York Motor Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids York Motor Museum
York Motor Museum
General information
Architectural style	Federation Free Classical
Address	116-120 Avon Terrace
Town or city	York, Western Australia
Construction started	1908
Renovated	1979

The York Motor Museum is a cool place to see old cars and motorbikes. It's located on Avon Terrace in York, Western Australia. The museum is inside a group of shops and buildings that were built in 1908 by the Windsor family. These buildings have a classic, fancy style.

Discovering the Motor Museum

How the Museum Started

The idea for the museum came from James Harwood. He suggested that Peter Briggs, who had a huge collection of vehicles, should buy a building to show them off. Both Harwood and Briggs had been collecting cars and bikes since the 1960s.

Peter Briggs loved motor sports and won the MG Car Club Annual Championship three times in the late 1960s. He also became well-known for buying and selling old cars and even airplanes.

When Did the Museum Open?

The York Motor Museum first opened its doors on 8 December 1979. It had a large space of 1,100 square metres to display all the vehicles. In 1984, the museum even won the Sir David Brand Award for its great work in tourism.

For over 15 years, Peter Harbin, who also loved motor racing, was the museum's curator. A curator is like a manager who takes care of the collections.

What Can You See at the Museum?

The museum has three main areas filled with cars, motorbikes, and bicycles. There are also two general areas and one special section about the history of motor sports.

You can see about 60 cars and 16 motorbikes, plus other vehicles and cool items related to motors. Some vehicles are borrowed from the Western Australian Museum or other collectors. But most of them are still part of Peter Briggs' amazing collection.

Visiting the Museum

The York Motor Museum is run by volunteers, who are people who help out for free. It is open every day from 9 am to 4 pm. There is a small fee to get in.

The York Motor Show

The museum also started the York Festival of Motoring, which is now called the York Motor Show. This big event brings thousands of car fans to York. Even though the museum is still very involved, the Show is now organized by the York Branch of the Veteran Car Club of WA.

Since 2017, the museum has been owned by a non-profit group called the Avon Valley Motor Museum Association. This means it's a community project, run for the benefit of everyone.

Amazing Cars at the Museum

The museum has many interesting cars, including:

History of the Museum Building

Early Days of the Land

From the late 1830s to 1859, the land where the museum stands was part of a government farm. It was near important government buildings like the court house.

In 1859, the government sold the land to a builder named George Wansbrough. He built a small cottage there, which also had an oven. This suggests it was first used as a bakery. Henry Beard was one of the first bakers there in 1863.

Changes in Ownership

The property was sold to Joseph Hardey in 1864. After he passed away in 1874, his family continued to own it. Over the years, different bakers and businesses used the building.

By 1907, the old buildings on the property were in bad shape. The local council ordered them to be taken down. So, in December 1907, the buildings were demolished, and the land became an empty block.

Building the New Shops

In 1907, J C Windsor, who worked at the Union Bank, wanted to build new shops there. He asked the York Council to fix the footpath level, which was too high. The council agreed to lower the footpath.

Windsor's wife, Adeline Hannah Windsor, bought the property in January 1908. She was from a family of engineers and owned other buildings in the area.

Architect Ernest Edward Giles designed the new shops. In August 1908, J W Rebonds was chosen to build them. The construction started quickly, and the plans were approved by the council. By November 1908, the new "Windsor’s Buildings" were ready, and businesses started moving in.

Who Used to Be Here?

Many different businesses and people used the building before it became a museum:

• J J Lawler, a land agent
• Thorn & Stewart, who sold machinery
• JA Trask, a lawyer
• The York Roads Board (a local government group)
• Alfred G Mattiske, a fabric seller
• Mrs Mary Ellen Lansell, who sold women's clothing
• Lawyers M L (Toby) Evans and Roly Iddison
• E T Hick and G E L Wrench, who ran a general store
• Eastern Districts Trading Co, a Ford car dealership, which also put a petrol pump outside in 1936.

Who Owns It Now?

The property stayed with the Windsor family until the 1960s. It was then divided and sold to different owners.

In 1979, Peter Briggs' companies bought the property. They fixed it up to create the motor museum for his car collection. The main entrance doors of the museum actually came from another old building in Perth!

Today, the museum is owned by the Avon Valley Motor Museum Association (Inc). This is a non-profit group formed by car fans in York. They bought the museum property in 2017 to keep it as a community treasure.

Building Style and Recognition

What Does the Building Look Like?

The museum building is built in a style called Federation Free Classical. This means it uses classic design elements in a fun and creative way. You can see fancy features like a decorative top part with balustrades (small pillars), round ornaments, and different shaped arches above the windows and doors.

How Is the Building Protected?

The York Motor Museum building is recognized as an important historical place. It is:

• Classified by the National Trust of Australia (since 1985).
• Permanently listed on the Register of the National Estate (since 1978).
• On the Shire (local council) register (since 1995).

This means the building is protected because of its historical and architectural importance.