Old Holden Ambulances - Holden Panel Van and Standard Ambulances (up to 1974 HJ Holden Ambulance onwards)

 

Holdens have always been very popular vehicles for ambulance use in South Australia, perhaps because that is where Holden started, and the Holden family lived.

 

James Alexander Holden established a saddlery and leather goods business in King William Street, Adelaide, in 1856, four years after migrating from England.  Henry Frost became junior partner in 1885 and business changed name to Holden & Frost.  Henry Holden became the senior partner in 1887 after the death of his father.

Holden produced its first car body in 1914 after diversifying their product range.  They commenced large-scale production in 1917 to satisfy increased wartime demand.  Holden's Motor Body Builders started operation in 1918 and Holden's plant at Woodville opened in 1924, producing more than 22,000 bodies in its first year of operation.  Holden’s at Woodville soon became the exclusive Australian source of bodies for General Motors Corporation.

In 1926, General Motors Australia started and merged five years later with Holden’s Motor Body Builders to form General Motors-Holden's.  While the idea of an all-Australian car was first dreamed off in the late 1930s, the essential demands of the Second World War intervened. Eventually this ambition was realized in November 1948, when the 48-215 or FX commenced production.1

 

Most of the Holden ambulances used in South Australia have been station wagons or panel-vans that are specially converted for ambulance applications. 

 

1948 48-215 or FX Holden – No Station Wagons and no Panel Vans were produced

1953 FJ Holden – Panel Vans were produced (however there was only one station wagon made according to The FJ Holden–A Favourite Australian Car written by Don Loffler) – SA Ambulance Panel Van pictures wanted if available.

1956 FE Holden – Panel Vans and Station Wagons were produced – SA Ambulance Pictures Wanted

 

1958 FC Holden Ambulance Pictures

 

 

Car 14 an FC Holden Station Wagon of the St.John Ambulance – Transport Division with a domed beacon and very pronounced roof mounted siren, and what appears to be a driver’s door wind deflector (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

 

Car 6 an FC Holden ambulance of the St.John Ambulance Transport Division (registration number 14-943) – note the different siren to the one above (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

 

An old FC Holden ambulance, which appears to be parked at the Hindmarsh Depot, with the attendant entry door open, showing the right hand side ‘jump-seat’ (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

 

An old FC Holden ambulance showing the stretcher and the dashboard detail, with the right hand side ‘jump-seat’ back folded down (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

1960 FB Holden Ambulance Pictures

 

 

Holden FB Ambulance Car 30 (registration number 19-066), this vehicle has a chrome siren unit and dome rotating beacon with a repeater above the number plate.  This B&W photo was taken in the same place as the EK Below.  Note the different body style of what appears to be a window van rather than the station wagon in the EK photos (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

1961 EK Holden Ambulance Pictures

 

 

An EK Holden of the St.John Ambulance Transport Brigade Car 7 (registration 3321), which appears to be very similar to a stock bodied Special Station Wagon.  The vehicle has a domed red beacon and repeater lamp in front of the radiator grille, and a lovely chromed siren.  This photo appears to be taken near the River Torrens with the Adelaide Railway Station in the background (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin). 

 

 

A Holden EK folding attendant’s seat in the background, note the period microphone and radio transceiver (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

 

Holden EK ambulance on a case (registration number 12-745) (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

1962 EJ Holden – SA Ambulance Pictures Wanted

 

1963 EH Holden Ambulance Pictures (More Wanted)

 

 

Holden EH Panel Van, Car 12 (Registration 17-412) (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

 

The Whyalla St.John Ambulance Fleet of three Holden EH Panel Vans and one Volkswagen Kombi Van.  The crew members are Don Jacquier, Bruce Battersby and D. Thomas (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

1965 HD Holden Ambulance Pictures

 

 

HD wagon ambulance Car 74 from the Port Augusta Ambulance Service (Affiliated with the St.John Council for S.A.) showing one of he very useful mesh sun-visors of the era, domed beacon and roof-mounted siren (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

 

HD wagon ambulance interior, showing what is probably an oxygen cylinder behind the left hand rear door that provides access to the ‘jump-seat’ (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

 

HD ambulance reproduced from a newspaper photo (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

 

HD Ambulance (as corrected by Kyle Edwards and Andrew M) with the caption “For Single Long Distance Carry” (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

Andrew M who used to work at Hindmarsh in the 1970 says that “The photo captioned 'single long distance carry' is a HD model not a HR. It would be yellow as well. Most of the vans were very pale yellow until about the HK’s, although I did see some early HK's in yellow as well.”

 

1966 HR Holden Ambulance Pictures

 

 

Fleet of HR Standard Ambulance Car 105 (Registration Number 177-111) from the Burra & District Ambulance (Affiliated with the St.John Council for S.A.) again with sun-visor, domed beacon and roof-mounted siren (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

 

 

HR ambulance Car 121 (Registration Number RSC-272) (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

 

HR ambulance Car 121, a better quality picture from a slightly different angle taken at the same time (Registration Number RSC-272) (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

Andrew M commented on this picture, saying Here it [car 121] is out the back of the Modbury centre on North East road... You can see the TTG civic park oval in the back ground. There is Bob DOWNS in the passenger's seat smiling…  This car was not permanent at Modbury. It was picked up from Hindmarsh every Friday afternoon and brought out for the weekend by the volunteers. There was no permanent car until late 69 at Modbury. Can you believe this?”

 

 

 

HR ambulance Car 121 (Registration Number RSC-272), showing the ambulance officers preparing to lift the stretcher with the patient on it.  Even in the 1960s an ergonomic lifting technique was employed where the back was straight and the legs muscles were used to perform the lift (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

 

HR ambulance Car 121 (Registration Number RSC-272), showing the ambulance officers preparing to load the stretcher into the back of the ambulance (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

Andrew M goes on to say At the head end of the stretcher in the next photo is John ODGERS, he was our First Aid and ATN (Ambulance Training and Nursing) trainer for us and did the public first aid courses as well. He was a great person and had time for everyone. He was also a full time paid staff. He worked full time clinics driver out of Modbury through the 70's and mid 80's… He bought that car 121 and used it a daily driver.   You can also see Bob Downs at the foot of the stretcher. The two demonstrating the CPR I'm not sure [of]… This would have to be in 1969.”

 

1968 HK Holden Ambulance Pictures

 

 

 

A picture of a HK Belmont ambulance Car 101 from Gawler St.John Division.  This vehicle has a lovely chrome siren unit on the roof (Rego RNG-600) (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

 

HK Belmont Ambulance from Gladstone, Car 129 (Registration Number RKM-523) (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

Andrew M points out “Those other photos of country cars were marked as you can see in gold decals letters signifying their place of origin/ country town. It was a practice that ceased around 1976. It was a controversial decision removing these recognition decals I tell you.”

 

 

 

A Holden HK Standard Ambulance, Car 128, photo taken around 1969 (registration Number RSL-800) (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

 

A HK Belmont ambulance attendant seat and stretcher shown with the left-hand access door open (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

1969 HT and 1970 HG Holden Ambulance Pictures

 

 

Hindmarsh Depot, showing the St.John Ambulance fleet of HT and HG Belmont panel van ambulances (thanks for the correction Andrew M) parked inside the main building at Hindmarsh Centre.  These vehicles have a left hand door that provides access to the attendant’s seat (St.John Museum photo copied by Kevin).

 

Andrew M commented “They are not Premiers they are all Belmont's. I can see only one HT there, no HK's. Car 96 went to Prospect, it’s a 1970 HG tri-matic, and it has the Belmont badge on the front fender behind the wheel arch.

The next car is a 1969 HT. They had the 186 badge with Belmont badge together on the front fender in front of the wheel arch. These were two speed autos. All have the Grifco chrome siren, bloody fantastic things… All have the Bosch large single revolver on the roof. The rest look like HG's

You see the transit van in there. It's the store van and was still there when I started. I drove this. I would say this photo was taken around 71 -72. All of these vans have the large AM antenna's so they have the old Vinten AM two ways sets. There is a box shaped room in the background up on the wall. Well, that was the old radio room which looked down on the depot. “

 

1971 HQ Holden – Pictures Wanted

 

1974 HJ Holden Ambulance Pictures

 

1. SA Government Memory Website (http://www.samemory.sa.gov.au)

 

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Updated 19 Jul 2009