Reception This Way: Motels – A Sentimental Journey with Tim Ross

02 Nov 2024 - 02 Mar 2025

Travel around Australia revisiting your memories of the classic Aussie motel, from family holidays and long road trips to continental breakfasts and mid-century mod-cons.

In a land where the car has provided us with the ultimate freedom to hit the road and explore, it is no surprise that Australians wholeheartedly embraced the American concept of the motel. When motels began springing up in the 1950s, they represented a new, stylish and sophisticated way to travel.

Join the National Archives and Tim Ross on a driving holiday through the quintessential Australian experience of staying in a motel. And find out why these images are part of the National Archives’ collection.

This exhibition is supported by the National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach Program, an Australian Government program aiming to improve access to the national collections for all Australians.