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THE GREAT HOLIDAY BOOM The end of the war heralded the start of what the Sydney Morning Herald called in 1947, the ‘Great Holiday Boom’. A rush of affordable European and English sedans onto the market coincided with pay increases and big changes at work: two weeks of paid annual leave, a two-day weekend, and for many, regulation of the 40-hour working week and even long-service leave. While it might once have been just a dream, for Australia’s post-war families, owning a car became almost as important as owning a house and suddenly, everyone wanted to hitch up and go. With more time off and the money to cover holiday expenses, Australians embarked on annual beach holidays and forays into the little-explored outback, armed with maps provided free of charge by oil companies and motoring associations. The introduction of the production line revolutionised caravan manufacturing, and Australia’s Big Four led the way: Viscount and Millard in NSW, Franklin in Victoria, and Chesney in Queensland. In all, 22 manufacturers joined Australia’s inaugural 1954 caravan show in Melbourne showcasing their affordable, lightweight caravans decked out with Laminex benchtops, vinyl couches, carpeted floors and innovative gas and electric-powered kitchens. When Australian Prime Minister Ben Chifley launched Holden’s FX in 1948, one in every 10 Australian homes had a car in the garage. Once homegrown cars went into production in the mid-1960s, most Aussies had access to one and with rental caravans readily available, the caravan holiday could finally begin. Source: caravan.hemax.com/News/10865/Rise_of_the_Aussie_nomad

Congrats on Explore! ⭐ January 15, 2024

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Golden Age Of Caravans - Vintage Caravans The 1920s & 30s saw the real birth of caravanning for the middle classes. Families had the time and the money (and the car) to take a caravanning holiday. Mostly, people would just set up camp wherever they pleased, but many official caravan sites also popped up during this time. During WW2 however, many caravan manufacturers collapsed. Even in the years following, petrol rations and nation rebuilding pushed caravan holidays to the back of most Australians’ minds. From the beginning of the 1950s however, caravans began their resurgence and with affordable family cars like the FJ Holden, Australia rekindled its love of caravanning. While America was saying hello to the streamlined aircraft aluminum-built Airstream, Australians were cruising around in their Pathfinders and tiny Teardrops. Many caravans from the 1950s-1970s are still around today, lovingly restored by vintage caravan enthusiasts. The rest have been gutted and painted baby blue by hipster coffee and doughnut vendors (nothing wrong with that in my opinion, as long as the doughnuts are delicious). Source: www.camplify.com.au/blog/the-crazy-future-history-of-cara...

The Model T was introduced to the world in 1908. Henry Ford wanted the Model T to be affordable, simple to operate, and durable. The vehicle was one of the first mass-production vehicles, allowing Ford to achieve his aim of manufacturing the universal car. The Model T was first tested by Henry Ford himself who took the vehicle on a hunting trip to Wisconsin and northern Michigan. The Model T became famous for the stunts it could perform including climbing the stairs of the Tennessee State Capitol and reaching the top of Pikes Peak. After the test of his own product, the vehicle was shipped to its first customer on October 1, 1908. A common myth is that all model T’s were black. While Henry Ford did say “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it’s black,” the policy was in place solely for efficiency and uniformity. The car was only offered in black from 1914-to 1925, however before and after that various models of the vehicle could be purchased in a variety of colors including blue, red, grey, and green. The vehicle also became famous for its unique nickname—Tin Lizzie. There are various accounts of how this nickname was acquired by the Model T. Possible origins include the popularity of the female name “Lizzie” during that period to a famous Model T racecar named Old Liz. Despite the popularity of the nickname Tin Lizzie, the Model T had dozens of nicknames. Source: corporate.ford.com/articles/history/the-model-t.html#:~:t....

According to Don Ricardo from Vintage Caravan Forum and in relation to the photo: "The fact that the car was powered by a gas producer, seems to confirm that the photo is likely to have been taken during World War II, but the T-model Ford is from the '20s or earlier, and the style of the caravan and the wooden spoked wheels suggest that the caravan is also likely to have been built in the '20s. I haven't been able to find out anything about James Whalley & Son who built the van, except that a Whalley family - including at least two generations of James Whalleys - were merchants on the Sunshine Coast around Nambour and Maroochydore. The Whalley owned a sawmill in Nambour in the 1910s, and a hardware store, general store, petrol station, and Ford dealership at various points in the 20s and 30s. So it could be that James Whalley & Son was connected to the Whalley merchant family." Source: vintagecaravans.proboards.com/thread/16163/james-whalley-...