Online Catalogue last updated 17th of September 2023
In the year 1859, before the Suez Canal had even been started, into Western Australia waters sailed a tiny 174-ton brigantine carrying among other equipment an eight-ton, self-propelled steam traction engine, a wonder of its time.
It was the first self-powered road vehicle to operate outside Europe, even before the United States.
The engines's intended use was to haul export ore in the lead mining operations at Port Gregory, about 500 km north of the WA state capital, Perth.
This event took place 26 years before the internal combustion engine first appeared in Germany.
The machine first came to light during research by motoring journalist, John Clydesdale, in 1982.
In the years since, Clydesdale, supported by Volvo Truck Australia Pty Ltd and Max Winkles, of Western Australia, uncovered the story of its remarkable pioneering role, what happened to it and the people involved and found four major parts of the machine - today the oldest existing relics of Britain's earliest days of road power. He even uncovered the first stone-built road in Western Australia.
Code No. 009844, ISBN 0958054703