Toowoomba 1927 - stolen car?

[ghostgirl]

Hi, I haven't done a lot of family history for a while, and haven't ever done much at all in Queensland. So I am hoping someone can point me in the right direction please.

My great grandparents were living in Toowoomba in 1926, likely with the family of Alfred Frank Bridge, his wife Emily and their children.  I am trying to find out the address of the Bridge family at that time.

In late 1926 my G grandparents drove in a Model T Ford from Toowoomba to Perth, but I would like to know how they got the car! 
One version is that they walked out, saw the car, exclaimed "God has answered our prayers!", gathered their 5 kids and took off.
Another version is that they were sent 500 quid from someone in Sydney who wanted them to go and preach to them (embarrassing), and they bought the car with that.

What I do know is that they didn't stop in Sydney long enough to do any preaching. And they couldn't have afforded to buy a car by themselves as my grandfather who was 16 was supporting them, as all their money was going to their dodgy religious mates.

I have articles from Trove about their drive across the country, but I can't find anything about a stolen car in Toowoomba. This is why I would like to find the address of the Bridge family at that time so I can narrow things down a bit and include it in my search.

The car wasn't registered until they arrived in Perth by the way.

Any ideas?

[cando]

Australian Electoral Roll
Qld 1925, 1926
Brisbane/Ithaca
BRIDGE Alfred Frank  Hope Street, Torwood  Painter
BRIDGE Emily  Hope Street, Torwood  Home duties.

Cando

[ghostgirl]

Thanks Cando 

[cando]

It would appear that your folks were living with somebody other than the BRIDGE's as although the suburb of Torwood in Brisbane no longer exists [now Auchenflower] it is 100 kms from Toowoomba.

What were your folks' names please.

Cando

[ghostgirl]

Oh... Are the QLD electoral rolls available online anywhere other than that paid site Cando? If not, could I please send you a private message for a lookup? Thank you

[Jackiemh]

Have checked Trove again Toowoomba stolen car for 1926 and 1927
Telegraph, Brisbane of 18/2/1926 mentions a Cleveland, painted light green and a 7-seater stolen from Ruthven Street, Toowoomba registration Q39519
Daily Standard, Brisbane 18/3/1927 talks about a car - an Essex Six - stolen on 16/3/1927
but I could not find any more details
Jackie

[mirl]

Do you have dates for when they were in Sydney?  Perhaps they swapped cars there?

[tonepad]

Driving a Model T Ford would not be as straight forward as it is today with modern cars.


http://www.barefootsworld.net/ford-t-4-beginners.html

http://www.carstuffshow.com/blogs/starting-and-driving-a-ford-model-t.htm


Could your ancestor have driven the Ford without permission or prior training?

[ghostgirl]

Thanks all of you 

Jackie, it was definitely a Model T Ford ; Mirl, don't have Sydney dates but I know it was the same car all the way across as my grandfather told me about it. Tonepad, as far as we know this was the first car they had owned, and I am pretty sure you didn't need a licence in those days, or training (those were the days.....) . And it appears the car didn't need to be registered either - not at first, anyway!