The remarkable story of General Motors Holden

Discover the fascinating history of General Motors Holden, from its humble beginnings as a leather supply store to its key role in World War II. Founded in King William Street in the 1850s, Holden started as a saddlery before transitioning into the automotive industry. 

As the Great Depression hit, it became a subsidiary of the United States corporation, General Motors; and under its new transnational management it became one of the dynamic engines driving the war economy in 1940-45, a mobilisation that some think to have been Australia’s most important contribution to victory against Japan. Holden was thus well positioned to win the right to make the all-Australian car after the war.        

About the presenter

Joan Beaumont graduated in 1969 from Adelaide University with a History Honours degree. She is currently a professor emeritus at the Australian National University. She has published extensively on the Australian experience of war, including the award-winning Broken Nation: Australians in the Great War. Her definitive study of Australia in the Great Depression was published in 2022. 

Image: Holden & Frost premises on Grenfell Street, Adelaide PRG 631/2/1452