Australia’s finest horse-drawn vehicle collection

PETER FOSTER OAM

Vehicles collected by three South Australian visionaries are the nucleus of the National Trust’s State Horse-Drawn Vehicle Collection, now regarded as Australia’s finest.

Seven years after the formation of the National Trust of South Australia in 1955, two Adelaide members, Tom Downer and Clive Corbin, started to seek suitable vehicles for a collection they had in mind.

Clive and his wife, Jo, were avid collectors of fine silver, which they obtained through auction houses both in Australia and overseas. This interest in antiques drew Clive into becoming an active member of the Trust. Collecting and conserving occupied him from an early age, amassing postage stamps and cigarette cards, which he carefully mounted and precisely documented.

From silver and small two-dimensional objects, Clive's collecting instinct led him to horse-drawn vehicles. He enjoyed the process of discovery, restoration and maintenance of an expanding collection. His pleasure came from showing it off and discussing it with interested members of the public.

Tom Downer was the horseman of the two, well suited to 'horsey’ conversation. ‘Clive Corbin and Tom Downer had an interesting relationship with one another,’ explained Clive’s stepson, Rory. ‘Tom knew a great deal about horses and their use in transport (Clive knew very little on these topics) but was less interested in the paperwork that was inevitability necessary as the collection grew. The two of them made a good team, complementing one another's skills and interest.’

While Clive was chairman of the Trust in 1962, a horse-drawn vehicle committee was formed. Its aim was to collect a broad range of horse-drawn vehicles and associated items.

Tom had an ongoing involvement with a number of clubs, being a playing member of the Adelaide Polo Club, life member of the Onkaparinga Racing Club, and past master and president of the Adelaide Hunt Club. He went on to serve as chairman of the Trust’s horsedrawn vehicle committee from 1968 to 1980.

Tom chose to launch the collection in the style of the true horseman, at an event combining the official opening of the Adelaide Hunt Club season. Applying great skill, he drove his recently acquired 12-seater drag, pulled by a five-horse team which he handled with swagger. For both Tom and Clive, much keen bargaining and astute collecting was to follow.

Equally determined, Dr David Harris OAM was a driving force behind the establishment of National Trust museums and branches in both Robe and Millicent. The Millicent branch was founded in 1960. Like most country branches, its major thrust was to preserve the history of the town and its rural environs.

The museum was established to tell the story of the town based on six themes — Aboriginal culture, agriculture, way of life, drainage, the timber industry and early transport. Although the edges of these themes blurred over time, they allowed David and his team to collect broadly.

It mattered little if an object was large or small, David's unbounded enthusiasm saw it secured. Three of the largest items he acquired were a steam traction engine, threshing machine and steam locomotive.

After David’s death, local politician Dale Baker recalled: ‘He was forever seeking the unusual, a governess cart or a hearse. His wish was that, on his passing, he would like one of the collection’s hearses as his conveyance, unfortunately circumstances prevented it.’

Working together, Clive, Tom and David were determined to save the final vestiges of the previously allencompassing transport system — the horse-drawn vehicle. The collection they established became a reminder that the horse-drawn vehicle, and its power source, the horse, played a major role in Australia's development in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Each vehicle was acquired with the definite purpose of forming a comprehensive collection, showing a variety of vehicle types, styles and uses. In addition, they collected associated harness, lamps, and tools of the essential trades of harness-maker, wheelwright, coachbuilder and coach painter.

I am often asked, as I go about identifying, restoring and conserving horse-drawn vehicles and their associated tack, what area or areas of this mix are most important.

My response is swift — the identifying of those things which must be saved, thereby setting aside milestones of our history, which inform us of a particular time in our national progress. To the three men who shared this vision, we are deeply indebted.

The National Trust horsedrawn vehicle collection is on permanent display at the Millicent National Trust Museum.

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