Subject: Australia's first VW Dealer Heritage Museum
Dyno
Officially Full-On Dubber
Posts: 279
Threads: 49
Registered: May 8th, 2005
Member Is Offline
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
posted on January 11th, 2009 at 03:07 AM
Australia's first VW Dealer Heritage Museum
"The north-west side façade also has a mix of materials. This façade is mostly
constructed of horizontal corrugated iron, which contains two doors and two
windows, with a section of yellow face brickwork at the toilets, and the rendered
blockwork wall of the showroom at the north end. The showroom wall is
parapetted lower than the front pediment, with a series of high level brick vents
and three irregularly spaced narrow casement windows set deep into the wall.
At the Richardson Street façade, the front façade of the showroom has a
symmetrical stepped pediment with a concrete block cornice, supported on two
narrow block piers at each corner. The title ‘WAKES GARAGE’ has been painted
onto the pediment in purple paint. Beneath the pediment, a horizontal panel
painted purple has ‘VOLKSWAGON AUDI’ painted in white. A horizontal metal track
below this panel supports two large metal doors located in the centre of the
façade. Rendered panels of blockwork flank the doors.
The apron of the garage is adjacent to the showroom, on the front east corner
and is approximately 12 metres wide and 11 metres deep. A pale blue and white
VW sign mounted on a steel pole is extant on the north-east corner of the Lot. At
Register of Heritage Places - Interim Entry Wake’s Garage (fmr) and Wakes’ Residence
22 May 2007 14
the rear of the apron is the frontage of workshop, which has three pairs of link
mesh gates supported on two round steel columns with a fibre cement parapet
over with the words Wakes, Leyland Tractors Trucks in fading letters."
As quoted by Heritage WA.
Was there in 2000 and the place was an absolute buzz. They never threw anything out. Amazing VW content including the 8 foot stack of old VW heads in
the old stable,Parts lists, signage(less 1 tin sign, nos parts and literature!! ). For you guys who have not seen a truly magnificent VW workshop preserved, plan your holidays and go
for a drive!!! We were not allowed to buy anything else(failing buying the whole joint!!) as John Wake was preparing to sell the property to the shire
council.
Pic below...
Phil74Camper
Son of Jim - Creator of Good
Head in the Clouds
Posts: 2703
Threads: 193
Registered: August 28th, 2002
Member Is Offline
Location: Sydney
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
posted on January 13th, 2009 at 06:45 PM
That is just mind blowing, and just the sort of thing I was trying to find with old (forgotten?) VW dealers.
This one is Wakes Garage, on Richardson St Katanning, WA, which is about two thirds the way to Albany from Perth. It was a VW dealer from 1956 to at
least 1982 - I don't have any Australian VW dealer lists between 1983 and 1990, so I can't tell you when it closed, but it was in that period. So
this one survived the entire Australian air-cooled period - awesome.
It's also easy to find in Google Earth (Street View), but it looks like it's been repainted and tarted up a bit since the above photo was taken. And
they've thrown the Subaru sign away. Good move!
Error
Sorry, you must be a registered user in order to download attachments.
Dyno
Officially Full-On Dubber
Posts: 279
Threads: 49
Registered: May 8th, 2005
Member Is Offline
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
posted on January 14th, 2009 at 10:20 PM
Council owns it now for historical mechanical significance. Old John Wake had 10, 25 and 30 year commemoration plaques for the dealership with VW is
his office and had lost the franchise in the late 80's. He had the large rectangular 80's vw/audi signs in the show room as he had never put them
up. The council will now open it up for a tour by appointment only now as it no longer is open as a workshop.
Jay_1965vw
A.k.a.: Jay
Custom Title Time!
Chatting Babe
Posts: 1429
Threads: 102
Registered: August 26th, 2002
Member Is Offline
Location: Canberra
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
Mood: Blissed out on parenthood... and tired...
posted on January 16th, 2009 at 06:52 AM
A shame Heritage WA can't spell Volkswagen though....
Part of Melbourne's Unreal Aircooled VW Community
Dyno
Officially Full-On Dubber
Posts: 279
Threads: 49
Registered: May 8th, 2005
Member Is Offline
). For you guys who have not seen a truly magnificent VW workshop preserved, plan your holidays and go
for a drive!!! We were not allowed to buy anything else(failing buying the whole joint!!) as John Wake was preparing to sell the property to the shire
council. 
