The SA Historic Plate Register Project- Part II: the Two Digit SA Plates: SA "10" - "30"
The South Australian Historic Plate Register Project- the history of each individual plate
The SA Historic Plate Register Project
Here historicplates.com.au is proud to begin the project of researching, documenting and publishing the history of each individual SA historic plate. Over the years I have unearthed a virtual treasure trove of research materials, photos and historic documents and we will over time publish this information here.
SA "10"
First Registered Owner: E. S. Rymill, East Terrace
Today: location unknown (although we've got a pretty good idea of it's status and location....) historicplates.com.au would like to have a confidential chat with the registered owner of SA10. Further confidential information is sought.
We understand this plate is currently not registered on any vehicle.
SA "11"
First Registered Owner: A.G. Rymill, North Terrace Adelaide
An inner city park takes it's name from Rymill, a leading commercial figure in the early days of SA.
Today: registered on a classic era car in long term ownership. NOTE: further information is known but is not published to guard the owner’s privacy.
SA "12"
First Registered Owner: A. McFarlane, Wellington East
Today: We understand this plate is currently not registered on any vehicle in SA.
SA "13"
First Registered Owner: Dr A.A. Lendon, North Terrace, Adelaide.
Dr Lendon was registered with consecutive plates, 13 and 14, and would appear to have been the first South Australian to have two vehicles registered in the one name.
Today: we understand Proprietary Rights to historic plate 13 were sold subsequent to the great plate auction, to descendants of the original owner.
SA "14"
First Registered Owner: Dr A.A. Lendon, North Terrace, Adelaide
Today: Historic plate 14 was included in the 1985 “The Great Plate Auction” plate , and was sold then for $4500– this plate is today in private ownership by clients known to us at historicplates.com.au.
SA "15"
First Registered Owner: F.J. Harris, Gawler.
Historic plate 15 is listed in our rare old records as being registered to a “23.6h.p.” Mercedes-Benz on 13.4.64, owned by Dr. Kenneth S. Hetzel, of Brougham Place, North Adelaide.
Today: SA 15, the seventh lowest historic plate ever sold with rights, was offered by the SA via Gov't public tender 1991. We have some further information in our Tenders and Auctions section, click here:
http://www.historicplates.com.au/sa-historic-plate-tenders-and-auctions-1991-2010
This brilliant plate was purchased by a client of historicplates.com.au. Today registered to a flagship Mercedes-Benz coupe. NOTE: further information is known but is not published to guard the owner’s privacy.
SA "16"
First Registered Owner: F.J. Florey, Malvern
My correspondence with an early owner of SA"16" reveals that the plate was first registered to F.J. Florey of Malvern. Dorothy Hadfield Grundy then acquired the plate and held it until 1971, upon which point it was acquired by Herbert R. Holder. Mr Holder held the plate until 1994 when www.historicplates.com.au acquired the plate for the current owner. Thus, the plate has been held by four owners from new.
Today: historic plate 16 has an interesting recent history. The plate was discovered by myself registered to a classic era Chrysler, and historicplates.com.au handled the purchase of the plate’s proprietary rights and the subsequent sale of the plate in the mid 1990s. At the time this was a record priced transaction. 
SA"16" is now in private ownership and has been seen registered on a Mazda and latterly a Commodore.
NOTE: further information is known but is not published to respect the owner’s privacy.
SA "17"
First Registered Owner: T.E. Barr Smith, Currie Street.
Tom Elder Barr Smith was a well known South Australian identity and resided at his Briksgate Estate, now the suburb of Urrbrae. The following picture shows the Barr Smith's 1910 Rolls Royce 40/50 that historic plate SA17 was registered to at the Barr Smith's summer house Wairoa at Aldgate. This car exists today with a "touring" body style.
Today: Historic plate 17 is held in long term ownership by a descendant of the original registered owner, the plate has been held by the same family since it was issued in 1906.
NOTE: further information is known but is not published to respect the owner’s privacy.
Sold by us at our live 2011 auction for a record price for a numberplate in SA, in December 2011 at The Great Plate Auction III.
SA"18"
First Registered Owner: A.A. Scarfe, Burnside.
The old records held by historicplates.com.au show that in 1963 18 was registered to a “28 h.p.” Jaguar, owned by Mrs Ethel F. Scarfe, of Point Sturt Station, Milang.
In the photo above you can see SA18 third from the left, the numerals being partly obscured by the crank handle of the car. Also pictured are historic plates SA108 and SA107. The photo was taken near the Old Toll House on the Mount Barker Road. If you look carefully you can recognise the bluestone building down the road that is still there near the entrance to the freeway today. The car with SA18 is a 12/16 Talbot, and the vehicles are gathered to scrutineer the start of an Adelaide to Victor Harbour "average speed judging contest" organised by the Automobile and Motor Cycle Club of South Australia (todays' RAA). The date is April 1907, so this would be the first vehicle to have worn plate SA18, as indeed would be the same for SA107 and SA108. My old records show the car on the right to have been registered in plate SA104, to a Mrs A.R. Duncan of Stirling West. Unfortunately the car doesn't appear to be clearly wearing it's plate.
In 1963, as can be seen from the rare old registration records held by www.historicplates.com.au, SA18 was still registered to the Scarfe family, care of Point Sturt Station at Milang. Being close the advent of the alpha-numeric plates this is the last record we have of SA18, thus the 28 h.p. Jaguar would have been the last vehicle the plate was registered to prior to the astute aquisition of the plate by a client of ours at 1985's The Great Plate Auction. Note the typing error in the name.
Today: A “The Great Plate Auction” plate, where it was sold for $3000. This plate is now in long term private ownership, by a client or ours who we know to have a magnificent set of historic plates. NOTE: further information is known but is not published to guard the owner’s privacy.
SA "19"
First Registered Owner: Dr W.C. Marsden, Willunga
Today: I believe per my old registration records I know where the plate was last registered, but it's current status is unknown, further confidential information is sought by historicplates.com.au
We understand this plate is currently not registered on any vehicle in SA.
SA "20"
First Registered Owner: Dr A.J. Miekle, Yankalilla
Today: Current status unknown, further confidential information is sought by historicplates.com.au
We understand this plate is currently not registered on any vehicle in SA.
SA "21"
First Registered Owner: Drs O.W. and A.A. Smith, Clare.
SA ‘21’. Originally
registered to Dr’s O.W. and A.A. Smith of Clare, this plate was one of the
first issued in SA and like many of the first plates was issued to a Doctor, or
in this case two Doctors, who were brothers.
Taking
delivery of your new car, 1906 style.
The
above image is of the Curved-Dash Oldsmobile 7, being delivered by the SA agent
Duncan & Fraser Ltd to the two Dr’s
Smith in October of 1906 at Clare. As
the Smith Oldsmobile in this image is in the process of being delivered, by Perce
Bell of Duncan & Fraser (in the Oldsmobile Light Tonneau, RH Side of
image), the curved-dash Olds is yet to sport it’s new number ‘21’. It is
interesting to consider that this October 1906 image was taken just one month
after registration plates were issued in SA and the good Doctors were first
issued with ‘21’ , on the 16th September 1906.
Sir
Lavington Bonython’s ownership of SA ’21’
As recollected by one
of our arch plate enthusiasts, later in the century the plate ‘21’ was
registered to Sir Lavington Bonython, Mayor of Adelaide, editor of The Advertiser and grandson of
long-time editor and proprietor of The
Advertiser, Sir John Langdon Bonython, who also was a member of
the first Australian parliament.
Sir
Lavington had SA ’21’ registered to his motor home in the grounds of Eurilla on
Mt. Lofty, on a series of black chauffer driven Ford Fairlane
limousines from the 1950’s, and upon his passing Sir Lavington’s wife Lady Jean
Bonython, the mother of Charles, Kathryn & Kym, in the late 1960s had it
registered to her white S Series Chrysler Valiant as driven by her chauffer. We
believe this to be the last car the plate was on before the advent of
alpha-numeric plates in 1966.
Today: sold originally by www.historicplates.com.au in the 1990’s and believed to have changed hands since. This plate was discovered registered on an old vehicle and www.historicplates.com.au handled the purchase of proprietary rights and the subsequent sale of this plate in the mid 1990s. At the time this was a record transaction. Now in private ownership. NOTE: further information is known but is not published to guard the owner’s privacy.
SA "22"
First Registered Owner: C.G. Pilkington, Marryatville
Today: held in private ownership. This plate was discovered by myself in 1992 in Victor Harbor registered on a vintage Caravan. Yes, a caravan. historicplates.com.au handled the purchase of proprietary rights and the subsequent sale of this plate in the mid 1990s. At the time this was a record transaction.
It is understood the plate has subsequently changed hands from this ownership. NOTE: further information is known but is not published to guard the owner’s privacy.
UPDATE: 26.11.12- information graciously provided by the family of the owner from 1952-1966. Many thanks for this fantastic information.
Our
‘22’ Plate
Our family first ‘owned’ the SA22 plate
when my father, Carl Ortlepp, purchased a Holden 48-215 (FX) sedan in 1952.
Prior to that Dad had been driving DKWs; initially the F5 Roadster and then in
the late 1940’s when he started a family, an F7 4-seater. He always lauded the virtues of the DKWs....their
handling, the 2 stroke engine, front wheel drive, and especially the care-free
style of driving that the roadster offered. They weren’t quick cars – with just
a 692cc engine, 20hp, and a top speed of about 60mph, the recounting of Dad’s so-called
‘speedy’ early days in the DKWs didn’t impress us kids much in the 60’s when
most modern cars were able to get close to the magic 100mph mark. But they were
pretty cars, fairly rare, and wouldn’t it be nice to have one sitting in our
garage now for those sunny spring and autumn days.
As the family grew a larger car was
needed. Like many Australians, my father was lured by the prospect of having
one of ‘Australia’s Own’ cars. In 1952 while visiting the Royal Adelaide
Exhibition in Centennial Hall at Wayville with his employer, a cream Holden
48-215 was noticed on a display stand. This car had been fitted with the SA22
plates and Dads employer was very keen to acquire the plates for his
vehicle. A deal was done whereby the car
would be provided to my Dad in lieu of some wages, something which I believe my
mother wasn’t very keen on, and perhaps rightly so with two small children and
another on the way. Dad’s boss then
tried to transfer the plate to his existing vehicle, however this was not
allowed by the Motor Vehicles Dept. and as the Holden had been registered in my
father’s name the plate had to stay with him and the FX.
A few years later my father updated the
family vehicle to an FE Holden wagon. Back then you were able to transfer the
plates to a new car so this was done. A
refrigeration engineer by trade, by this time Dad had now gone out on his own,
and needed the extra space of the wagon for his tools, and to carry the
occasional refrigerator. Dad had several country clients and we would often do
country work on the weekends and take the family for a drive. The first FE,
however, was a bit of a lemon, with several issues, including dodgy tailgate
seals that let plenty of choking country dust in when we took the obligatory
short cuts on unmade roads. With young children on board Dad was very unhappy
with this, and after about six months complained to Freeman Motors where he had
bought the car. They agreed that the vehicle wasn’t up to scratch and were able
to get it replaced with another FE wagon which proved to be far better. The
‘22’ plate was transferred on to each of the FE’s.
In 1961 Dad bought a ‘double blue’ FB
Holden wagon. The ‘22’ plate was again transferred to the new FB. We kids were
Sturt barrackers, and especially liked going to the Unley Oval matches in our
light blue Holden, with its dark blue flash down the side. Most people just had
hats and scarves, we had a whole car to support our team and we revelled in the
positive comments from other ‘double blue’ supporters! Despite extensive searches for evidence to
confirm this, I’ve been unable to find photographs of these cars that actually
show the plates, though have turned up several side-on shots. But my older
siblings can confirm ‘22’ continued to go onto Dad’s new cars.
The two-tone FB was easily recognised,
especially with its ‘22’ plates. We often heard from friends and family that Dad’s
wagon had been spotted here or there, and often at odd times and places, which
must have made some of the spotters wonder!! Dad had a habit of working his own
hours....in his own time....at his own pace....and that often meant doing commercial
refrigeration work after hours so as to minimise disruption to the businesses
concerned. One of his clients was a butcher
chain that had several meat stores within the city mile. We often heard “I saw
Carl’s wagon parked in Sturt Street at 10p.m. last night.....what was he up
to??” Given the nature of the area at the time it’s not surprising that
questions were asked. But it was just Dad tending to the meat store
fridges. And as a child I was often
taken along to not only keep him company, but to act as ‘gopher’, ‘chief torch
holder’ and in the sometimes confined spaces, ‘nut and bolt threader’ with my
nimble fingers. So I can vouch for the legitimacy of his presence in those
wayward areas of the city.
In 1965 Dad again upgraded to the latest
model Holden wagon, this time the new sleek HD, a light green body with a
contrasting white roof. The ‘22’ plate had its last transfer within our family,
and lived on the HD for several years until the opportunity arose to purchase a
nice white, low mileage HK Holden Brougham at an excellent price. This was a
fabulous car - spacious, luxurious, and with the 5 litre 307 Chevy V8 in it,
had plenty of grunt. But being a second-hand car, with one of the new white ‘R’
series plates on it, the Motor Vehicles Dept. wouldn’t allow the old black ‘22’
to be transferred. And so the ‘22’ departed.
We were sad.....but that’s just
how it was.
We’d had a good run.
Brian Ortlepp
The following is the actual pressed Lykke plate from the front of the 1952 Holden in the image above, still in the possession of the Ortlepp family.
SA "23"
First Registered Owner: S.S Ralli, Adelaide.
Both plates 23 & 24 were first registered to S.S. Ralli, see following entry. From memory for some years there was a small Honda or Isuzu registered in SA23 getting around the streets of Adelaide, I can remember it vividly. I am, again from memory, quite sure that both the car and plate were offered by Kearns Auctions at a Grand Prix or general goods sale in the late 1980’s or early 1990’s.
Today: Update 21.12.10. We have had it confirmed by the current owner that SA"23" in the late 1980's was registered to a navy blue Isuzu Bellet that was sold at auction in 1990. The rights to the plate were procured directly from the Goernment subsequent to this car auction, and the plate today is registered on a white Subaru Legacy.
NOTE: further information is known but is not published to guard the owner’s privacy.
SA "24"
First Registered Owner: S.S Ralli, Adelaide
S.S. Ralli was the owner of Werocata Station, near Balaklava, and SA24 can be seen here on his 1908 60h.p. Napier. The price fof this car would have been as imposing as it looks, and you can see the chauffer in the picture is believed to have been supplied by Napier with the car.
Today: Current status unknown, further confidential information is sought by historicplates.com.au
SA "25"
First Registered Owner: N.A. Knox, Burnside
Update 11.12.10- image acquired with thanks of the original vintage plate SA"25":
Today: Sold subsequent to the Great Plate Auction in 1985 to a client of historicplates.com.au. In long term family ownership. NOTE: further information is known but is not published to guard the owner’s privacy.
SA "26"
First Registered Owner: A.P. Brown, Mintaro
Today: A “The Great Plate Auction” plate, where in 1985 it was sold for $2500. In long term family ownership by decendants of the original owner.
SA "27"
First Registered Owner: L.W. Gebhardt, Mount Bryan.
Gebhardt family members had the consecutive numbers 27 and 28 first registered to them in 1906.
Today: A “The Great Plate Auction” plate, where in 1985 it was sold for $3500. Owned by a descendant of the original owner, in long term family ownership and in use with vintage, circa 1950’s numberplates.
SA "28"
First Registered Owner: Albert G. Gebhardt, Kooringa.
Today: In long term ownership by a client of ours at historicplates.com.au and registered to a Jensen Healey. NOTE: further information is known but is not published to respect the owner’s privacy.
SA "29"
First Registered Owner: Dr. E.V.R. Fooks, Gawler
Update 16.12.10: In this rare picture SA"29" is pictured on the Fooks 1905 8 h.p. De Dion Bouton. The small boy at the wheel, Pem, grew up to work with cars at Motors Limited, a major vehicle distributor here in SA.
Today: UPDATE 6.12.10: held in long term ownership, SA "29 "was sold directly to the registered owner post the 1985 Great Plate Auction. NOTE: further information is known but is not published to respect the owner’s privacy.
SA "30"
First Registered Owner: Peter Crank, Unley Park.
Today: Plate 30 was sold by public tender in 1991, and has subsequently been in long term ownership.
**We'd love your contribution, in order to add to and update the SA Historic Plate Register Project - if you've any pictures, information or recollections of these plates or other low plates, do contact us! **
Who was your historic plate originally registered to?
If you'd like to know the details of the original owner of your historic plate, email us at sell@historicplates.com.au with the details of your historic plate and we will happily email you a copied excerpt of your plate and it's original ownership details from our rare old historical records. Free with our compliments.