Priscilla, the 1976 Hino Freighter bus famous from the Australian cult classic The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, has been found after being presumed lost for years.
The iconic bus, that drag performers Mitzi Del Bra (Hugo Weaving), Felicia Jollygoodfellow (Guy Pearce) and transgender woman Bernadette Bassenger (Terence Stamp) travelled in from Sydney to Alice Springs in the 1994 film, has been a true survivor.
Found after three decades in the fields of Ewingar, a small town in the Northern Rivers Region of New South Wale, having narrowly escaped the ravages of bushfires and floods, History Trust of South Australia has launched a campaign to raise over $2.2 million to save and restore the bus to its former glory.
‘We Had Heard So Many Rumours’
The bus Priscilla was found at a property in Ewingar, in the NSW northern rivers. Image: The History Trust Of South Australia
The film’s director, Stephan Elliott, expressed his enthusiasm about the project, emphasising the emotional significance of the bus’s discovery.
“We had heard so many rumours about where she had ended up and had given up hope of finding her again. But when (the History Trust) showed me the photographs, I knew immediately we had found it,” recounted Elliott. “I really want to thank the History Trust for making this amazing discovery and bringing Priscilla back to life,” Elliott said in a statement.
The bus Priscilla photographed after narrowly escaping the 2019 bush fires in Ewingar, in the NSW northern rivers. Image: The History Trust Of South Australia
The bus was initially owned by Sydney-based Boronia Tours before it was sold to a couple, who leased the bus in 1993 to the film’s production company Latent Images for the 38-day shoot, reported The Guardian.
The couple then hired out the bus to others, including to local band The Whitlams for their six-month tour in 1994.
Not much is known about what happened to be bus, and for all purposes it was presumed to have been lost. That was until one Michael Mahon approached the History Trust in 2019 claiming Priscilla was sitting on his property in Ewingar. The bus had reportedly been abandoned on the property for over 16 years and survived the bushfires in the area in 2019/2020 and the floods.
A Home For Priscilla
The bus Priscilla. Image: The History Trust Of South Australia
Detailed review by experts as well as the film’s crew including Elliott confirmed that the abandoned bus was indeed Priscilla.
The History Trust, which acquired the bus, has plans for it – once restored it will be housed in the National Motor Museum – Australia in Birdwood, Adelaide Hills, where it will be part of an immersive exhibition experience about the film’s impact on Australian society.
“The History Trust of South Australia intends to restore Priscilla to roadworthy condition for special outings and to authentically render to its interior the glamorous over-the-top camp of the 1994 movie. And we want to give Priscilla the kind of home at the National Motor Museum Australia that will evoke rich and happy memories for visitors,” History Trust CEO Greg Mackie said in a statement.
The bus Priscilla. Image: The History Trust Of South Australia
Mackie emphasised the continuing significance of the 1994 film that was an international hit when it came out.
“Even in the 21st century, ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’ speaks to audiences of the virtues of respect for diversity and the great Aussie larrikin tendency for irreverence,” Mackie said. “It was first released into a world still grappling with the impact of HIV/AIDS, and it immediately became a symbol of survival, the importance of love and respect, and of embracing difference.”
A True Survivor
An iconic image from the 1994 Australian film ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’.
The bus is currently being evaluated by a specialist coachwork repairer in Brisbane as to the scope of restoration works, which is expected to take 12 to 18 months.
“After surviving bushfires, floods and exposure to the elements in rural NSW, Priscilla requires an extensive restoration effort to return it to running order and in a condition similar to that when she appeared in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,” the History Trust said.
The restoration works are estimated to cost around $2.2 million. The South Australian state government has pledged $100,000 towards the project and History Trust is hoping to raise the remainder from donations and corporate sponsors.
According to the Trust, the project is more than a restoration of the bus. “It’s about the powerful journeys Priscilla has inspired; it is an opportunity to hold space for the LGBTQIA+ community’s journey from the past to present and future,” the Trust said, adding, “She’s meant to survive”.
To donate to Save the Priscilla bus, click the fundraising page here.
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