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The Museum of Vehicle Evolution (MOVE) is one of the largest regional museums of collectibles in Australia and is unique for its variety. Formerly the Shepparton Motor Museum and Collectibles venue, the site has doubled in size and was renamed MOVE in late-2021.

MOVE is a not-for-profit organisation that embraces legends of the Goulburn Valley Trucking industry, the Furphy Museum, the Farren Vintage Bicycle Collection, Clayton Collection of gramophones, telephones and radio and the Loel Thomson Clothing Collection that dates back to the First Fleet era. The collections are displayed in a contemporary and interactive exhibition space.

MOVE is a destination with coffee and dining at the Milestone Café, MOVE Shop for a gift, keepsake or motoring accessory, and a variety of store holders at the broader Emerald Bank area to browse. 

A community market is also held regularly on site.

Shepparton has a long association with motor vehicles and is the home of the original Driver Education Centre Australia (DECA).

The city is at the centre of a major Australian transport hub, carrying the produce of the region throughout the country. It is also home to many automotive buffs and has one of Australia’s highest levels of collector-vehicle ownership. 

The museum is a living collection and is constantly growing to help ensure our motoring history is preserved for future generations. As well as regular exhibitions throughout the year, a new selection from the collection is curated for display four times per year.

With the redevelopment that totalled 10,000 square metres of exhibition space, room became available for receptions and events in conjunction with the other hospitality venues at Emerald Bank.

Work began on the $5.3 million redevelopment in September 2020, at the height of the Covid pandemic, with support from the Victorian Government and the Greater Shepparton City Council and donations from local residents.

The museum’s motoring curator Jade Burley said MOVE was influenced by other motoring museums in Australia and New Zealand.

“We think we’re up there with the best in the country now, with this new build and we think we do have pulling power nationally as an attraction to get people into the Goulburn Valley,” he said.

Mr Burley said the new museum revisits the roots of the region and its long history with transport and trucking.

The first truck bought by the Phillips family, which has been the trucking hall of fame in Alice Springs for the last 15 years, will be displayed at the museum.

“The other big-ticket item is the Thompson clothing collection, returning home to the Goulburn Valley,” said Mr Burley.

“It started here, just outside of Murchison, with the Thompson family.”

MOVE executive officer Peter Hill said all the staff were excited to see it reopened to the public, once Shepparton came out of lockdown.

Mr Hill said they had been amazed at the support they had received from the transport industry:

“We went to a number of local transport companies and families, pitched the idea and they all put their hands in their pockets and agreed to help celebrate their families and history.” 

The creation of the museum had inspired many local collectors to check what vehicles might be collecting dust in their sheds and to offer them for exhibition, where people could appreciate and enjoy them.

In the Historic Vehicles Car Restorations and Truck Restorations sections we’ll include some of MOVE’s exhibited vehicles over the next few weeks.

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