Miles Through Time Exhibits
1911 Brush
Past Exhibit - You Missed It!
Make/Model: Brush
Year: 1911
Owner: James Carder
Original price: $485
About the 1911 Brush
In 1912, a Brush Runabout was driven by Syd Ferguson and navigated by Australian adventurer Francis Birtles to complete
the first east-to-west crossing of the Australian continent from Freemantle to Sydney.
Prior to this, long-distance travel in Australia had been limited mainly to the Eastern States, with the cross continent journey
(on mainly camel tracks) considered far too arduous. However, the Sydney agents for the American Brush car decided to attempt
the first overland crossing as a means of proving the car’s stamina.
The Brush’s light weight made it ideal for negotiating desert conditions and despite the challenging weather and landscape, and the need to make a replacement for the big-end bearing and one of the timber chassis rails, the travelers averaged 150 kilometers a day.
After 28 days, their arrival in Sydney on April 15, 1912 was reported by the Sydney Morning Herald: ”It was a quaint sight as the little runabout motor-car began to climb Taverner’s Hill – the Brush carried well-known overlander Francis Birtles and the driver Sydney Ferguson – between the two weatherbeaten occupants was a terrier dog, Rex.
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