Ollies Garage

Ollies' Garage opened in July 2024 because Ian Oliver, a car-mad lifelong Canberran, decided the capital needed a proper motoring attraction. His two-storey Fyshwick showroom, wrapped in murals by local artist Edward Mowat, now holds one of the strangest and best pairings in Australian car culture.

On one side, British aristocracy: the venue is the Canberra Showroom of the Sir Henry Royce Foundation, of which Oliver is a trustee, with loans including a 1951 Bentley Mark VI restored from a barn find, a 1965 Rolls-Royce used during Queen Elizabeth II's royal tours of Australia, and a cutaway supercharged Rolls-Royce engine. On the other, Australian muscle and survivors: an original Ford XY Falcon GTHO Phase III known as The Saint, a Falcon still carrying its 1969 London to Sydney Marathon battle scars, a barn-found Holden FX and an unrestored EK.

Access is the catch and the charm: ticketed open days run roughly one Saturday a month, 9am to noon, with Oliver's own guided tour mid-morning. Displays rotate with themes, so repeat visits pay.

• A museum-grade showroom pairing Australian muscle with the Sir Henry Royce Foundation's Canberra collection.
• An original Ford XY Falcon GTHO Phase III, The Saint, the holy grail of Australian muscle.
• The 1965 Rolls-Royce used on Queen Elizabeth II's Australian royal tours and a 1951 Bentley Mark VI with Rolls-Royce World Centenary Tour history.
• Survivor cars kept honest: a Holden FX after 50 years in a barn, an unrestored EK, a Falcon wearing real 1969 London to Sydney Marathon damage.
• Engineering curios: a cutaway supercharged Rolls-Royce engine and the engine head from the first vehicle across Sydney Harbour Bridge.
• Themed, rotating displays that change between open days (February 2026: 100 Years of Ford in Australia).
• A guided tour from Ian Oliver himself, usually 9:30 to 10am.
• Coffee van outside; viewing only, no hands-on access.

• Open to the public roughly one Saturday a month, 9am to 12pm, by ticket; dates and bookings via olliesgarage.com.au or Eventbrite.
• Entry $15; supervised children under 12 free.
• Groups and car clubs (10+) can arrange visits outside open days on 0417 260 927.
• Displays rotate; a specific car may be off the floor on your visit.
• In Fyshwick's commercial precinct with easy parking; 10 minutes from central Canberra.

Last updated: 2 September 2026