Names
Ron Westwood collection
IDs
nma-collection-148
Descriptions
The Ron Westwood Collection comprises a 1923 5CV Citroen, a collection of lantern slides with a lantern slide projector and a collection of newspaper articles, letters, photographs and other paperwork. The car underwent some restoration in the 1970s and is in reasonable condition.
The journey was undertaken by Nevill Westwood, a Seventh day Adventist missionary, between August and December 1925. While each item, the car, lantern slides and ephemera resonate on their own, as a collection they represent an important moment in Australia's motoring and tourism heritage. The 1920s was a boom time in car ownership and the motor allowed people to travel further for work and leisure.
The Citroen was the first car to be driven around Australia. The Westwood trip is an important example of the way people utilised the car to explore the land and the intense interest there was in the capabilities of the car when pitted against the Australian landscape. The fact that Westwood undertook the trip as a missionary also provides an insight to the activities of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in the 1920s.
Copyright National Museum of Australia
Physical access to the collection by appointment only
http://www.nma.gov.au/collections/citroen/
Related Collections
Dates
2012-05-30 23:43
2011-06-27 10:42