Our HRC website address has changed!
Our address is now simply hrc.au
Please update your address book. The 'old' address will cease to work at the end of February 2025.
Next Lunch: Thursday, 6 March 2025. Details here: Speaker and Menu, Location
Welcome to our fully re-written and refreshed Holden Retirees club website.
This has been a lengthy task as the site has over 140 pages with many links per page, so if you notice anything that does not act as you expect, please email me at
Making news:
Trafalgar Museum's 10th Anniversary Cruise
Woodville Toolroom 25 Year Club 2024 Annual Dinner
Two interesting new articles from our expert members:
- a History of Holden Stationary Engines by Warwick Bryce, and
- a report by Ian McCleave on the personnel and technology used in the construction of the Holden Hurricane.
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Subscription status.
By now (mid-October), all members should have received a statement of their subscription status following our move to $10 per annum. Postal members may need to allow a few extra days given the vagaries of the postal service.
If you have not received it, please drop a note to the the treasurer, Neil Pogson at
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Useful Social Media links for retirees to keep in contact with your mates.
Corrections to "The Final Chapter" (1st printing)
Corrections to the Iconic Treasures book "Holden - The Archive Collection"
Two interesting new articles from our expert members:
- a History of Holden Stationary Engines by Warwick Bryce, and
- a report by Ian McCleave on the personnel and technology used in the construction of the Holden Hurricane.
Holden Lion magazine. New on the site in October. All known issues are now available on the Collections/Holden magazines page, or directly at this link.
The reach of Holden has not been confined to Australia alone. The export program is well known, but not so well known is the formation of enthusiasts clubs in those countries, whose members continue to cherish their GMH-produced vehicles. There is now a page to recognise those clubs, as their details come to hand.
The first is the United Kingdom Register, which was formed in 1988! They publish a bi-monthly newsletter, which is available for download on their website. Links to their site and the newsletter are available on the Overseas page.
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Neil Pogson has added three new articles to the website:
- The first is a memory of events surrounding his involvement is the little known Pontiac LeMans program, to be sourced from Daewoo in 1989.
- The second is a major study of the diaries of Frank Daley - Production Engineer. Frank served in many senior roles in Woodville, was involved heavily in the introduction of all steel bodies, was Master Mechanic and Chief Inspector. In Fishermens Bend he was assistant to L J Hartnett, responsible for the mechanical and electrical installations at the new Fishermens Bend plant. He spent some years overseas for GMH, dealing with vendors of new techniques and equipment, particularly in preparation for 48-215 production and later when he joined Frigidaire and Kelvinator Australia. His wartime contributions drew recognition from Prime Ministers and captains of industry alike. The friendships he made with key Government officials during this period undoubtedly 'greased the wheels' for GMH's approvals to build the new car. One legacy he left is a history of GMH, an unpublished manuscript of which some roneod copies exist (one on our website!). He was a sought after lecturer and organiser of education classes for tradesmen, and an inaugural lecturer for the Government's Industry Mobilisation Course.
A man of huge influence and ability, a proven asset to GMH and Australian industry, but largely forgotten these days.
Thirdly, is a page devoted to all the various passenger cars that GMH/Holden sold. Some were all Holden, others imported and assembled, and still others, fully imported. More data is being added as it becomes available. See the Products Collection index.
The Gemini Flash.
James Alexander Holden - a corrected history.
Some ground breaking research by Neil Pogson has examined the commercial life of James Alexander Holden and found that for many years, the early history of Holden published both by Dame Nancy Buttfield and by GMH is largely incorrect. Year of arrival and of starting business, even the location of that business are not as has been widely reported. Plus there is a great deal more information about James’ voyages and other activities.
You can read a summary of the true story here, or download the full study complete with all references from a link on that page.
The Magazines now have a new index page to our extensive collection, arranged in a more friendly order, plus the new addition of a series from "GM World". Every article about Holden or Australia between 1950 and 1970 is listed, plus a smattering of the more important articles from earlier issues.
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There have been some changes to the way the archive is segmented. Since we started this activity it has grown like Topsy and has become a bit of a chore to find particular items of interest. So, we're pulling together items on a common theme and to have dedicated pages to those items. Together, they will be known as The Collections. A new option has appeared on the main menu bar to take you to this new area.
In particular, there will be more prominence given to the Manufacturing plants, and eventually the appropriate items will be moved onto specific pages for each plant.
This is a time consuming process so new items on the Collections menus will appear somewhat spasmodically. Check back occasionally to see what is new.
But as usual, we rely on our members and friends to provide the interesting items that appear on these pages - items which have already gained the attention of a number of Auto researchers from around the world.
If you have any contributions to our Collections, please contact The Treasurer or 03 9589 3196 to arrange for them to be scanned.
Calling old Newsletters and Holden magazines!!
The Newsletter Archive page has issues back to and including 1994, except for some issues from 1998, 1997 and 1995. But we have run out of sources for the missing and earlier newsletters!
If you have a copy of any of the missing or earlier newsletters or magazines, please contact The Treasurer.
We would like to borrow them for scanning and will return them in the same condition as we receive them. Don't worry if they are not in pristine condition, any copy is better than no copy! We will reimburse any cost incurred.
Please help!
To read the newsletters, go to the link "Newsletters" in the Collections drop down menu, or click here.
Holden Magazines are listed on the 'Collections' page.
This site is intended to bring together in one convenient place, information of interest to our Holden Retirees. Here you will find links to help keep you informed about the Club.
The Holden Retirees Club (HRC) is an informal group, primarily aimed at providing a venue where old friends can meet for a drink, have a meal and a chat in pleasant surroundings. We are a not-for-profit club, run by volunteers, with the proceeds from the small annual subscription fee being used to provide the venue, organise interesting speakers, and support Club activities.
Surplus funds are donated annually to Charities which are appropriate to our time of life.
Retirees now only need to have been once employed by Holdens (even as contractors), not retired from work. Just fill in the application form (available from the Membership page) and send to the Treasurer with your subscription. The Membership page contains all necessary details.
There is also a Retiree's News page for you to read news of interest to our members. So please use the link on the News page, and send us news of interest to your mates.
If you have any feedback about the site or the content, please send your comments to: Send Your Feedback