What happened to the Brisbane Holden plant?

[DJ Majah]

I know there used to be a Holden plant over Acacia Ridge/Sunnybank way. I've been to where I think the site used to be, theres a bunch of roads backing a huge paddock, and all the roads are named after Holdens. Commodore Dr, etc.

The plant closed in 1984 I believe and there used to be one in every capital city.

So I was just wondering if anyone had any specific info on the Brisbane plant, it's good history that is rarely mentioned now.

Nial

 

[Smitty]

I know there used to be a Holden plant over Acacia Ridge/Sunnybank way. I've been to where I think the site used to be, theres a bunch of roads backing a huge paddock, and all the roads are named after Holdens. Commodore Dr, etc.
The plant closed in 1984 I believe and there used to be one in every capital city. So I was just wondering if anyone had any specific info on the Brisbane plant, it's good history that is rarely mentioned now.
Nial

interesting....
I was one of the team at GMH (as it was) that recommended that first
Pagewood be shut ..
and then Acacia Ridge.
Just doing the job, to try and keep GMH afloat...they lost $3/4 BILLION in 3 years in the mid 80's, so we had to do something...otherwise there would be no Holden..no HSV as we know it today.
Thinking......
somewhere, someplace I have a Plant visitors guide to Acacia Ridge
at home...along with all my ol' GMH stuff...build lists etc
will try and find it and post it on the site

the other GMH sites that got shut were ...
Perth (Perth???? yep...built CKD trucks there)
Birkenhead in SA (look that up..thats for the GMH history fans)
Disco in Melbourne (Disco..was AC predecessor and was where the training building in Williamstown rd now is in Melbourne)
Pagewood...gone
and eventually Dandenong....
Woodville too..only Elizabeth left......


hth
cheers

 

[VL Executive]

As far as I know they used to make Gemini's at the Acacia ridge plant. I dont think any Commodores where manufactured there tho.

As for the Dandanong plant It think it stayed open till 1988 as the last Commodores built there where the VL's.

 

[Smitty]

well...found it.....
sifting thru 25 years of stuff....but I got it...see post
the plant was in Beaudesert rd Acacia Ridge....

 

[DJ Majah]

Thats awesome info VXIISSM6er, thanks a heap!

I've just had a look around the net and I cant find any details of the estate, it's like it doesnt exist, but Ive been there, so on my way home one day soon I might take some photos.

I heard they also made Sandmans there and one of the streets is Kingswood...so draw a conclusion.

Why didn't they teach me this is modern history at school?!

 

[Gobbles]

Because apparently world history is more important

 

[mixin]

As far as I know they used to make Gemini's at the Acacia ridge plant. I dont think any Commodores where manufactured there tho.

As for the Dandanong plant It think it stayed open till 1988 as the last Commodores built there where the VL's.

Commodores were made at Acacia Ridge up until the end of the VH. I seem to recall Commodorenut's project is a Brisbane assembled VH SL/E from late '83.

WB Commercials also came out of there.

The body tag of those cars has a H for the plant code where an Adelaide car has an L & a Melborne car has a J.

The Body number on the build plate & also the VIN/chassis number both end in B (for Brisbane).

Yes, VLs were the last vehicles to be manufactured at Dandenong. I was there in June '88 as it was being ripped apart.

 

[Bek31]

thats so interesting. i never knew that there was a holden plant, although i would be too young to remember one anyways. they shoulda taught us about it at school and so many people would have actually listened! hehe. i did a search on the net, but there is nothing i could find about it thanks for the info guys! too bad they closed it

 

[Astranomical]

Commodores were made at Acacia Ridge up until the end of the VH. I seem to recall Commodorenut's project is a Brisbane assembled VH SL/E from late '83.

WB Commercials also came out of there.

The body tag of those cars has a H for the plant code where an Adelaide car has an L & a Melborne car has a J.

The Body number on the build plate & also the VIN/chassis number both end in B (for Brisbane).

Yes, VLs were the last vehicles to be manufactured at Dandenong. I was there in June '88 as it was being ripped apart.

Interesting. I'll have to check our 1982 WB 'tunner to see where it was made.

 

[Wombat]

I remember the news items on TV from the day they shut the plant where they made Geminis down there. I recall it vividly because the cameras were right outside the gate and there was an endless stream of Geminis of all descriptions coming out with workers on thier last day...there were panel vans, coupes, four doors, wagons, whatever, all in various states of tune...standard, mags, nice paint, etc.
Must have got a discount or something.

A friend went to Germany a few years back and was staying with his uncle in the city where Mercedes Benz's are made (Stuttgart? God, the memory doesn't get any better does it... :b: ), and he was amazed that everything from taxis to family cars were all Benz's. Over there they are just another car, nothing out of the ordinary until you start getting up to the real expensive ones.
He also went on a plant tour, and found the workers car lot FULL of Benz's as well. They said workers got a massive discount, something like 50%, but had to sign a contract saying they would keep the car for at least 2 years, so they couldn't turn a business on the side by constantly buying them with thier "staff discounts" and then selling them to the public.