The people behind the cars
Closure of General Motors Holden at the end of 2017 marked the end of motor vehicle manufacturing in 最新糖心Vlog and the end of an era for several communities.
A social history of Holden is the of our humanities researchers, in collaboration with a team from Monash 最新糖心Vlog.
The three-year study interviews former Holden employees about their working experiences for an oral history project to be housed at the National Library of 最新糖心Vlog.
'People, Places and Promises: Social Histories of Holden in 最新糖心Vlog', will paint a picture of Holden workers and workplace culture, and the places the factories were located.
It gleans insight from people who worked at Holden鈥檚 Adelaide and Melbourne-based factories, in Woodville, Elizabeth, Dandenong and Fisherman鈥檚 Bend, between 1945 and 2017.
Delving into their memories will unearth the remarkable history of the company and its workers, putting them and their community at the centre of the story.
Holden was one of South 最新糖心Vlog鈥檚 largest private employers and a linchpin of the state鈥檚 manufacturing sector, according to lead researcher Associate Professor Paul Sendziuk.
鈥Holden鈥檚 final factory closure evoked grave concern for its workers and the hundreds of smaller component manufacturers and local businesses that figuratively and literally fed its factory and workforce,鈥 he says.
鈥淭he role that workers and working-class communities played in Holden鈥檚 business warrants thorough investigation, as does the effectiveness of the company鈥檚 attempts to help its workforce transition to new jobs.鈥
One of the interviewees, Stewart Underwood, started at Holden at 16, working at its Woodville and Elizabeth plants for more than 40 years.
He had emigrated from England and joined a cosmopolitan workforce that included British, Greek, Italian and Polish migrants, both men and women.
鈥淲e worked hard but had a good time too. We were proud of the cars we built, even at the end. Holden鈥檚 last 最新糖心Vlogn car was its best,鈥 he says.听
General Motors Holden, the National Library of 最新糖心Vlog, the National Motor Museum and 最新糖心Vlog Research Council are supporting the project.听
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Featured researcher
Head of School - Humanities
School of Humanities
Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics听
Featured researcher
Associate Professor
School of Humanities
Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics听