Australia’s Top Motoring Museums

Image taken from https://kidsinadelaide.com.au/national-motor-museum/

Every year across Australia, thousands of people pack up their vehicles and set off on road trips to explore our diverse and stunning country.   No matter which state you’re travelling through, there are points of interest along the way, something to satisfy almost any hobby or interest, from first nations culture and history to wildlife watching and some pastimes you’ll find are better catered to than most.   Trucking and automotive enthusiasts have been spoilt for choice for generations with a huge array of shows, stockyards and museums.   If you’re planning on making an automotive pilgrimage here are our top picks of the automotive museums that more than live up to their hype.  

THE ROAD TRANSPORT HALL OF FAME 

Alice Springs, Northern Territory 

Image: Cattrucks.com.au

The Road Transport Hall of Fame is a must-see attraction for anyone with even a fleeting interest in what they describe as, ‘the workhorses of yesteryear.’  The display showcases not just vehicles but the history behind automation in Australia.   World War Two is presented as a driving force behind the speed at which roads were built and vehicles were adapted to better suit the harsh Australian climate.   After the war, veterans returned home with new skills, honed overseas. They quickly put these new skills to work developing new businesses and even new industries that hadn’t been explored previously.   The Road Transport Hall of Fame is as much a fascinating glimpse into the rise of modern Australia as it is a love letter to the people and machines that made it possible.  

NATIONAL MOTOR MUSEUM SOUTH AUSTRALIA 

Birdwood, South Australia 

Image: Alamy.com

Of all the museums on this list, the National Motor Museum is the one that feels most like a traditional museum.   You’ll find a near-life facsimile of a 1920s workshop, replete with the tools and equipment that would have been found in most motor workshops a century ago, including a lathe, drill press and stationary engine for powering pulleys.   The museum also houses one of the world’s most expensive cars, the Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4, as well as a collection of old hawker vans from travelling salespeople and much more.   This is a true slice of contemporary Australian history and well worth a diversion on a long road trip.  

INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER CLUB OF AUSTRALIA  

Geelong, Victoria 

Image: International Harvester Club of Australia Website 

While not strictly a walk-in museum in the same way many of the other stops on this list are, the International Harvester Club of Australia is dedicated to the beautiful International Harvester tractors, agricultural equipment and wartime vehicles that were designed and built in Geelong, Victoria!   The International Harvester plant, the largest of its kind in Australia, opened in 1939.   The closure of the factory in 1982 did not put a dent in the enthusiasm of the International Harvester Club, a group of nearly 1,000 individuals who meet regularly to discuss their shared passion.   While there is no fixed showroom to see the group’s collection, club members regularly attend shows and rallies around Australia, proudly displaying their reconstructed, restored and reinvigorated machines.   The club’s website is regularly updated with where they can next be found.  

WINTON TRUCK MUSEUM 

Winton, Queensland 

Image: Winton Truck Museum website 

Often described as a “true outback experience,” the Winton Truck Museum is a real hidden gem. Largely made up of heritage trucks from the local area, Queensland’s central west, there is a strong focus here on the community and the role these trucks have played in building that community.   Curated by local volunteers, themselves devotees of road transport history, and expertly restored and presented, this is a museum that doesn’t disappoint.   The museum organises events throughout the year that have a strong focus on history, people and the local area.   With a donation box serving as admission, this extraordinary collection won’t break the bank (if you don’t want it to) and comes with the extensive knowledge of the delighted volunteers who are happy to provide titbits of history to enhance your experience.  

MOTOR MUSEUM OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA 

Whiteman, Western Australia 

Image: Whitmanpark,com.au 

The Motor Museum of Western Australia is probably the best-known institute of its kind in the state.   From a vast collection of vehicles to harder-to-find items such as Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 racing flag, there’s enough here to occupy the whole family.   The museum is a favourite for school trips and family days out as there are exhibitions aimed towards educating young people, such as the Royal Automotive Club of Western Australia (RAC) learning hub, which holds lessons and meetings and has a terrific display on the history of the RAC in Western Australia.  

TASMANIAN TRANSPORT MUSEUM 

Glenorchy, Tasmania 

Tassie has no shortage of world class museums but for those who are looking to scratch a trucking itch, look no further than the Tasmanian Transport Museum.   Here you will find some truly unique pieces such as the Fargo Tower Truck or even a 1935 Dodge fire engine. The exhibits are detailed and staffed by people with the knowledge and passion to bring it all to life.   An honourable mention has to go to the National Automobile Museum of Tasmania which hosts an astonishing collection of vans, muscle cars and motorsport memorabilia though unfortunately run a little light on the trucks.  

AUSTRALIAN ROAD TRANSPORT HERITAGE CENTRE 

Gundagai, New South Wales 

Image from ARTHC.com.au 

The Australian Road Transport Heritage Centre is an essential stop for any truck lovers travelling through New South Wales.   It’s a no-frills experience dedicated to the display of incredible and historic trucks and the preservation and upkeep of these machines.   This museum aims to tell the story of the area through the machines that built, fed and watered it. transport industry vehicles that build, fed and clothed its residents.  

GETTING ON THE ROAD 

You don’t have to be a total petrolhead to enjoy these attractions, there’s something for anyone who wants to see passionate people discussing, displaying and debating what they love.   The history of trucking and the history of the land are closer than you might initially think.   Trucks are often said to be the backbone of the economy, it therefore tracks that following the trucking industry from its fledgeling days will give you a fuller and more rounded understanding about communities, jobs and the growth of Australia. If you love to see the most interesting trucks in Australia, be sure to follow the truck of the year competition in 2023!