Swallow Caravans: Kogarah, Taren Pt, Caringbah

[winterwood]

A good friend just sent me these photos taken of herself and her Mum, approx 60 years ago.

You can see the model name "Swallow" in the photos, and I'm informed by Don R, that it is made by Windmill.

Max

[cobber]

G'day Max,

Great photos, they should be in the Windmill thread in DHL because they show a different shap van to those we already have there..... although I think I can see the oval Windmill name plate on the step

Wouldn't it be great to find the van now

Cobber.

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Winterwood and Cobber,

Great photos Winterwood and an intriguing caravan. When we spoke, the only caravan that I could think of that carried the Swallow name was the Windmill 'Swallow' model. Now having seen the pics of your friend's van, though, I'm pretty certain it's not a van built by Windmill after all.

One reason is that it has a completely different shape to any of the Windmills. But the main reason is that the van has 'Bosse & Eunson' style windows which weren't introduced until the early 50's. So that means that your friend's van wasn't built until some time in the 50's. However, the Windmill Trailer Co didn't survive WW2, so that counts them out as the manufacturer.

I've done a search of the forum, and the only reference I can find to Swallow (apart from the Windmill model) is to a possibly second-hand Swallow van that Franklin1 found an advert for from 1957 (see here).

More research needed, eh?

Don Ricardo

[cobber]

Who can you trust aye Max ?
I would have sworn that was an oval "Windmill" name plate on the step, but there ya go

Can't wait for Don R to retire and have the time to sort all these historical vintage caravan conundrums out for us.... but in the mean time all I can contribute is..... according to Trove, there was a "Swallow caravans" at 78 Woodlands Rd Taren Point in 1950 and..... same company at 94 Cawarra Rd Caringbah in 1954.

Those addresses introduce possible connections with "Bass caravans" ..... "Caravan Industries"..

All too much for me

Cobber.

[Don Ricardo]

Evening folks,

I've followed up Cobber's post regarding references to Swallow caravans on Trove, and have assembled as much info as I can find.

The first advertisement for Swallow caravans was listed in the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) on Saturday, 10 January 1948 (p 15):


(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18056893 )

It lists the manufacturer's address at Toomevara Street, Kogarah (southern Sydney), and indicates that the vans were built to order in sizes from 10 ft to 27ft. 27ft was big for the era.

The next SMH advert mentioning a Swallow caravan was placed on Saturday, 11 December 1948 (p 22):


(Source: National Library of Australia trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/page/1016419 )

Interestingly this advert wasn't placed by Swallow Caravans itself, but by J C Rydstrom who built Rydeasy Trailers and caravans, and tow hitches, etc, and was located on the Princes Highway in Kogarah. The Swallow advert was for a second hand 10 ft caravan that included a "...stove, sink, tank, pump, fly-screens, inner-springs...".

The following advert appeared in the SMH on Saturday, 4 March 1950 (p 19):


(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18150761 )

This indicates that Swallow Caravans had moved further south, over the Georges River to 78 Woodlands Road, Taren Point, as Cobber mentioned.

No more advertisements were placed in the SMH until 1954 when a number appeared. This one was the most detailed, and was published on Saturday, 15 May 1954 (p 33):


(Source: National Library of Australia trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/page/1076838 )

By this point Swallow Caravans were located at 94 Cawarra Road, Caringbah, a bit further south again. The advert tells us that at this stage Swallow was not only producing caravans but also selling frames, chassis and shells, as well as undertaking caravan repairs and renovations - possibly a sign that not enough caravans were being built and sold to keep the company fully employed.

The last advertisement in the SMH for Swallow Caravans appeared on 11 September 1954 (p 28):


(Source: National Library of Australia trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/page/1081461 )

At this stage we still don't know whether Swallow Caravans was the builder of the Swallow caravan shown in the photos posted by Winterwood above. However, the dates of the adverts seem to fit with some of the design elements of the van in the pics, so it seems possible, even likely that there is a link. If the van in the photos belonged to someone who was located in NSW then that would strengthen the likelihood of the link.

Winterwood - Can you please ask your friend what state she lived in when the photos were taken, and/or if she knows where her parents bought the van? Was it NSW? Also you mentioned that the photos were taken around 60 years ago. Is your friend able to be any more precise? I will look forward to hearing her answers.

Thanks to Cobber for locating the initial info about Swallow Caravans on Trove. Another forgotten manufacturer brought to light.

Don Ricardo

[winterwood]

Hi Don R,

Your timing could not be more perfect! Jan and I are off to Ballarat on Thursday, to stay overnight with Liz.

All your questions will be asked of Liz and hopefully answered.

Will let you know asap.

Max

[winterwood]

Hi Don R and Cobber,

Back from visiting Liz and can advise the following. To the best of Liz's memory, the photos were taken in 1954. The "Swallow" was purchased new 1 year earlier in either Sydney or in all probability, Wollongong, as Liz's parents lived in Wollongong for many years, before they moved to Sydney.

The photos were taken at her Aunty's farm "Toondullie", at Rockley, just South of Bathurst.

In this latest photo (also taken in '54) you can just see the rear of the "Swallow" on the left hand side of the "Toondullie" house.

Hope this latest info puts a few more pieces of the jigsaw together.

Don R, are you able to move this Link to where it belongs in DHL?

Max

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Winterwood,

Thanks for letting us know the outcome of your conversation with your friend Liz. Given that her family was living in NSW when they acquired the van, I think that makes it virtually 100% certain that her parents' van was built by Swallow Caravans in southern Sydney. Swallow Caravans would have been either at Taren Point or Caringbah at that point in its history.

I get a real thrill when we can assemble enough bits of a jigsaw to make a picture we haven't seen before. Thanks for taking the time to post the photos for us. Please also thank Liz for being willing to share a bit of her family history with us obsessive vintage vanners!

The thread is already in DHL, but I've amended your first post to give it a new subject line which reflects what we now (think we) know.

Don Ricardo

[Don Ricardo]

1956 Sydney Caravan Show - page from a booklet listing displays showing entry for Swallow Minor caravan:



This page was given to forum member Jennison at Coledale in 2009, and originally posted on the Jennison Pathfinder thread here.

When Winterwood first told us about Swallow Caravans in 2013 (see above), we discovered that their factory was located at Kogarah, Taren Point and Caringbah at different times between 1948 and 1954, after which they seemed to disappear from sight (based on a lack of newspaper advertisements in any case).  The above page from the 1956 Sydney Caravan Show at least tells us that they were still producing vans in 1956, and also tells us a bit about the vans they were producing at that time.

In 2013 we couldn't work out who built Swallow vans.  The document above refers to Armours Caravans Pty Ltd, 690 Princes Highway, Sylvania, but it is not clear whether they were the manufacturers, an agent for Swallow, or maybe just sharing a display space?  Sylvania is not a location we've associated with Swallow Caravans up to this point.

Don Ricardo