George Hardacre 
And the "Star" Car

George purchased the car in 1911 at the cost of £450 from the Star Engineering Company in Wolverhampton, England. This company also made Star bicycles. 
George used the car as a passenger taxi service from The Jetty to Top Town (as Coffs Harbour was known in those days).

George would blow a horn that he had fashioned from a cow's horn when he was ready to leave the Jetty and, coming up to a crossing, he would blow it again. The horn could be heard loud and clear all around the town. It was his signature call which he carried all over as he travelled the area as a tinker and carrier.

The "Star" car, which looked like a Model T Ford, was powered by a four-cylinder, 15 horsepower engine and could carry six passengers at speeds of up to 64kph. George and his vehicle were often seen at ceremonial and other important events around the area.

During the 1920s he turned the car into a ute and hired it out for trucking and courier work. The vehicle was still in service in 1947. Today it is owned by Coffs Harbour Regional Museum and maintained by the Coffs Harbour Veteran and Vintage Car Club.

The car is still used for special events. 

The 1910 Hardacre Star Car is the only motorised vehicle in the Coffs Harbour Regional Museum’s collection and is part of the Coffs Harbour City Council’s vehicle fleet. It was manufactured by the Star Engineering Company in Wolverhampton England which also produced bicycles, lorries and aeroplanes. The vehicle marked a new era in transport being the first motorized taxi and 1 of 3 motorized vehicles in the area.

Early Coffs Harbour pioneer, George Hardacre, was the first owner of the vehicle purchasing it on a trip to Sydney in 1911 for 450 pounds. At the time, cars needed to be ordered and shipped over from England, but it seems more likely that George would have purchased an already assembled vehicle so he could drive it straight back home from Sydney. When George was making the purchase, the car salesman wasn’t convinced that he could afford the car, so he went down to the local bank to make some enquiries. The bank clerk replied to the salesman “If Mr George Hardacre would like to buy a car he will have enough!” 

George took an active role in the community being a member of the local chamber of commerce and the first person to run a motorised taxi service in the area. He took passengers from the Jetty to Top Town with the Pier and Fitzroy Hotels being popular pick-up and drop-off points. He charged three pence for this trip and would notify passengers when he was ready to leave the Jetty by blowing a make-shift cow horn. Coming up to a crossing he would blow it again, alerting potential customers who were in need of a lift. 

The Coffs Harbour and Dorrigo Advocate dated 25 September, 1931 refers to George as being an inventive genius and one of Coffs Harbour's best known industrious citizens. He had many pursuits over his lifetime including boxing, photography, travelling showman, gold mining and farming. Most famously, in 1897 he patented what is believed to be Australia’s first flying machine and also built various farm equipment and contraptions.

The Hardacre Star Car has undergone numerous restoration work over the years. Initially, George rebuilt the body of the vehicle to include rear entry to better serve its purpose as a passenger-carrying vehicle. Then, in the 1920s Bob Hardacre turned it into a ute for trucking and courier work. It stayed in service up until 1947 where it was then left abandoned in a paddock for many years.

Restoration work began once again in the 70s and 80s by John Hardacre (George’s grandson), but after falling seriously ill the restoration work was then carried out by local mechanic Bob Dixon and other members of the local community. The chassis and all mechanical parts of the vehicle are original, but due to restoration work over the years, the other parts have either been constructed or purchased from overseas, including the radiator which was shipped over from New Zealand.

There are seven known 1910 Star Car models located in Australia including the Hardacre Star. Much like other vintage vehicles within museum and private car collections, these too seem to have undergone laborious restoration work. An exception to this is the Model T Ford at the Newcastle Museum. This vehicle has horsehair stuffing, original paint, nameplates and a wooden body.

The Hardacre Star Car has been a familiar sight for generations, seen regularly out and about in public at the Sawtell Super Fun Day and the annual Coffs Collectors Fair. Back in its prime, the vehicle was also used for many official events, including chauffeuring dignitaries to the opening of the Brooklana Bridge in 1912. Unlike other museum objects, it is essential that the car is driven regularly to keep it in good running order. 

Without the generous support of the local community, it would have been an impossible task to raise the needed funds for the purchase of the vehicle back in 2001. The Coffs Harbour Historical Society and Museum led numerous fundraising campaigns one of which included the 200 limited edition release of the George Hardacre Commemorative Port. Each bottle was individually numbered and costed $100 each.

The 1910 Hardacre Star Car is most truly one of a kind. It holds not only great historical significance to the history of transport in the Coffs Harbour area, but gives us a fascinating insight into the first owner and inventive genius – Mr George Hardacre.

[Written by Zoe Golding, 3 April 2023]

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The "Star" car is powered by a 15 horsepower engine and can carry six passengers at speeds of up to 64kph (40mph).

The engine is bi-block, fixed heads, four cylinder, of 182 cubic capacity with dual ignition by Borch. Bore and Stroke is 3½" by 4¾". The clutch cone has leather facings. The gearbox has 4 forward gears with gate change. The foot brake acts on the final drive shaft. The side brake acts on the back wheel drums.

During the 1920s the car was turned into a ute.

Larke Hoskins Pty Ltd in Sydney were the retailers for Star cars.

[Additional photographs taken on 27 May 2023 at the Collectables Fair outside the Norm Jordan Pavilion by Peter Gargano.]

Video "1910 Hardacre Star Car. Come for a Ride. SIMPLY Classic Vintage Car", YouTube, 27 May 2023. Includes an interview with Bob Dixon.

Article "Star Car", Wolverhampton History & Heritage Website.