Historians at the University of Adelaide and Monash University are searching for former Holden employees to interview about their working experiences for an oral history project to be housed at the National Library of Australia.
Holden ceased manufacturing vehicles in Australia at the end of 2017, ending more than a century of automotive manufacture in this country.
The research team will delve into the memories of those who worked at Holden between 1945 and 2017, in an attempt to unearth the remarkable history of this company and its workers who, for many decades, were so successful in manufacturing vehicles.
“The role that workers, and the working-class communities in which they lived, played in Holden’s business warrants thorough investigation, as does the effectiveness of the company’s attempts to help its workforce transition to new jobs,” associate professor Paul Sendziuk from the University of Adelaide’s School of Humanities said.
“Whereas most histories of Holden – and histories of automotive manufacturing in general – focus on the mercurial careers of senior executives and the cars, this project puts manufacturing workers and places at the centre of the story.”
Anyone who worked at any of Holden’s Melbourne-based factories, including Dandenong, is eligible to be interviewed as part of the project.
Those with stories to share are urged to contact the researchers via the project website: www.ua.edu.au/holdenhistory, email holdenproject@adelaide.edu.au or telephone on 08 8313 6352.
The project is supported by Australia Research Council, GM Holden, the National Library of Australia, and the National Motor Museum.
