Our Touring Past

While in Melbourne a couple of weeks ago I ran across a couple of older vans being pressed into commercial service.
One, a coffee and juice bar was located on a busy highway, at Bayswater possibly, didn't really know where I was, just dutifully following Tom Tom directions to where I needed to be. I saw it up ahead and pulled in to get a photo, shame I had only had a coffee a few minutes beforehand or I'd have patronised his outfit. The young guy said it was his second customised van and that it was an old York. It seemed a well thought out unit, bristling with solar panels and a generator on the drawbar. A great watermelon paint job too.

The other was at the Portsea Hotel on the Mornington Peninsular, set up as a bar selling Colonial Summer Cider at the side of the hotel. At $10 for a large drink I shouldn't think it would take long to recoupe the cost of the van! But as they say, "location, location, location." What a spot to have your caravan, the view I mean, not beside a hotel. No idea what the van was.

George

Bernie's Caravan-shop, Perth, WA.
These two pages are from The Daily News (Perth) 20-4-1940, and detail a new business venture utilising a Greenwood Caravan. Other companies involved in the project seem to have been persuaded to take advertisements for their businesses too, including Greenwoods, which is under the link to them in The Library above. A GMH advertisement filled the bottom of one of the pages although they didn't mention Bernie's use of a Chevrolet runabout. Can't say I've heard a ute referred to by that term before either.

George

This was originally posted by Griffin and its a very attractive "caravan/showroom" for Enock Taylor and Co as their travelling shoe display room.

A photo from Trove of a vintage caravan used to raise funds during the war effort. ( not real sure why the grntleman has an arrow pointing to him.)

Nice photo Richard, I never ran across it in my Trove travels. What and when was the source?

I should think it is quite distinctive with those heavy timber eybrows and the very low front window. Might that indicate a bed at the front rather than a table? I guess we don't have enough photographs of pre-war caravans to identify it yet.

Another 'war effort' caravan found on Trove is the Brindle, and for those that have read about him in the respective section may remember that he went from collapsible vans in the late 30s to rigid style, although I don't think we have ever seen photos of them. He went into liquidation after gifting his van.

His van for recruiting looks to be quite interesting, having the fold down side to form a platform for speaking. The photo appeared in several papers, this one being the best quality. This item gives a few details of its features and itinerary. George

This ABC mobile studio van looks to be around the late 1930's and it is of an unknown builder. Although the caravan builders sign can be partially seen at the top left of the photo.

Had a trip to Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour over the weekend to have a look at the remains of one of our great shipbuilding facilities. Certainly an interesting place with a little of the old machinery still in place.
What I didn't expect to find was a caravan, and while not a vintage van, an Airstream hasn't really changed much in appearance in 60 years.
Aptly named the Airstream Cafe & Bar it was pretty quiet on the day. And even the seagulls were waiting for some action. I can't help but wonder how long that shiny aluminium finish will last surrounded as it is by salt water. It may well soon look as dull as the rest of the buildings.

A great place to visit, take a picnic lunch or buy something there, entry is free and it's a nice ferry ride to get there. There is some great old convict history and buildings there too. Interesting too to see the bits that were used as a Japanese camp for the movie 'Unbroken'.

George

This came from the Lost Brisbane facebook page showing a mobile denture clinic.

Mobile dental clinic towing a caravan touring southern Queensland, 1939.

I recently spent the day at Penrith Leagues Club for the postponed GM Day display. No caravans in attendance but they now have a Harry's Cafe de Wheels on the side of the club. It is a caravan in representation only, doesn't have wheels, but it does have some enlargements of the old establishment for decoration which I found interesting and thought worthy of adding to the site. Each one shows it with a different 'decor'. I was only a tot in 1951 but I sure don't remember 'Spur Cola'. I'm quite feeling like a pastie and peas though!!

George