The National Motorcycle Museum was initially
located in Mitchell, a suburb of Canberra, Australia in 1990. It was started
by Brian and Margaret Kelleher, who at this time had been in the motorcycle
retail industry for 18 years. Brian had been collecting motorcycles before
starting the motorcycle business and they continued storing motorcycles
and memorabilia with the dream of one day opening a musem. Motorcycles
formed a very important part of Australia's transport history, as they
provided a cheap method of motor transport. Many of Australia's 60 plus
age group's first motor vehicle was a motorcycle.
When the Kellehers read in a Bureau of Statistics report in 1988 that
many of our old motorcycles were leaving the country for the USA, Japan
and England, they believed unless something was done now, then more of
Australia's motoring heritage would be lost. This was the trigger to start
the museum for their collection and to offer a home to some of the motorcycles
sitting in peoples' sheds.
After much searching for some type of government assistance, with nothing
forthcoming, they decided to go it alone and set up the National Motorcycle
Museum of Australia.
After operating in Canberra for approximately ten years the Kellehers
sold the motorcycle business and moved to the Mid North Coast of NSW where
they built a purpose built complex that houses over 700 motorcycles and
an enormous array of motorcyle memorabilia, toys and an extensive motorcycle
orientated gift shop.
The new location of the museum is the small village of Nabiac, which
is 28 kilometres south of Taree and 140 kilometres north of Newcastle on
the Pacific Highway, on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia.
Many of the motorcycles are on loan to the museum for display, but the
majority are owned by the Kelleher family.
People interested in loaning machines and or any memorabilia should
contact the museum either by email or by phoning 02 6554 1333.
Some of the favourite machines on display are the Kenilworth scooter
(1919), the twin cylinder water-cooled 2 stroke Scott, and the Vincent Black
Knight. There is an excellent range from the early nineteen hundreds, and
a lot of very interesting later machines. Allow an hour or two to have
a good look around and read some of the interesting history presented.
Books, toys, models, badges, patches and memorabilia are available for
sale at the museum.
