Our Touring Past

H. E. Baily
Baily's Garage
Devonport, Tasmania.

While continuing my Trove searches I ran across this item for hiring of caravans in the Advocate, 22-2-1936. I'd not seen anything previously for this company relating to caravans and thought maybe Mr Baily just hired caravans, as well as providing extensive mechanical repairs according to other advertising. While this advertisement offered the vans at greatly reduced prices, no previous advertising was found to know what they were reduced from. In due course other items were found, and this one from the Advocate 26-3-1936 provided some further information and indicates the vans were likely to be of his manufacture. The offer of hiring a boat to go with the van is an interesting one and a photograph located, that I can't include here, shows two vans with sloping rear ends on which the boat was carried. Advertisements from the Advocate 18-4-1936 shows Mr. Baily was in the motor car hire business too, offering Chrysler, De Soto and Plymouth cars for hire at 6d (5c) a mile, while this advertisement from that date offers the car with the caravan for an extra 30/- ($3) a week. Another advertisement in the Advocate 13-5-1936 offered car and truck bodies built on the premises to suit any requirement, so it appears Mr. Baily was a one stop shop for anything mechanical and had the capabilities to produce caravans. How many and for how long I wonder?

George

In November 1936 I ran across this advertisement for Bailey's with a partial photograph of a van with a boat on the rear. It would be lovely to find one surviving somewhere one day. Yet again a treasure from Trove. George

Well George, ask and ye shall receive.

I must admit though it has taken me a while to find, but here is a 1937 ad that shows a couple of Mr Baily's caravans with hire cars as well.
The ad also mentions that the caravans are For Sale, Hire or Built to Order.

Another vintage caravan ad for Baileys Auto garage, this time it appeared in 1939.

Richard,

Your advertising uses the photo I mentioned earlier that I couldn't post, good to see it up at last.
The cars shown would have to be getting on to 10 years old in 1939, and I wonder if the photo dates from the early thirties? The cars and the vans look to be in good condition, better than I would expect after a few years use anyway.

Still I nice style van, and I love the piggy back boat idea.

George

A 1935 vintage caravan ad for Baily's auto garage and the caravan display that was held in November of that year.

I found this photo at of all places on an American Travel Trailer Facebook page.