Tuesday May 15th
Once again in the Adelaide hills I visited Lobethal, established by Lutheran settlers in 1842, with the intention of visiting the National Costume Museum.Unfortunately it has now been moved so had to content myself with a beautiful scenic drive along the Torrens River Gorge to Gumeracha, and then to
Birdwood, originally called Blumberg, founded by German settlers in 1848. In the 1850s it was a prosperous gold mining and agricultural centre and the old flour mill is an impressive reminder of those days.
The trees were spectacular in the autumn foliage,
and it was a very pretty little town with art galleries and antique shops lining the main street. The biggest surprise however was the National Motor Museum which I very nearly missed.
It is housed in the old flour mill and is the largest collection of classic and vintage vehicles I have ever seen.There are over 300 vintage, veteran, post war classic and modern cars commercial vehicles and 100 motorcycles. I don't recall even Beaulieu having such an extensive collection. Generally I have little interest in cars but couldn't help finding this interesting. Many of the cars are old favourites, Morris Minor, Hillman Imp, Beetles as well as the quirkier designs from the past.There was a fantastic caravan
and folding camper,
the local shop,
and the famous mail lorry used by Tom Kruse (how could I forget that name?) on the Birdsville mail track. Tom is and was an outback legend in his own time and is famous throughout Australia. His truck, a Leyland Badger , broke down in 1957 and was abandoned in the desert where it stayed for almost forty years. It was then restored and driven by the then 85 year old Tom to its permanent home in Birdwood in 1999.
There were the usual old beauties,
buses, trams, fire engines,
and the largest collection of motor bikes I have ever seen.
This car was the first vehicle to be driven across Australia from Adelaide to Darwin by Henry Dutton and Murray Aunger in 1908,
and this Landrover was the first motor vehicle to be driven West to East of Australia by the Leyland brothers in 1966.
There were some bizarre things like this working telephone car used by Telecom for parades and promotions in 1988,
and this motorbike where every available inch has been used for storage.
As well as carrying the owner, John Todd, all over Australia, he travelled extensively in Europe, the Middle East and Asia and the bike is covered with stickers from all the places he visited. My favourite however is this one;
a 1918 ford Model T Stake side, custom built with trailer to match. As they would say here, How sweet is that?
I spent so long there that at the end of the visit it was time to make my way back to Mount Torrens and Charleston and back down the Onkaparinga valley to Adelaide.
Once again in the Adelaide hills I visited Lobethal, established by Lutheran settlers in 1842, with the intention of visiting the National Costume Museum.Unfortunately it has now been moved so had to content myself with a beautiful scenic drive along the Torrens River Gorge to Gumeracha, and then to
Birdwood, originally called Blumberg, founded by German settlers in 1848. In the 1850s it was a prosperous gold mining and agricultural centre and the old flour mill is an impressive reminder of those days.
The trees were spectacular in the autumn foliage,
and it was a very pretty little town with art galleries and antique shops lining the main street. The biggest surprise however was the National Motor Museum which I very nearly missed.
It is housed in the old flour mill and is the largest collection of classic and vintage vehicles I have ever seen.There are over 300 vintage, veteran, post war classic and modern cars commercial vehicles and 100 motorcycles. I don't recall even Beaulieu having such an extensive collection. Generally I have little interest in cars but couldn't help finding this interesting. Many of the cars are old favourites, Morris Minor, Hillman Imp, Beetles as well as the quirkier designs from the past.There was a fantastic caravan
and folding camper,
the local shop,
and the famous mail lorry used by Tom Kruse (how could I forget that name?) on the Birdsville mail track. Tom is and was an outback legend in his own time and is famous throughout Australia. His truck, a Leyland Badger , broke down in 1957 and was abandoned in the desert where it stayed for almost forty years. It was then restored and driven by the then 85 year old Tom to its permanent home in Birdwood in 1999.
There were the usual old beauties,
and the largest collection of motor bikes I have ever seen.
This car was the first vehicle to be driven across Australia from Adelaide to Darwin by Henry Dutton and Murray Aunger in 1908,
There were some bizarre things like this working telephone car used by Telecom for parades and promotions in 1988,
As well as carrying the owner, John Todd, all over Australia, he travelled extensively in Europe, the Middle East and Asia and the bike is covered with stickers from all the places he visited. My favourite however is this one;
a 1918 ford Model T Stake side, custom built with trailer to match. As they would say here, How sweet is that?
I spent so long there that at the end of the visit it was time to make my way back to Mount Torrens and Charleston and back down the Onkaparinga valley to Adelaide.
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