The motor museum of popular culture: Presenting the national story of 'Australia's own car'

This working paper examines the ways in which the history of the Holden car in Australia is presented to visitors of the National Holden Motor Museum (MHMM) in the regional town of Echuca in Victoria, Australia. While there are a number of motor museums that display vintage cars, this museum was selected for analysis because the Holden has historically been the most popular car preference for Australians. Like the idea of owning your own home, purchasing your first Holden was once considered something of a rite of passage and an integral part of the 'great Australian dream'. The paper explores the NHMM through the theoretical lenses of official, popular and commercial nationalism and within the broader context of Australian popular culture. The paper also addresses a key sub theme of this conference: 'aviation, cruise and other transport management'.