Help tell the Australian story
by Kathi Zarka on 10 June, 2014
The chassis of this grand old car is now on display in the Museum’s Main Hall until 27 July 2014. Don’t miss this last opportunity to see the ‘craftsmanship behind the car’ before it goes back to the workshop for final conservation treatment. Continue reading “The Royal Daimler stripped back”
by Monica Lindemann on 29 May, 2014
Thanks to many generous Museum visitors making a contribution to donations boxes in the hall of the National Museum, the Royal Daimler Project fundraising total has now reached $41,078.80!
With less than $19,000 to raise we are feeling very confident of reaching the $60,000 target by the end of June, Her Majesty’s birthday month! Continue reading “Donations are growing”
by Vicki Humphrey on 22 May, 2014
The excitement is building as we prepare the Daimler chassis for a public viewing for the Queen’s birthday weekend. And the Daimler is getting its bling on! Continue reading “A little bit of bling and some very fine work!”
by Vicki Humphrey on 20 April, 2014
On the 7-8th April, Ainslie Greiner and Ian Stewart travelled to Melbourne to visit Crankshaft Rebuilders. They took the original block from the Royal Daimler with them. The idea was to get the block line-bored and the new crankshaft test fitted to the block – this allows for finalised fitting to the bearings. This also provided Ian with the necessary information to manufacture a new rear main oil seal carrier on his return to the Museum.
Continue reading “Crankshaft – the story so far”by Catrina Vignando on 17 April, 2014
The Museum’s Royal Daimler is the subject of a new feature film called When the Queen Came to Town that celebrates the 60th anniversary of the 1954 Royal visit.
Continue reading “Filming the Royal Daimler”by Laura Breen on 28 March, 2014
The ‘Australian Six’ is a new acquisition by the National Museum of Australia.
This elegant vehicle represents one of the earliest attempts to establish an automotive manufacturing industry in Australia. In the wake of the First World War and amid growing worldwide interest in automotive technology, Australian entrepreneur Frederick Gordon was among the first to recognise the financial viability of importing cheap vehicle components for local assembly, rather than importing expensive complete vehicles from overseas. Manufactured in the United States in 1918 by American Motors Corporation of New Jersey, this car was imported to Sydney as a partially assembled prototype intended to showcase Gordon’s novel experiment. Continue reading “The Australian Six”
by Catrina Vignando on 28 March, 2014
The Royal Daimler Project is speeding along and we are getting close to our fundraising finishing line.
We have developed a video documenting some of the work we have been doing with the support we have received from members of the public. This video includes interviews with the National Museums’ automotive engineers and conservators and gives a sense of the work involved in bringing the Royal Daimler back to its former glory. Continue reading “Interview with the conservators”
by Catrina Vignando on 12 March, 2014
This is for all those girls who are into fast cars!
In celebration of International Women’s Day, we are presenting this story about the Australian racing car driver Joan Richmond who was at her peak on the international racing circuit in the 1930s.
by Catrina Vignando on 7 March, 2014
This year, 2014, marks 60 years since Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s first visit to Australia as the young reigning monarch. About 75 per cent of Australia’s population caught a glimpse of the newly-crowned Queen on her 1954 Royal tour.
A feature documentary, When the Queen Came to Town , is being produced in celebration of the 60th anniversary of this event. The producers of the film are seeking to hear from members of the public who took film footage of the 1954 Royal tour with 8mm or 16mm home movie cameras of the time. Continue reading “When the Queen came to town”
by Catrina Vignando on 6 March, 2014
The dust covers came off, the conservation team were on hand and the engines came to life at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. Continue reading “Rolling out the royal cars”