The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery has apologised for wrongly presenting a vintage Holden car as one of the original vehicles that famously teetered over the edge of the partially collapsed Tasman Bridge.
The exhibition, On the Edge, currently on display at the museum, features the FB Holden alongside a HQ Monaro as part of a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the bridge’s collapse.
The museum initially stood by the authenticity of the FB Holden, saying it had undertaken research and was “convinced of its provenance”, despite the fact that the car has had extensive modifications over the past 50 years.
However, further investigation has revealed that only a small portion of the station wagon is actually original.
The majority of the vehicle is not linked to the bridge at the time of the disaster.
A museum spokesperson said the focus of the exhibition remains on commemorating the events of 50 years ago.
They told Pulse that they are “confident that the community wishes the importance of this anniversary to be the priority”.
The error was brought to TMAG’s attention by Benjamin Gall, an Australian heritage specialist who has been familiar with the FB Holden for 40 years.
Gall, a member of the FB-EK Holden Club, described the claim that the car was the EK Holden left ‘over the edge’ as “completely false”.
He told Pulse the museum’s decision to pay for the car and its owner to travel from Queensland for the exhibition was an “oversight” and that the historical record should be kept accurate.
“Unfortunately, the publicity given to [the vehicle] about the Tasman Bridge disaster … has caused substantial impact to the history of the disaster and most importantly, the families directly impacted,” he said.
He says Frank Manley’s HQ Monaro, which is also being displayed at the new exhibit, is ‘100% real’.
