A campaign to restore a bus from the Aussie film ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’ has gone gangbusters, with people from all over the world chipping in.
The famous vehicle from the 1994 cult classic was sitting on a farm in rural NSW and rotting away but is set to be saved and retained as a State History Collection object in South Australia as a centrepiece of an immersive exhibition and interactive experience at the National Motor Museum, Birdwood.
The History Trust of South Australia, with the support of the South Australian Government and film’s director, Stephan Elliott, will restore Priscilla to her former glory.
Since a Guardian article was published on Friday morning, more than 400,000 readers have engaged with the story, it has been featured on dozens of different publications and platforms and people from all over the world have pledged to support the campaign.
Museum Director Paul Rees this morning told ARN’s Adam Connelly and Jennie Lenman that he is overjoyed with global interest in the campaign.
“It’s an icon, it’s a worldwide hit… and now a restoration project has become a worldwide hit again. It’s going to become a great tourism attraction for South Australia. Based on how many people have given money to it, they’re going to want to come to look at this huge exhibition we’re going to put on,” Paul Rees said.
Funds raised through the ‘Priscilla – Save the Queen’ campaign go towards a museum-grade heritage restoration of the bus, a curatorial interpretation of its story, and the development of an immersive exhibition experience, which will include an extensive reshaping and major fit-out of museum spaces.
Find out more and donate to the campaign via the SA History Trust website.
Hear Adam and Jennie’s chat with Paul Rees via the audio play window below:
