From Passion to the World's Largest Collection
Bill Richardson Transport World is on Tay Street, about five minutes' drive from central Invercargill. It is not just the largest private automotive museum of its type in the world, but also a story of a Southland businessman whose love of old trucks grew into a collection of more than 300 vehicles over fifty years. Today, it is housed in a purpose-built Art Deco complex of 15,000 square metres. The museum opened to the public in late 2015, a decade after Bill Richardson's death, and was brought to life by his daughter, Jocelyn O'Donnell, her husband, Scott, and their family.
The Story Behind the Collection
Bill Richardson was six years old when his lifelong fascination with trucks began. He founded Southern Transport as his first business and grew it into the HWR Group, one of Southland's major transport companies. As he bought trucks for the fleet, he sometimes "bought a truck more with our hearts than our heads." The collecting began formally in 1967, when he tracked down and purchased his grandfather's original truck for five pounds.
Over the following decades, he restored dozens of rare and significant vehicles, each chosen for its connection to a story or a moment in transport history. By the time of his death in 2005, the collection filled multiple sheds. As you enter the building, there is a large photo of Bill, and his wish, “I hope that when I die someone will be interested enough to carry it on”. His family honoured his wish by establishing the museum you see today.
The Art Deco Building
The Art Deco style of the building was inspired by the gorgeous 1940 Dodge Airflow, an epitome of Art Deco vehicle design. The design was also chosen to blend with other historic and heritage buildings in Invercargill. By using this style, the family sought to celebrate the city’s architectural history.
The retro theme extends inside the museum, with The Grille, a 1950s American diner-style cafe, a connected 1960s-style kitchen and lounge, and a replica of Invercargill's former Majestic Theatre cinema.
The Vehicles and Exhibits
The collection spans from a 1904 Ford letter car to a 2016 Dub Box caravan, with a particular focus on rare American trucks. The 1940 Dodge Airflow Texaco tanker is one of only a handful restored anywhere in the world, and a 1914 Stewart one-ton truck is believed to be the only surviving example of this type and make. The museum also holds more than 200 vintage petrol pumps, many of which would fit into any sci-fi movie with robots! There is also a collection of toy vehicles, including a substantial selection of Matchbox toys, stationary engines, historic tools, plus household appliances, products, and tableware. Wearable arts from the local FibreOctave event are a colourful feature, and the several themed bathrooms are not to be missed.
Ford Motor Co gets extensive coverage, and the historical section devoted to the “four vagabonds”, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Luther Burbank, and Harvey Firestone, is excellent.
A children's zone includes a LEGO room and a Cadbury Chocolate Room. A display dedicated to the 1981 New Zealand road film Goodbye Pork Pie and its 2017 remake, featuring the actual car used in the Invercargill scenes, adds a distinctly local flavour.
Classic Motorcycle Mecca
Adjacent to Transport World is Classic Motorcycle Mecca, a separate museum holding more than 300 classic motorcycles, predominantly British and American makes, with some European models. It is the largest motorcycle display in New Zealand and a natural companion visit. Combined entry tickets are available for both museums.
How to Get There
Bill Richardson Transport World is at 491 Tay Street, Invercargill, about five minutes' drive from the city centre and ten minutes from the airport. The museum is open every day except Christmas Day. The cafe operates on site from 7.30 am.
From the museum, it is a short walk to the central city, its outdoor murals and artwork and to the greenbelt walk. Other nearby places to visit include Queens Park and the Burt Munro statue, the Stumpery, Anderson Park and Thomsons Bush. Further afield are Ōretii Beach and Bluff.
