Reception This Way

Embark on a nostalgic journey, rediscovering the quintessential Australian experience of staying in a motel in The Workshops Rail Museum's new exhibition, Reception this way: motels – a sentimental journey with Tim Ross, now showing at the Museum until December 12, 2023. 

In a land where the car has provided us with the ultimate freedom to hit the road and explore, it is no surprise that Australians wholeheartedly embraced the American concept of the motel.

When motels began springing up in the 1950s, they represented a new, stylish and sophisticated way to travel. Now, you can take a trip back in time and travel around Australia revisiting your memories of the classic Aussie motel, from family holidays and long road trips in the sweltering summer heat, to continental breakfasts and mid-century mod cons. 

Developed by National Archives of Australia in collaboration with comedian Tim Ross, and proudly hosted by The Workshops Rail Museum, the exhibition of photographs and promotional film footage featured in Reception this way will take you back to a time when the roadside motel was an integral part of the Australian holiday experience.

The Workshops Rail Museum is a valued partner of Must Do Brisbane.com