Herbert Thompson's Steam Motor Phaeton Debuts in Wagga Wagga, 1900

On 4 May 1900 the Thompson Motor Phaeton, a steam‑powered six‑seat carriage built by Melbourne cousins Herbert Thompson and Edward Holmes, became the first self‑propelled road vehicle seen in the Riverina region. Residents of Wagga Wagga watched the vehicle, described as quiet and smooth‑running, travel along Fitzmaurice Street, generating considerable local interest.

The cousins had constructed the motor phaeton in 1896 and had it fully operational by July 1899. It featured a kerosene‑fueled two‑cylinder engine and Dunlop pneumatic tyres. Earlier that year the car completed a 794 km journey from Bathurst to Melbourne and later caused a stir at the 1900 Easter Show in Sydney, where its safety and practicality were debated.

The event marked an early milestone in Australian automotive history, demonstrating the potential of steam‑driven road transport in a country still dominated by horse‑drawn vehicles and bullock drays.