46 GMT 10
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Post by ranchero on Mar 27, 2021 14:52:31 GMT 10
Goodaye Don, Jack started building caravanettes in '49. He came from Hamilton in the Western District of Victoria. His background was in timber milling, he and his older brother had a smal mill that they lost along with everything they owned in the Black Friday fires in the 30's. Prior to the fires, they're youngest brother joined them to work at the mill, and was killed first day on the job, don't think Dad was sad to see the back of milling. He worked for a few years in the late 40's at The Tasmanian Timber Bending Works, in Carlton ( see ad in Keith Winsers plans for caravans), when he became disallusioned with the advent of mass production vans, which he termed rubbish, he bought the timber bending buisness and ceased making vans about '67 or so. I moved to Echuca in '75 and built a factory to manufacture trotting sulkys, was only gone a month when Dad bought the block next door and we built a new factory to operate the timber bending plant- he missed me! I finally sold Tasmanian timber bending in 2001, the plant still operates in Dayelsford, not bad considering it's been in daily production since 1888, when it arrived, second hand from Sweden. They sure built good stuff those Swedes! Nigel.
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Post by Don Ricardo on Mar 30, 2021 12:26:34 GMT 10
Goodaye Don, Jack started building caravanettes in '49. He came from Hamilton in the Western District of Victoria. His background was in timber milling, he and his older brother had a smal mill that they lost along with everything they owned in the Black Friday fires in the 30's. Prior to the fires, they're youngest brother joined them to work at the mill, and was killed first day on the job, don't think Dad was sad to see the back of milling. He worked for a few years in the late 40's at The Tasmanian Timber Bending Works, in Carlton ( see ad in Keith Winsers plans for caravans), when he became disallusioned with the advent of mass production vans, which he termed rubbish, he bought the timber bending buisness and ceased making vans about '67 or so. I moved to Echuca in '75 and built a factory to manufacture trotting sulkys, was only gone a month when Dad bought the block next door and we built a new factory to operate the timber bending plant- he missed me! I finally sold Tasmanian timber bending in 2001, the plant still operates in Dayelsford, not bad considering it's been in daily production since 1888, when it arrived, second hand from Sweden. They sure built good stuff those Swedes! Nigel. Hi Ranchero, I see that you've 'quoted' a couple of posts from this thread about Flynn caravans. Do you have a link to, or a particular interest in Flynn vans or these posts? Don Ricardo
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