One hundred years ago, the Ford Motor Company of Australia Pty Ltd was founded in Geelong. The story of how Ford Australia came into being, started in 1923 when North American Ford executives visited Australia to seek out a base to set up an operation to direct all Ford activities in the country.

Two senior Ford executives were part of a six-person advanced party scouting Australian locations, Hubert Charles French, and P. W. Grandjean, the then secretary of Ford of Canada. After their visit, Grandjean wrote to Edsel Ford in 1924, that “the time is ripe to carry on a business in Australia with our own organisation”.

Grandjean believed the market deserved a cohesive Ford operation to serve the Australian public. Geelong won out because of its deep seaport, available land, access to nearby railways and good labour force.

By 1925 the Ford Motor Company of Australia Pty Ltd, opened in Geelong with Hubert French as the founding Managing Director.

The first car to roll out of the Geelong factory was the legendary Model T Ford, the car that forever changed the landscape of affordable transportation for the masses. Known for its simple design and solid construction, the 1925 Australian Model T cost about 185 pounds, or approximately $18,542.00 in today’s money.

While manufacturing of motor vehicles has ceased, some Ford activities continue in our city. In this video, Society President, Harry Roberts, explores the Ford Legacy and what it means to Geelong.

The video was produced after a request from the City of Greater Geelong for the geelong Historical Society to participate in a celebration at the National Wool Museum called ‘100 Years of Ford in Geelong: The Cars, The People & The Local Legacy.’