Has anyone been to the National Motor Museum in Birdwood?

Cobra · 10-03-2008, 09:04 AM

Hi

I've lived in the Adelaide Hills for 3 years and I still havn't got round to going yet. I've heard some good things about it so I must go one day. Just wondering if anyone else has been and your thoughts?

EDIT: For anyone that hasn't heard of it here's the link. http://www.history.sa.gov.au/motor/motor.htm

fatxagt · 10-03-2008, 09:36 AM

Yeah been a few times when i lived in adelaide, Its great!

fairmont1998 · 10-03-2008, 12:55 PM

Been quite a few times, took our son for the first time a year or so ago, he had a ball.

Jesk · 10-03-2008, 01:01 PM

Yeah i have some great memories there as a kid but haven't been for ages, should go again

fordel · 10-03-2008, 01:04 PM

Havent been in ages, might have to go again one day.

BENT_8 · 10-03-2008, 02:19 PM

Go have a look mate, you wont be disappointed.
Haven't been for a few years but used to take the run up there 3 or 4 times a year when they had different themes on.
Made a day of it, drove up from Elizabeth to the museum mid morning, have a look around, head south through the hills stopping at a pub along the way for a counter lunch.
Often stopped to pick strawberries and there is a small chocolate factory out that way thats open to the public too.
Then we just made our way to the SE freeway, back through the city and home again.
Was a great Sunday outing for the whole family, well worth it!

falzoony · 10-03-2008, 02:24 PM

Yeah I've been there a fair few times. Best time to go is when the rock n roll rondevous is on. Lots of old classics + old school rock n roll bands = a good day in my books.

JR. · 10-03-2008, 02:38 PM

Years ago a g/f and I had a whole day to kill before flying back to Sydney and stumblde across it while looking for that fore-mentioned chocolate factory.

The Holden sponsorship meant i thought it was a bit Red biased (don't know if that was permanent or transient though), but on the whole an excellent collection of significant Australian automotive history.

To me the stupidest thing about the place was sticking it out in the middle of nowhere and not advertising the hell out of it. Far to impressive a facitlity to be hidden in the back hills of anywhere. should be at Bathurst or on a tourism waterfront somewhere.

fairmont1998 · 10-03-2008, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JR.

To me the stupidest thing about the place was sticking it out in the middle of nowhere and not advertising the hell out of it. Far to impressive a facitlity to be hidden in the back hills of anywhere. should be at Bathurst or on a tourism waterfront somewhere.

Sometimes the best attractions have to be searched for ;)

BENT_8 · 10-03-2008, 02:48 PM

having it hidden away is part of the draw card, it's like walking into an old barn hidden away in the sticks only to discover it full of classic motoring icons from yesteryear.

That and they run the classic bay to Birdwood which takes you from down town suburbia to to the old rustic country setting which in a way resembles what the museum is all about, a walk back in history from the new car in the car park which brought you there to the turn of the century steam engines you'd expect in an old country setting

xe351 · 10-03-2008, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JR.

Years ago a g/f and I had a whole day to kill before flying back to Sydney and stumblde across it while looking for that fore-mentioned chocolate factory.

The Holden sponsorship meant i thought it was a bit Red biased (don't know if that was permanent or transient though), but on the whole an excellent collection of significant Australian automotive history.

To me the stupidest thing about the place was sticking it out in the middle of nowhere and not advertising the hell out of it. Far to impressive a facitlity to be hidden in the back hills of anywhere. should be at Bathurst or on a tourism waterfront somewhere.

yeah we went last year and had similar feelings about it, in general it is a good display, but was dissapointed there were'nt any gt's there when we went and Ford stuff in general was sparse

1970galaxie · 10-03-2008, 11:15 PM

Went there years ago.
Best thing I saw was the Mad Max 2 car before it headed off to England.

fairmont1998 · 11-03-2008, 12:01 AM

Most of the cars in there are privately owned, the museum just displays them. Makes it hard to balance the display of brand I guess.

Cobra · 11-03-2008, 07:39 PM

So overall it was good but too many Holdens and not enough Fords? To be expected, were in Adelaide of course! I'll still have to go an have a look, take Jac and the little fella, should make a good day.

XPfalcon170 · 11-03-2008, 08:40 PM

yeh, went there for a visit when i was down there this last christmas. Was a good place, with alot of machinery about. Nice drive out there and back aswell.

ELtim · 11-03-2008, 08:50 PM

Yeah, I used to live about 10 minutes away..It's worth going and having a look.

AusM · 11-03-2008, 09:02 PM

Does 1983 count?

ELtim · 11-03-2008, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JR.

Years ago a g/f and I had a whole day to kill before flying back to Sydney and stumblde across it while looking for that fore-mentioned chocolate factory.

The Holden sponsorship meant i thought it was a bit Red biased (don't know if that was permanent or transient though), but on the whole an excellent collection of significant Australian automotive history.

To me the stupidest thing about the place was sticking it out in the middle of nowhere and not advertising the hell out of it. Far to impressive a facitlity to be hidden in the back hills of anywhere. should be at Bathurst or on a tourism waterfront somewhere.

You missed the chocolate factory by about 10 minute drive.

V3RSAC3 · 11-03-2008, 09:20 PM

it just near me, well litrally just up the road(/hill :P [live down off of hancok road])

its not bad, sponsored by Holden, so alot of holden stuff there

gtxb67 · 11-03-2008, 11:49 PM

i went back in 98 - so a long time ago. it was great. also i cannot remember where exactly, but there was a gentlemen's private collection in nuriootpa, that was more to do with machinery than cars, but it was great also. you also have the (very) old grand prix track out that way. although from the maps it is just a whole lot of straights and nothing special to drive around (at the speed limit anyway). the barossa and birdwood are good places to visit and you can spend a lot of time there easily

gtxb67 · 12-03-2008, 12:42 PM

the private collection may have been in tanunda. it had steam engines and many things the man had collected along his life. most of the things were very old and interesting. i do not know if it is still open, but all the locals around the barossa could probably point you in the right direction. it is well worth a visit

devilcv8 · 12-03-2008, 02:33 PM

Went there the week after Clipsal. Had the Efijy, hadn't seen it in the metal till then, GTRX next to the XU1 was interesting, then up the back quite a few cars of differing makes, models years etc. And to top it off some nice motorbikes as well.

sgt_doofey · 12-03-2008, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtxb67

the private collection may have been in tanunda. it had steam engines and many things the man had collected along his life. most of the things were very old and interesting. i do not know if it is still open, but all the locals around the barossa could probably point you in the right direction. it is well worth a visit

Been living in Tanunda for 2 years now. Never heard a thing about it! There are a few people around who own older (circa 1920's) cars, but never heard anything about a collection.

Could be this collection of cars just out on Gomersal Road? From the look of it, I just thought it was a graveyard or a hoarder.
Also, where was the race track? Wouldn't mind checking that out.

gtxb67 · 13-03-2008, 09:26 AM

i would say when i visited, it was in 1996. it may have been in angaston. sorry for the name dropping, i was just a tourist getting ferried
around. my friend lived in tanunda in 1994 and then springton in 1996. when i suggested birdwood, she, not knowing or caring anything about
cars took me to the collection. i am sure it is/was either in the barossa or angaston. it may not still be there, but it is certainly worth
asking questions about to see it. as you will see from the photos it was mainly cars, bikes and machinery (even an aeroplane engine
which is at the back of one of the photos). please excuse the quality of them - they were scanned from a photo album

as for the grand prix track - that i am sure was in noori. i have tried to google it, but could not find anything. there was an article
in one the programs for the race (adelaide program i believe). from memory it was effectively just four straights with some 90 degree corners.
it may not be that inspiring to drive around now days, but if i was in the barossa for a few days i would look for it. i think it was used in
the '30's or around then, so like the collection it may not even be around anymore - although the basic roads should still be there

sgt_doofey · 13-03-2008, 09:55 AM

Cheers gtxb67. Will keep the eyes and ears peeled to see if I can hear anything about these.

Vines5161 · 13-03-2008, 10:40 AM

About 50 years ago, the Formula 1 was run around the Adelaide Hills, taking in Birdwood. There was something about it only recently in Adelaide.

As for the musuem, go it is great, particularly if you can time it for the Bay to Birdwood. Having driven in the BtoB it is a great atmosphere and the machines to be seen are amazing.

see this link for details: http://www.baytobirdwood.com.au/

Even lining the road is lots of fun - BBQ and a glass of wine and don't forget the camera.

gtxb67 · 13-03-2008, 11:28 AM

here are the maps of the 3 circuits used from around the 1920's to 1950's. victor harbour was used around the '20s,
lobethal was used around '30-40's and nuriootpa was used around the '50's
as late as 1987 they were supposed to have had "little changed" going by the agp program

JR. · 13-03-2008, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ELtim

You missed the chocolate factory by about 10 minute drive.

After I made her wander around a car museum for over 2 hours, you'd better believe we found that chocolate factory before we headed back to Adelaide! Not even I'm that clueless about keeping the opposite sex onside...

sgt_doofey · 13-03-2008, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtxb67

here are the maps of the 3 circuits used from around the 1920's to 1950's. victor harbour was used around the '20s,
lobethal was used around '30-40's and nuriootpa was used around the '50's
as late as 1987 they were supposed to have had "little changed" going by the agp program

Might be this circuit: http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&h...40169&t=h&z=15
Research Road on to Railway Terrace
Railway Terrace on to Barossa Valley Highway/Murray Street
Murray Street on to Penrice Road
Penrice Road on to Railway Terrace

blueoval · 13-03-2008, 05:22 PM

I still havent been, and I have lived in SA for 24years. :(