chesney

Neil Chesney was born into a caravan family and for as long as he can remember he always wanted to build them. His father Alex was a successful caravan salesman, establishing what grew to become “Chesney Corner” at the busy intersection of Gympie and Rode Roads in Brisbane’s Chermside. Alex Chesney initially sold kit caravans that were popular in the early 1950s and was also the Queensland manager for Carapark caravans. Neil left school at age 14 to do an engineering apprenticeship and five years later he began making parts for his father to sell. His first factory space was underneath the family’s Queenslander home, however, demand increased quickly to the point where he had to find bigger premises and moved into an old boat shed at Breakfast Creek in Brisbane. It was there Neil Chesney built the first complete Chesney caravan, which proved to be a little too ahead of its time. In 1960 production moved to a new factory at Stafford as Chesney moved away from timber construction and started building stylish lightweight aluminum caravans. In 1965 Chesney received the biggest order of his career when he was commissioned to build 500 caravans to be used as temporary housing for workers at the new aluminum smelter at Gladstone. He later bought the vans back for a fraction of the sale price, refurbished them and held one of Queensland’s biggest caravan sales of all time. Source: www.timetoroam.com.au/neil-chesneys-60-years-caravans/#:~....

This caravan is so retro, it almost looks contemporary, given the popularity of all things vintage. Share you caravan holiday stories here.

This is awesome, we have a 'tear drop' camper by 'Little guy'!

"less is more" ;)

State Library of Queensland Oh, people would kill for this caravan today! I love the enamel pail on the left, and the woman's dress (and nice smile!). And is that an address on the far left of the caravan?!

grytlappar It's pretty neat isn't it? The lettering on the far left says '54 Chesney Caravan Coy.' Neil Chesney set up a small caravan factory in Brisbane in the 1950s. At its peak, Lawnton-based Chesney was Australia’s third-largest caravan manufacturer, employing 400 people and making up to a hundred caravans each week. Read more about the history of Chesney Caravan Coy. here: chermsidedistrict.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=303 :)