On 17th February 2020, GM announced it would no longer sell Holden cars in Australia. Back then, there were concerns that the company’s vast number of artefacts would be destroyed and its priceless car collection sold and/or sent overseas. None of that happened.
In consultation with GMH, a Holden Collection Advisory Committee (HCAC) was established. It was chaired by Dr Mathew Trinca AM, Director of the National Museum. Representatives on the committee included the History Trust of South Australia (which operates the National Motor Museum), Museums Victoria, Trafalgar Holden Museum and Holden Retirees Club.
The committee’s task was to agree on suitable locations for the collection of vehicles and memorabilia, and develop the long-term options for the preservation and display of culturally significant material held by Holden, with a view to making as much of it as possible available to the public. The committee’s recommendations were given to the government in 2021, which continues to consider them.
With the 5th anniversary of the announcement looming, I thought it timely to review what various major groups are doing to preserve Holden’s heritage. Much of this work has been going on without fanfare, and it is a credit to all involved.
Holden Retirees’ Club (HRC)
The HRC has a membership of at least 500 ex-GMH staff from all areas of the company in all states and overseas. It was founded by the late Stan Wiseman. When he retired from the Supply Department in 1977, he arranged a lunch with three other Holden retirees, Stan Halliday, Ted Bensley and Len Martin, in Melbourne. During lunch Wiseman suggested the formation of a Retirees’ Club and it has grown from that point on.
The HRC is run by a volunteer committee. Current office holders are Bill Hooper, Neil Pogson and Peter Roberts. Neil was a member of the HCAC.
There are basically two aspects to the HRC. One is the quarterly lunch held on the first Thursday of March, June, September and December at the Mulgrave Country Club, in Melbourne.
The other aspect of the club is the research, preservation and publishing of GMH heritage. The HRC’s website is a comprehensive deep dive into GMH’s history. It contains GMH’s annual reports, company magazine, dealer magazine, rare photos/videos, design proposals, diagrams, product and mechanical strategy, personal recollections, organisational information, production records, organisation charts and so much more.
The HRC website link is at the end of this story.
GMH Heritage Cataloguing Project
Since 2015, Neil Pogson, and fellow retired GMH staff members Peter Nankervis and Bill Hooper, have been cataloguing GMH’s history. Working with support from GM and enthusiast donors, they were given GMH’s theatrette at Fishermans Bend, Melbourne, as a workspace.
After consulting with a professional archivist, they completed a high-level sorting of the collection which comprised documents, internal letters, media releases, technical drawings, architectural designs of GMH’s buildings, manuals, brochures, photos, memorabilia and other items. All of this information filled the equivalent of more than 100 four drawer filing cabinets. Neil describes what they did after the first run through the information.
“We went back to box #1 and started again, this time handling every bit of paper, photos, brochures, everything, and scanning most items. We completed this in mid-December 2023.”
I saw the work in progress in late 2019 and by any measure it was a mammoth task and deserves our praise. Some of the digitalised information is now on the HRC website. Some of the memorabilia has been transported to the Trafalgar Holden Museum where it will be on display in newly expanded exhibition building. The remaining physical collection is stored at GM Australia’s Dandenong warehouse awaiting a decision by senior managers in GM Australia and New Zealand (GM ANZ) about its ultimate location in Australia and how the public will be able to have access to it.
GM Heritage Centre USA
GM in the USA has ensured GMH’s design studio information has been digitally preserved. While the physical information will remain in Australia, the digital version is overseen by the archivists at GM’s Heritage Centre in Michigan, USA.
In addition, GM Heritage has preserved GMH-related documents and images that were created in the USA, such as US styling studio design proposals, design program instigation documents (which track the progress of a model’s styling development) and internal correspondence that discussed new models and their styling. This information is available to researchers by request. The Heritage Centre’s website link is at the end of this story.
National Motoring Museum (NMM)
The National Motoring Museum currently showcases most of the vehicles in Holden’s Heritage Collection including the Hurricane, Torana GTR-X, EFIJY, number one 48-215 Holden, 1998 Monaro concept, Monaro convertible, Sandman concept, UTEster, SSX, Holden Torana TT36, Holden Coupe 60 and significant “millionth” cars. An assembly line from Holden’s Elizabeth, SA, factory hangs above the exhibition and demonstrates the different stages of construction. The NMM is must-see, and I always take time to visit it when in Adelaide. Its website link is at the end of this story.
Trafalgar Holden Museum (THM)
Every Holden enthusiast knows about the THM. It was the dream of its late founder, Neil Joiner, who worked hard to develop and expand it since it was opened in 2014.
Located in an old dairy factory in the town of Trafalgar, in Victoria’s Gippsland region, the museum is operated by a team of volunteers. It showcases the Holden story from saddlery beginnings through to the last Holden. It is truly an amazing place.
Part of the Holden Heritage Collection is at Trafalgar, including the Sandman Ute Concept, FC Sedan, EK Special Sedan, HR Premier Sedan, VL Commodore Convertible, VZ Monaro CV8Z, VF Commodore SSV Sedan (pilot) and memorabilia preserved by the GMH Heritage Cataloguing Project.
Trafalgar’s website link is at the end of this story, as is a link to Fletch’s Classic Restos episode about the museum and a tribute to Neil Joiner.
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) Design School
The RMIT Design School has an extensive collection of GMH design drawings/sketches/photos, including those of retired GMH design director and RMIT alumni, Phillip Zmood, and designers Ken Folletta and the late Chris Emmerson. Phillip featured in Shannons’ Design to Driveway series.
The link to Phillip Zmood’s Design to Driveway interview is at the end of this story.
Holden Manufacturing Heritage Centre Australia (HMHC)
The HMHC is located at the former Holden production facility at Elizabeth, SA, where it displays historical data, audio visuals, design and manufacturing artefacts.
The HMHC is the custodian of significant cars, including the first production Cruze, VX Pontiac GTO, VY One Tonner Ute, Adventra Wagon, VF Calais V Wagon, Cruise SRI, VF Chevrolet SS, VE Commodore SS Ute and VE Commodore SSV Sportwagon.
Three Commodore and Statesman models are on display. But they are not real. The VN Commodore is made of fibreglass. The red VE SS and the silver WM Caprice are constructed from a machinable engineering polymer called Ureol. These models were used in the final styling approval meetings.
Another rare exhibit is a VF Commodore clay model. It is last clay model constructed for an Australian manufactured car. The fibreglass, Ureol and clay models are usually destroyed when no longer needed, so they are valuable reminders of Australia’s automotive heritage.
Staffed by volunteers, the chairman of the Centre is Jeff Jamieson, who was GMH’s Executive Director of Manufacturing. I have visited the HMHC and it is a must-see for automotive enthusiasts. The Centre is open by appointment to car clubs and groups. It has some of the best facilities for car club events and meetings I’ve seen. Kira Hayes is the Public Relations Officer and co-ordinates visits to the HMHC.
Contact details are: holdenmfgheritage@gmail.com.
South Australian State Library
The library contains Holden related archives that date back to the 1850s, when James Holden started his saddlery business in Adelaide. The Holden collection is extensive and includes artefacts, papers, business ledgers, plans, promotional material, photographs and magazines. There are over 800 films, videos and sound recordings. The library’s website says it:
“…plays an important role in keeping these (Holden) memories and stories alive so current and future generations will always have access to them.”
In keeping with its important role, the library is preparing a major exhibition, to be held early in 2025, showcasing the collection. The Holden Manufacturing Heritage Centre in SA is assisting the library with this project. There is a link at the end of this story to the library’s website.
Online and printed information
There are countless websites, chat forums, podcasts, YouTube channels, other social media platforms, books and magazines dedicated to Holden, its cars and its heritage. On Shannons Club, for example, I’ve estimated that approximately 40% of the content relates to Holden.
The combination of all these outputs is a powerful and effective way of exposing and preserving the brand’s heritage. And it shows no signs of slowing down.
Managing the Future
GM ANZ has established a committee which reviews the future activities involving the collection, particularly movement of vehicles, participation in events and requests for loan vehicles. Recognising the importance of the committee’s work, its chairperson is GM ANZ Managing Director Jess Bala. Other GM ANZ members are Tim Price, Chris Payne, Jane Donaldson and Rosie Ivetic. External members are Neil Pogson representing the Holden Retirees Club, former Holden design director Richard Ferlazzo and the Holden Manufacturing Heritage Centre’s, and former Executive Director of Manufacturing, Jeff Jamieson. Said Tim Price:
“GM ANZ respects and cherishes the history of the Holden brand in Australia and New Zealand, and the collection of vehicles and heritage materials. We are currently looking at various options to ensure this collection is preserved and available for display for many years to come.”
LINKS to explore
Fletch’s tribute to Neil Joiner
Phillip Zmood: Design to Driveway
Retroautos® is written and published by David Burrell with passion and with pride. Retroautos® stories and images are copyrighted. Reproducing them in any format is prohibited. Retroautos® is a registered trademark. Reproducing it in any format is prohibited.
Special thanks to Jeff Jamieson, Peter Nankervis, Neil Pogson, Tim Price, Matthew Lombard (NMM) and the GM Heritage Centre USA
