Historical information

Volkswagen (VW) cars were first imported to Australia from Germany in late 1953, and went on official sale in early 1954. These earliest cars were wholly imported. At the time, the Australian Federal Government offered large tax concessions on locally-made cars; from June 1954, Volkswagen Australia began importing German CKD (Completely Knocked Down) kits and reassembling them in Melbourne, Victoria. After a short while, basic Australian-made components such as batteries, tyres and glass were substituted. In the late 1950s this was gradually expanded to locally made paints and glues; nuts, bolts and fasteners; rubber, cloth and trim, and electrical components. Other German companies like Bosch, Hella and VDO constructed manufacturing plants in Australia to produce components for the expanding Melbourne VW factory. By 1956, the Australian-assembled VW fleet was already more than 50% Australian-made in Melbourne. This attests to Australia's reputation as a prominent place for automotive manufacturing, further confirmed by the production of other vehicles from companies like Ford and Holden.

Significance

The record holds historic significance as it captures an image of Wellington Road, Clematis prior to it being sealed in the 1970s. The road was often very rough and flooded frequently. The record can be used as an example of the development of the region, particularly with infrastructure in response to the growing urbanisation of the area.

Physical description

Black and white rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic paper. Depicted is an unsealed gravel or dirt road framed by grasses and trees. The inscriptions on the reverse denote the location as Wellington Road near Paradise Avenue, Clematis, Victoria. There is a stationary vehicle parked on the road; it appears to be a Volkswagen Beetle.

Inscriptions & markings

Obverse:
GGU135 /

Reverse:
VEMUP0962.2 /