Museums that have caravans

[sweeper5555]

Hi there
I'm new to this site but have been interested in vintage caravans for years.
Does anyone know of a museum that has old/retro caravans on show?
Maybe a vintage car museum that also has caravans?
Any ideas?
Thankyou

[cobber]

G'day Sweeper four fives,

Welcome to the forum and thanks for raising this subject.

Scattered around the forum there is mention of museums that have a caravan or two in them..... now is the opportunity to get them all in one place state by state and put them in DHL

NOTE ! NOT ALL MUSEUMS HAVE THE CARAVANS ON PERMANENT DISPLAY.... CHECK BEFORE YOU GO THERE. If any of the links don't work try doing a google on the name of the museum -------------------------------------------------------


VICTORIA

Dunolly.[/b]
Members of this forum
Graham & Linda’s Vintage Caravan Museum is located at 68 Broadway, Dunolly.
Open to the public most Fridays – Saturdays – Sundays – Mondays.
$2 entry , group bookings by appointment.
Contact :
03 54681380
0409173461
[e-mail]. Click here to see an article about the collection.

In Victoria at Buangor there is a collection of old and very old caravans owned by Kevin Wild Ph # 0408503914... phone before you go there.

Museum Victoria apparently has a 1957 “Skyline” caravan on display.
museumvictoria.com.au/treasures/colldetails.aspx?pid=54

The Lockington Heritage complex in Victoria has a 1939 pop-top caravan on display.
www.lockingtonvic.com.au

Camp's motor museum 226 Coleraine Rd. Hamilton Vic. Phone [phone] or 0419168400 .. Larger than a teardrop, home made 1950s but they do have about 80 cars on display also.
www.visitsoutherngrampians.com.au/campes-motor-museum

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

In South Australia there is the ”National Motor Museum" at Birdwood... mostly cars but they do have a couple of caravans.


In South Australia at Hahndorf the painter Hans Heysen's 1932 caravan (actually a camper trailer) is apparently on display at his house "The Cedars":
www.hansheysen.com.au

At Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley at the “Barossa Valley Tourist Park” you can inspect one of the “Motor Homes” built by “Pop” Kaesler in the late 1920s.... and you can buy a post card featuring the motor home

At Goolwa 'The National Trust' of South Australia have a museum containing the first of 'Pop' Kaesler's caravans, built in 1929 it was bought by the Mayor of Goolwa later that year when Pop & family visited the town while touring.
The Museums web site is HERE.   Advisable to contact them before travelling there to visit.

The second 'Pop' Kaesler van built during 1930/31 is on display at The Barossa Valley Tourist Park

( Often some speculation as to when each of these vans was built I have relied on This document ) 


NEW SOUTH WALES

In New South Wales at Tocumwal there is “Crystie's Museum” which is a collection of all sorts of farm equipment including some very interesting caravans. Ph # 0358743358. See some photos on page two of this thread.

Also in NSW is the “Australian Motor Life Museum” at Kembla Grange (near Wollongong). It is mainly a motor museum supported by the NRMA... but it does have a couple of caravans.  www.australianmotorlifemuseum.com


The Powerhouse museum in Sydney has a propert caravan and a home made caravan on display.
www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/search_tags.php?tag=caravans

Don't miss the “Harry's Cafe De-Wheels” and the Gypsie caravan they have on display at their Castle Hill “Powerhouse discovery centre”
www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=46876&search=caravans&images=&c=&s=

AT Deniliquin.
THE DEPOT HISTORIC COLLECTION
158 Hardinge Street
Deniliquin NSW 2710
Phone: [phone]
www.depotdeni.com.au. (Click on the 'about us tag' 😉) They have a couple of vans including a 1930s Paramount.

In New South Wales at Coffs Harbor, Watsons Caravans has a Propert with an unusual lift up roof section on display.

Mulwala pioneer museum at Yarrawonga.
www.yarrawongamulwala.com.au/companies/608/44/Pioneer-Museum.html.

Inverell there is the www.nationaltransportmuseum.com.au/index.php “NATIONAL MOTOR MUSEUM with one vintage caravan on display ( home made I think)

Corrimal near Woollongong. A Vintage Caravan and memrobilla specific Museum.
You need to book to arrange an inspection..Ph: 0408 671770

At forbes you can visit [/b][/a] McFeeters Motor Museum that does have a caravan..... but if you don't think you will ever get there you can see some of it HERE (Thanks Max )

Lockhart N.S.W. Greens Gunyah Museum..... (The town is Heritage listed)
greens gunyar museum

WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

At Wagin :
The Wagin Caravan Museum.
Started by one of our forums long time members 'Nobelsgarage' together with a few friends. At the moment it is open by appointment only so ring Brian on 0408090962 before turning up at the 'Wagin Woolorama Showgrounds' where the museum is located. Read a bit about it HERE

The York Motor Museum in WA. have one vintage caravan on display amongst a whole host of motoring memorabilia.


ACT.

The “Australian National Museum” in Canberra has a couple of caravans on display.
www.nma.gov.au/index.html

There is a good inter-active game you (or the kids) can play if you click HERE



TASMANIA

In Tasmania the "Queen Victoria Museum" at Inveresk has a 1930s caravan that was built in Tasmania, see some photos of the van lower down on this page.
www.qvmag.tas.gov.au/

QUEENSLAND

The QUEENSLAND MUSEUM at their COBB & CO, TOOWOOMBA location have a vintage caravan constructed by Duncan (Len) Macpherson about 1945. They have are very interesting web site at blog.qm.qld.gov.au/2021/05/26/caravanning-in-queensland/ 

IN BUNDABERG At SEARLS RV CENTRE THEY HAVE A LARGE COLLECTION AND AREA DEVOTED TO CARAVANNING HISTORY AND MEMORABILIA.

www.searlesrvcentre.com.au/australian-caravan-museum/

m.youtube.com/watch?v=erqPcJBOfXo

www.facebook.com/AustralianCaravanMuseum/

- ———————————————————————————————————————————————

There are others scattered around OZ and I invite anybody who has first hand knowledge of them to mention them on this thread and I will add them to the above list.

Cobber.

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Cobber,

Here's another couple:

In South Australia at Hahndorf the painter Hans Heysen's caravan (actually a camper trailer) is apparently on display at his house "The Cedars":
www.southaustralia.com/9001629.aspx

In New South Wales at Coffs Harbor, Watsons Caravans has a Propert with an unusual lift up roof section on display.

Don Ricardo

[Don Ricardo]

Hi all,

The Drive section in today's Age (and I guess SMH) had a story about the Australian Motorlife Museum in Kembla Grange run by Wendy Muddell. Apparently the museum consists of a collection of "cars, commercial vehicles, caravans and automobilia". The word caravans caught my eye!

Cobber mentioned the museum in question in a post about car/caravan museums a while ago, but i wondered if anybody knows what caravans are in it?

Don Ricardo

[DC3Td]

Here you go:

www.australianmotorlifemuseum.com/

cheers gordon

[Don Ricardo]

Thanks Gordon.

From the website it looks as if it is a pretty extensive collection. Couldn't see any pics of vans though...

Don Ricardo

[Cruz]

Hi Don,
Several members of the east coast tour visited the museum,including Bugsy and Pam. I will ask next time i see them.
Cruz

[HDTodd]

Hi Guys, I actually live in Wollongong and have been to the museum a couple of times. Last time I was there they had a Propert and a home made 50's bondwood. Both were very original and in good nick. Will take some photos next time.
Cheers,
Todd

[cobber]

G'day Don R,

It is a plurry good Motor Museum but it would be a bit rich to say it is also a caravan museum.
At the time I was there it had two.... maybe three caravans tucked away in a corner but..... it is an ever changing display and Wendy Muddell was very interested in getting access to more vintage caravans (had fond memories of caravanning as a girl).

Mention of that post about Caravan Museums reminds me........ is it worth 'pinning' somewhere.....in DHL or Memorabilia

Cobber.

Not much later :-

The administrator of this forum should have his salary doubled
Already the caravan museum thread has been moved to here

Cobber.

[firefighter]

G,Day Cobber

At your request I have moved and made this thread a sticky one in Down history lane

Another good idea to come out of Camden
f/f ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[cobber]

G'day Frances,

Thanks for letting us know about The Shepparton Motor Museum..... Sorry for the slow responce
It opened on the 18th December 2011 and they are having their official opening in February 2012, according to their new web site.

I have contacted them and they tell me they don't have a vintage caravan yet... but it is on their list of "things to do".

Looks like a good spot to visit...... have a look at their web site and Facebook page, HERE and HERE.

Cobber.

[cobber]

The Shepparton Motor Museum has it's grand opening this Sunday 19th February.

I don't see any vintage caravans in there yet but maybe somebody living in the area can drop in and let us know what they think of the place.

Cobber.

[leeton]

G'day all, I stumbled across your forum and thought I would let you know, we currently have at the Shepparton Motor Museum a totally original 1957 Rowvan Caravan in our faboulous fifties display.
It is a beautiful thing, there is a pic on our website...homepage slideshow....you will have to come and check it out.

[cobber]

G'day Leeton,

Thanks for that information about the Rowvan in the Shepparton Museum display, I have added the museum to the list above.
How did the "Grand Opening" go last Sunday ?

Cobber.

[leeton]

G'day Cobber, Our Grand opening was a resounding success, with over 500 visitors to the museum, and lots of classic cars filling the car park.
It was just a great day and great positive feedback.
www.sheppartonmotormuseum.com.au


(hi leeton - i edited your link - conti)

[griffin]

I've recently received my copy of Motorlife News for Feb 2012, from the Australian Motorlife Museum at Kembla Grange, and it gives some details of new addition to their collection, an American 1911 Auto-Kamp camper trailer.

It was apparently purchased new in Tasmania and later restored and used there and is now installed and set up on display at the Museum. A photo was included but it's very poor and as yet I've not had a chance to get down and take some photos.

Worth a look if you are in the area.

George

[franivy]

Peter and I saw this little van at the Greens gunyah Museum at Lockhart a few weeks ago. The only information on the tag is "Caravan 1946. Used by John and Dawn smith B514".

[cobber]

George, thanks for giving us another reason to go to the "Motor Life Museum" at Kembla Grange


And franivy..Thanks for telling us about that one, I'll add it to the list because Lockhart is a nice part of NSW to visit on the way to or from Wagga Wagga.

Cobber.

[stevej]

Great thread. As a side note I carried out the conservation work on Thomas Properts demonstration Propert van at the National Museum in Canberra when I worked there as an objects conservator prior to the museum opening. It was the begining of my intrest in vv's :-).

Steve

[Roehm3108]

Hi stevej

Interesting that your interest in vintage caravans came from your work on Tom Propert's caravan in the National Museum. I've always been bothered by the fact that they put what was basically a prototype caravan of his on display, when he is much more well known for the development of his Folding caravan.

My understanding is that the museum actually has one of his folding vans in storage, but unrestored. Having restored two of his folding caravans in the past, I am so impressed with his folding mechanism which he developed without the use of such things as CAD programs, to get the mechanism to work JUST RIGHT, way back in 1951.

Ray

[stevej]

Ray,

sadly the lack of funding for conservation work often determines what goes on display, ‘economic reality’ I think they call it ☹ It is also very difficult to represent all facets of one area of social history with limitations of available historic material, space, money, significance etc. Conservators in such institutions (I worked in numerous over the years) have no curatorial input into what is collected and/or displayed, the Propert prototype made it onto display due to its excellent original condition and its broader social significance as it related to the display theme. Sadly most collecting institutions have significant collections that may never see the light of day again due to lack of funding for conservation, one of the reasons I left the Conservation profession after 28 years.

Steve

[rovan]

You can delete the motor museum in Shepparton from the list. The beautiful Rowvan and '57 FE left when they unceremoniously dumped their curator.

[cobber]

G'day Rovan,

Thanks for letting us know about that.... No point having the museum in our list if the van's gone.
I think I heard that the Curator was the owner of the van

Cobber.

[akeepsake]

Was in the Queen Victoria Museum at Inveresk ( Launceston Tas) and spotted this !
It was found by a mate of mine a while back and had been built by the husband for her newly we'd for their honeymoon
The elderly lady ( the original owner) said her husband fitted the bath so she could bathe while honeymooning
It is as found original condition and is a cracker! Think it was built late 30s??

Interesting bath with sink which drains into bath my assumption is the boiling water gets poured in this small sink then drained into bath as required to control temperature?
Anyone know for sure???




One for the Lino thread Cobber!

[cobber]

G'day Andrew,

Sorry Mate.... I hadn't noticed this post about the van in the Queen Victoria Museum.... sorry about that 

Nice photos that you might like to add to this thread
If you compare your interior photos with the ones on that thread it looks like they have painted over the decorations on the cutlery and linen draws, I hope I'm wrong.

Cobber.