A remarkable piece of Bathurst’s history is coming home.
The Morgan family of Abercrombie House have donated a rare 1952 Austin A125 Sheerline Ambulance (the original vehicle used by the Bathurst District Ambulance Station) to local disability service provider Vivability Limited. The donation also includes a second Sheerline saloon car for parts, along with workshop manuals, a period parts list, early photographs, and technical documentation.
The historic ambulance served the Bathurst community from 1952 to 1967 before being retired and later purchased by Rex Morgan in the 1970s. It had been sitting in a paddock at Evans Plains in poor condition, with the roof cut out and used as a shooting brake. Since then, it has been stored at Abercrombie House for nearly 50 years, waiting for the right moment to be restored.
“My father became a self-proclaimed Sheerline enthusiast after buying his first one in 1959,” said Christopher Morgan, who arranged the donation. “He collected several of them and shared parts with owners all over the country. Of the approximately 700 imported into Australia between 1947 and 1954, fewer than 100 remain, and only nine were ever built as ambulances. This one is the only known survivor with 1952 bodywork by A H Peters of Marrickville, making it the last of its kind in the world.”
Vivability will now restore the original ambulance as part of the redevelopment of the former Bathurst Ambulance Station on William Street. The project, led by local builder Kenwood Homes, will see the heritage-listed building transformed into a vibrant community space, coffee lounge and cocktail bar and new headquarters for Vivability.
“This is more than a restoration project. It is a chance to reunite an important piece of our community’s past with the site it came from,” said Vivability CEO Nick Packham. “We are incredibly grateful to the Morgan family for their generosity and vision. This ambulance tells a story of service, care, and Bathurst’s proud legacy.”
While other Sheerlines from the Morgan family’s collection have been donated to the National Ambulance Museum in Temora, the family chose to keep this one in Bathurst, where it belongs.
Several other Sheerlines from the collection will eventually be displayed at Abercrombie House. The fully restored Bathurst Sheerline Ambulance will take pride of place in the redeveloped station, preserving its legacy for future generations.
