Alice Anderson’s Motor Service

Alice Anderson was Australia’s first female garage proprietor.

In 1919 Alice purchased a block of land on Cotham Road in Kew, Victoria and opened ‘Alice Anderson’s Motor Service’. The garage offered petrol sales, vehicle repairs, a driving school, 24 hour chauffeur service and organised chauffeured tourist parties on interstate trips. It was an all-women business, and Alice employed approximately nine chauffeurs and mechanics. Her ambition was to turn garage work into a suitable profession for women.

Her death in 1926 remains a mystery; one night she was cleaning an automatic pistol and shot herself in the head. It is still speculated whether the shot was accidental. Alice is a significant figure in Australian motoring history and her story demonstrates the experience of being a woman in the motor industry in the early twentieth century. This exhibition explores the life of Alice and her ‘garage girls’.

Get you Tickets Now for Garage Girls

Saturday 26 July from 6pm

Garage Girls: a night of storytelling magic with five actors playing many colourful characters.

Inspired by Alice Anderson’s short but eventful life, Garage Girls will take you from Melbourne’s mysterious underbelly to the remote deserts of Alice Springs. An energetic and fast-paced 70 minute theatrical romp, showcasing dynamic sound design – Garage Girls is a rollicking ride celebrating an Australian icon.