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National Motor Museum, Birdwood

Not to be confused with National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.

The National Motor Museum, formerly also known as The Old Mill and Birdwood Mill after its initial location, is a social history museum of the History Trust of South Australia focused on Australian motoring history and automobile museum in the Adelaide Hills in the township of Birdwood, South Australia.

National Motor Museum,
Australia
National Motor Museum, Birdwood is located in South Australia
National Motor Museum, Birdwood
Location within South Australia
Established1964; 60 years ago (1964)
Location
  • Shannon Street
  • Birdwood SA 5234
  • Australia
Coordinates34°49′11″S 138°57′16″E / 34.81972°S 138.95444°E / -34.81972; 138.95444
TypeAutomobile museum
DirectorPaul Rees
WebsiteNational Motor Museum

History

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The National Motor Museum in Birdwood was started by Jack Kaines and Len Vigar after they purchased the old mill buildings in 1964, and opened as a museum the following year in 1965. It was first known as the Birdwood Mill Pioneer, Art and Motor Museum, sold to a private company led by Gavin Sandford-Morgan in 1970.[1] It was purchased by the government of South Australia in 1976,[2][3] and from 1982 came under the auspices of the History Trust of South Australia.[1]

In 1980 the Federation of Vintage Car Clubs (SA) approached Donald Chisholm[4] OAM,[5] then general manager of the museum, to participate in the inaugural Bay to Birdwood classic car run. Chisholm agreed to be co-organiser, and suggested and agreed to provide a perpetual trophy for the "Concours d'Elegance", with its design based on the Shearer Steam Car, which would remain on display at (as it was then often called) Birdwood Mill.[4]

Description and uses

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The National Motor Museum is Australia's largest motor museum,[3] with over 350 vehicles on display as of 2009.[6][2] It holds a large and historically important collection of cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. It is housed in a modern complex adjacent to its original home, "The Old Mill" on Shannon Street, Birdwood.[2][3]

The museum is the endpoint of the annual Bay to Birdwood, in which vintage, veteran and classic cars and other road vehicles are driven by their owners from the foreshore area of Adelaide through to the Adelaide Hills to finish at the museum, where a festival is held and trophies awarded.[7]

Exhibits

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The following is a non-exhaustive list of motor vehicles on display:[citation needed]

The following is a non-exhaustive list of motorbikes display:

  • 1904 Minerva
  • 1910 Matchless
  • 1918 Favourite
  • 1920 Harley Davidson Sport Twin
  • 1923 Matchless H-2 with side chair
  • 1923 Waratah
  • 1927 Indian Scout
  • 1930 BSA S30
  • 1936 Brough-Superior Model SS80
  • 1948 Vincent Series B Rapide
  • 1949 Velocette Mk8 KTT
  • 1960 Mazda Three Wheeler
  • 1964 Honda Monkey CZ100
  • 1966 BMW R60/2
  • 1969 Benelli 250cc racer
  • 1972 Honda CB 750
  • 1981 Kawasaki KLX250B
  • 1983 KMZ Dnepr Custom Cruzer replica

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "State History Collection". History SA. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "Birdwood". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 January 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  3. ^ a b c "National Motor Museum Birdwood". Going Somewhere Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on 28 October 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Bay to Birdwood Programs 1980-2020: 1980". Bay to Birdwood. 21 September 2020. p. 3. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  5. ^ Williams, Kristy (25 January 2021). "OAM honour for former director of Maranatha House, Donald Chisholm". Daily Liberal. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  6. ^ Williamson, Brett (16 November 2009). "Emotion in motion: The National Motor Museum". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  7. ^ "Home". Bay to Birdwood. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  8. ^ Bolognese, Mick (31 March 2015). "Everyone knows the Leyland Brothers, right?". National Motor Museum.
  9. ^ Kelly, Zachariah (5 August 2022). "Behold, the Telstra Phone Car That Time Forgot". Gizmodo.
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