Car manufacturing may have disappeared from Broadmeadows, but its legacy continues to shape the identity of Hume.
Community members and former workers attended a soft launch of Broadmeadows Historic Society’s latest exhibition, Gears of Time: Ford Broadmeadows through the years on Wednesday, September 17.
From its opening in 1959 until its closure in 2016, the Ford Broadmeadows Assembly Plant stood as one of Australia’s largest car manufacturing hubs.
At its height in 2011, more than 2000 people clocked in each day, producing iconic vehicles which rolled out of Broadmeadows and into Australian driveways.
But the factory’s true legacy lies not in the machines, but in the people who worked there.
Former employee Panagiotis “Peter” Theodorelos embodies that history.
Arriving from Greece in 1967, Peter first worked as a chef before stepping into the Ford plant just after his wedding in March 1968.
Two days in, an accident on the assembly line injured his hand. Ford covered his medical bills and wages during three months of recovery, before welcoming him back on light duties.
From there, Peter worked his way up, from leading hand, to team leader, and finally inspector.
For Peter, Ford was a foundation for his family’s future and a symbol of the resilience of migrants who helped drive Australia’s industrial growth.
Stories like Peter’s are echoed throughout Broadmeadows. Families were supported and homes were built and bought. Entire communities grew around the rhythms of the assembly line, working to develop the Hume area into what it is today.
Calwell MP Basem Abdo said Ford represented both pride and heartbreak for the region.
“The pride in Broadmeadows was about the industry, the products that were coming out…where people built their lives,” he said.
“This is a source of pride for us. It’s also a source of tragedy with the demise of our Australian motoring history.”
Hume mayor Jarrod Bell agreed, adding the site’s history still resonated through local families.
“These are the stories of our community, our people. These are the things we should preserve and celebrate,” he said.
Curator Mark Moore, of the Broadmeadows Historical Society, said capturing these personal accounts is vital.
“The plant played a pivotal role in shaping the social and economic fabric of Broadmeadows and its surrounding suburbs. We want to ensure these stories are preserved for future generations.”
While the machines have fallen silent, the legacy of Broadmeadows’ Ford plant continues to live through the memories of workers like Peter, and in the pride of a community still defined by its manufacturing roots.
The Broadmeadows Museum will open its doors, showcasing Ford’s rich history to the public on Saturday, October 4, in conjunction with a car show to take place in the museum car park.
The exhibition will then run through to Wednesday, December 3.
