This series consists of records accumulated by COMCAR and from a number of the predecessor agencies. The Museum was established in 1988 at the Batman Street, West Melbourne Depot, by staff members Grahame B McLennan and Brian Jones of the Transport and Storage Group, Victorian Branch (CA 6719). The series contains a diversity of records which pre date the establishment of the Museum itself including photographs, films, tour itinerary booklets for Royal Tours and visits by other dignitaries, Rolls Royce vehicle guarantee documents and some original papers documenting agency activities. The captioning and titling of some photographs may not be completely reliable.

Records have been arranged into separate consignments according to their format or origin.

Consignment 1: Paper records

Containing itineraries, daily briefings, transport arrangements and program handbooks for individual visits to Australian States and Territories by overseas dignitaries and prominent persons. These booklets arranged chronologically by visit provide details such as time, proposed route, seating arrangements, number of cars and speed of travel for each journey to be taken. There are a number of documents relating to agency activity including, driver movement orders, memoranda and instructions for transport and guarantee certificates for Rolls Royce vehicles. Single numbers prefixed by the consignment number have been imposed by the National Archives of Australia [1/1] - [1/87].

Consignment 2: Photographs

Some photographs in this consignment are grouped by the name of the person or event they depict. Others are loose or of unidentified persons or events. The photographs have been collected from a variety of sources including the press, Australian Information Service (AIS), RAAF, National Motor Museum and Central Drawing Office. Some appear to be unofficial photographs taken by COMCAR employees. The photographs of various sizes are mainly black and white with some in colour. Single numbers prefixed by the consignment number have been imposed by the National Archives of Australia [2/1] - [2/56].

Consignment 3: Photographs, enlarged and mounted

Contains selected individual photograph enlargements mounted on foam or hardboard suitable for display purposes. Photographs are titled and cover a variety of subjects represented in the collection including visits, cars and drivers. Single numbers prefixed by the consignment number have been imposed by the National Archives of Australia [3/1] - [3/16].

Consignment 4: Munitions stores

This consignment of photographs relates to the Defence Industries and Goods and Services functions of a previous agency, the Munitions Stores Branch, Victoria / from 1948 Stores and Transport Branch (CA 3810). These photographs show facilities, plant and equipment used in the storage, handling, manufacture and transportation of raw materials, firearms, explosives, flammable liquids, textiles and foodstuffs. Locations of storage areas shown include the Derrimut Magazine, Footscray Stores Depot, Deer Park Drum Stock Area and general storage areas at Brooklyn and Maribyrnong. Single numbers prefixed by the consignment number have been imposed by the National Archives of Australia [4/1] - [4/15].

Consignment 5: Film

There are four 16mm films in this consignment from the Melbourne Office of COMCAR. These include 'Stores and Transport' 1942 and an Occupational Health and Safety film. Single numbers prefixed by the consignment number have been imposed by the National Archives of Australia [5/1] - [5/4].

The Australian War Memorial (AWM) holds two films that came from the Melbourne Office of COMCAR. These are: 'Armaments and munitions parade' and 'Defence Production Stores Maribyrnong. The AWM also holds 35mm and 16mm copies of the film 'Stores and Transport'.

The collection originally contained uniforms and other memorabilia. Parts of the collection may have been given to the Transport Workers Union and the Museum of Victoria. The Museum of Victoria holds some buttons and insignia but the whereabouts of uniforms and possibly other items from the collection remains unknown.

SOURCES

'DAS News', Newsletter of the Department of Administrative Services, circa 1995.