More than 1200 people attended the opening, keen to see the new museum which has been built by Purtills. Managing director Neville Purtill said he received a lot of positive feedback.
‘‘We were elated with the response from those who attended the opening,” he said.
‘‘A lot of the comments we received were about how professional it looks and the quality of the exhibitions.
‘‘Some people thought they were coming into a tiny shed with a couple of cars and were delightfully surprised by the extensive collection.
‘‘A lot of people also said they were going home to call their family and friends to come and spend some time in Deniliquin and pay us a visit, which is exactly what we had hoped for.’’
The collection of vintage and classic cars, horse drawn vehicles dating from 1908 and other items tell the story of the past, both on and off the road.
The exhibits on the top floor are dedicated to local life off the road, with toys, furniture and white goods among the displays.
‘‘People enjoyed the opportunity to reminisce, and quite a few asked: How did you get my mother's lounge room upstairs?” Mr Purtill said.
Crowd favourites included the DeLorean, made famous by the movie Back to the Future, and the pink 1959 Cadillac sedan de ville which has inspired the decor of the function and conference room on the second storey mezzanine.
The Purtills’ bus ‘Rosie’ was also a big attraction, Mr Purtill saying many shared their memories of getting to school via their buses.
Entry was a gold coin donation, with all proceeds donated to Deniliquin CanAssist.
‘‘We are still counting how much was raised, however I can confirm it will be a couple of thousand dollars,” Mr Purtill said.
‘‘It was a great effort on behalf of the community and I look forward to the future and seeing the museum blossom as one of Deniliquin’s treasured tourist attractions.’’
The Depot is located in Hardinge St, Deniliquin, adjacent the Cobb Highway Roadhouse, and will be open 10am until 4pm daily.
Entry is $15 for adults, $10 for children, $10 for concession card holders and seniors and $30 for a family of four including two adults and two children.
For more information visit their website www.depotdeni.com.au, call 1300 819 000 or email depot@depotdeni.com.au.
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