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.

Embark on a sentimental journey, rediscovering the quintessential Australian experience of staying in 
a motel in our new exhibition, Reception this way: motels – a sentimental journey with Tim Ross.

A national touring exhibition developed by the National Archives of Australia, 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. 

Image: Guests relax at the California Hotel in Melbourne, about 1964. NAA: B942, HOTELS - MOTELS & RESTAURANTS [3] (detail).