Streamlite [South Australia] (Parkside, SA)

[Don Ricardo]

STREAMLITE CARAVANS [South Australia]

Sold and some possibly manufactured by Farrell's Caravan Centre
34 Glen Osmond Road, Parkside, SA (not Parkville as stated in the 1956 advert below)

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The Streamlite name has been used for caravans manufactured and/or sold by two companies, Farrell's Caravan Centre in South Australia (to which this thread refers) and Streamlite Industries in NSW. It was suggested by Bobshannon in 2008 (see below) that it was the same caravans being sold by the two companies. However, an analysis of the adverts published by the two companies using www.newspapers.com and Trove indicates that sales of Streamlite branded caravans in South Australia and NSW took place in two different time periods which only overlapped by a month, suggesting that the caravans didn't come from the same source and that instead it was a case of two companies in different states using the same name for their products. There are quite a few cases of this occurring in Australian caravan history. A full explanation of the differing timelines for Farrell's Streamlite caravans and the NSW Streamlites can be found here.

1956 Farrell's advertisement and publicity from Keith Winser's Australian Caravan & Touring Manual for 1956:


(Winser, p 106)

In 1956 Farrell's were offering four different models. The Streamlite 'Featherweight' 9 ft 6 in and 12 ft vans, the Standard 12 ft, and the Streamlite 'Special' 12 ft, which is pictured in the advert itself. If you look carefully you will see some signwriting on the side of the van to the left of the door and above the window saying "Olympic". Maybe this reflects the Olympic fever which affected in Australia 1956. Globetrotter - another South Australian brand - also had an 'Olympic' model at about the same time.

The next photo from Winser (p 101) is also labeled as a Streamlite 12ft (misspelt in the ad as 'Streamline'), but is clearly a different caravan to the one in the advertisement:



Note the split front window, the flap in the door as opposed to a full wire door, and different livery.

The third photo in the 1956 Winser (p 101) is even more intriguing. This is the Farell's 'Standard' 12 ft:



Specifications for the various Farrell caravans available in 1956 from Winser (p 83):




Back in May 2008, while discussing another van, Trodler commented: "And getting back to Rowvans, the third Row constructed van and sold under a different name was called a Farrell." The van Trodler mentioned would appear to be the Farrell's Standard which has many similarities to a Rowvan, as seen in this thread

The question then is: Are all the caravans offered by Farrell's Caravan Centre in 1956 made by different manufacturers and sold under the Farrell's name? Opinions or information welcome.


1957 Farrell's advertisement and publicity posted by Cobber on 30 May 2008:



The lower of the two photos above appears to be the 10 ft 6 in 'Featherweight' model.



There is no mention here of the Streamlite 'Special' or the 'Standard' 12 ft which were included in Winser the previous year. The caravan in the actual advertisement appears to have a more vertical (less curved) front compared to the 12 ft Streamlite shown in the publicity info, and may be the 10 ft 6 in model? The wording of the advertisement is unclear.

Note that the kitchen shown for the 'smaller model' in 1957 - presumably the 'Featherweight'? - is exactly the same as the photo used for the 'Standard' model the year before. 

So many questions, so few answers.

Don Ricardo

[cobber]

G'day Don,

So many questions........ so little interest

I think it might be fair to say (or maybe un-fair to say) that “Farrells” were in the habit of sticking their name on caravans sourced from various manufacturers, including “Rowvan”... and do I see a similarity between the advertisement above with the S.A. “Clipper” @ vintagecaravans.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=chat&thread=2374&page=1
in reply # 2..... OK, bit different at the rear but the rest looks similar.
It would be interesting to be able to compare the chassis of these 'vans that look similar, but have different names on them.

In Keith Winser's 1957 “Trade Directory” and in the advertisement shown above they are shown as being manufacturers.. hirers.. equipment..frames.. trade-ins..repairs & servicing----- the whole box and dice in fact.

In 1959 they don't get a mention and in 1961 they are shown as “servicing” only, what does the 1956 “Trade Directory” say about them Don ?.

Must say, I am suspicious of the complete accuracy of Winser's Trade Directories, but they are about all we have that indicates what a company's involvement in the industry was back then.

Cobber.

[Deleted]

Glen Osmond Road Parkerville SA .......isn't that where the early Viscounts were built

Somewhere on this forum is a pic of my 1955/6 Viscount with the address of Viscount Caravans written down by the door ......I'm sure that's the address

[cobber]

Gets messy eh Mark,

On the “Viscount” thread “Groovy” is quoted as saying Viscount started in S.A. In 1956 and moved to Sydney around 1958....”Jim” says something similar.

In the 1957 Caravan & Touring “Trade Directory” their address is given as 23 Tait St. CROYDEN S.A. when the above advertisement says the are at Glen Osmond Rd. Parksville.

In the 1959 “Trade Directory” (when they are supposed to be in Sydney) their address is given as Glenosmond Rd. Fullarton, and now you chuck in some place called Parkville......... I'm gonna go and have a pipe

Cobber.

[bobshannon]

Here's a few details that have to be the 10 and 12ft Streamlite caravans marketed by Jennison's in Sydney.
See: vintagecaravans.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=chat&action=display&thread=2053
Maybe this could be linked to the Jennison thread DonR?

[Don Ricardo]

Hi all,

I have been investigating the history of the Streamlite caravans sold in South Australia by Farrell's Caravan Centre and in NSW by Streamlite Industries. It was suggested by Bobshannon (see post above) that the Streamlites sold in South Australia and NSW were the same caravans. However, this does not seem to be the case. Based on an analysis of newspaper advertisements here, the NSW Streamlites were produced from 1951 (perhaps earlier) until around October 1954. However, the first mention of Farrell's Streamlite caravans doesn't occur until Monday, 13 September 1954 when the following advertisement for the 'Streamlite 12' model was published in the Adelaide Advertiser (page 23):


(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47607196 )

So given that there was an overlap of only a month in the advertising of Streamlite branded caravans in NSW and South Australia, and one of Farrell's Streamlites was a re-badged Rowvan, it would seem that the caravans in the two states didn't come from the same source and that instead it was a case of two companies in different states using the same name for their products.

Farrell's advertised their Streamlites from September 1954 until 1957 (see above), after which there is no further evidence at this stage of them being produced beyond that year.

Don Ricardo