State Library of South Australia

Interior of completed 3 bay extension, GM-H Birkenhead Plant. [BRG 213/77/51/12] • Photograph

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Summary

Black and white photographs of the GM-H Plants at Birkenhead and one image of the Beverley Plant. Includes photographs of the factory building at Birkenhead and extension work of the warehouse bay, the Plant's transformer station, the lacquer oven and heat exchanger room, and the production of boats during WWII. Also contains two photographs of the last car coming off the assembly line at Holden's Birkenhead Plant, a Pontiac.

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Physical description

Photograph (black and white print), 20.3 x 25.8 cm.

Dates / Publication details

28 September 1956

Creator

GM Holden Ltd

Collection

Part of Holden Collection

Subject

General Motors-Holden's Limited -- History
GMH Birkenhead (Factory : Birkenhead, S.A.)
GMH Beverley (Factory : Beverley, S.A.)
Automobile industry and trade -- South Australia -- Birkenhead -- History
Automobile factories -- South Australia -- Birkenhead
Industrial sites -- South Australia -- Birkenhead
World War, 1939-1945 -- South Australia -- Equipment and supplies

Catalogue record

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Historical information

Vehicles were first assembled at Birkenhead in 1926, and defence equipment was also produced during WWII, including boats which were tested on the nearby Port River. A number of export models also left Birkenhead for various overseas destinations. Holdens, Chevrolets, Pontiacs, Vauxhalls, and Bedford trucks were being produced in quantity until early 1965 when the new vehicle assembly plant opened in the Elizabeth plant. Holden passenger vehicles started to roll off the assembly lines at Elizabeth in January while all C.K.D. units were still being produced at Birkenhead. Finally on Friday, August 13, at 4.03 p.m., the GM-H Birkenhead plant came to a standstill after the last Birkenhead assembled vehicle, a Pontiac, rolled off the assembly line. The Birkenhead Plant was later used as a centre for export boxing. [Holden's 'People' magazine, Nov. 1965].

Digitisation information

Date

12/07/2016

Format

image/tiff

Resolution

7,852 x 6,008 pixels (47.2 MP)

Size

141.55 MB

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