History Notes - a 1929 Packard

28th September 2022

History Notes

A relatively quiet history week this week apart from a phone call re an Edie O’Brien who married a Fred Foreman.  The only Foreman I have found in the records was a Jane Foreman who died at Copeton in 1901 aged 19 years.  The contact was talking about going to Inverell so I hope she has more success there. 

This week is busy at the museum with visitors expected to talk about the collection and the usual meeting early in the week, so call in if you see the gate open.  We like to see visitors.

The search for the photo of Mr Ridley, the Bingara bank manager, has been called off – seems that there are photos of his father and mother but not the man himself.

While still looking for Mr Ridley, I have come across some cuttings donated to the Historical Society by Mrs O’Brien many years ago.  Hopefully, there is something on the Coronation Sports Day when I get to the bottom of the box but in the meantime, I have found the following complete with a photo.

Some 50 years ago a 1929 Packard car was sold to a Vintage car collector at Dural and the story was printed in the Barraba Gazette in July 1969.

The history of this vehicle began when it was imported to Australia and purchased by Mr C. P. Wilson of “Mayvale” Barraba.  Joe Loveday was working with the firm Hoskins and Hoskins and serviced the vehicle even before he set up his motor business in Barraba in 1935.

Mr Wilson drove the vehicle home from Sydney, accompanied by Mrs Wilson and Miss Knight, spending a night in Murrurundi with relatives on the way.  The women were both amazed to find how tired they were on arrival at Murrurundi.

As the years passed the car became ‘old fashioned’ and a new model was purchased.  Mr Wilson then asked Mr Bill Alce (blacksmith) to build a utility tray on the old one.  The utility was used on Mayvale and Cairton until after Mr Wilson’s

death in 1950.  Mr Loveday then purchased and cared for the old vehicle until it was sold to Mr Smith of “Doonba” in 1963.

The vehicle remained on “Doonba”, unregistered but doing all sorts of carrying jobs around the property until a Mr John Andrew of Rose Cottage farm at Dural purchased it in 1969 complete with its original instruction book and tools.

He drove it home to Dural after telling the interested Barraba onlookers that the car would never wear out or rust out.  I wonder if it still exists.

News for September 2022