Help us memorialise Alice Anderson
About Alice
Alice Anderson was a trailblazing mechanic, businesswoman, and the first woman in Australia to run her own garage. Born in 1897, she challenged the gender norms of the early 20th century by becoming an expert in a male-dominated field.
The Alice Anderson Motor Service
In 1919, at just 22 years old, Alice established the Alice Anderson Motor Service in Kew, Victoria. Her business was a comprehensive service for motorists, providing repairs, vehicle sales, and driving lessons. She even employed an all-female team of mechanics and chauffeurs, a revolutionary concept for the time.
A Legacy of Empowerment
Alice's life and work were a testament to her determination, resourcefulness, and skill. She proved that women could excel in technical trades and paved the way for future generations of female innovators and entrepreneurs. Her pioneering spirit and remarkable achievements continue to inspire, making her a crucial figure in Australia’s history and the broader story of women's empowerment.
Help us to memorialise Alice
We’re on a mission to encourage public art with a statue of Alice Anderson in Kew, Victoria where Alice lived, worked and was buried.
We are working hard to capture Alice’s pioneering work in bronze and cannot do it without your help!
Only 1.5% of public statues in Melbourne are of women.
Building a bronze statue of Alice will not only honour a key figure in Australian history and the history of our local area but also celebrate her legacy of empowerment, and innovation.
A statue of Alice Anderson will inform and inspire generations to come!
Resources
A Spanner in the Works, The Extraordinary Story of Alice Anderson and Australia’s First All-Girl Garage, by Loretta Smith (Hachette Australia, 2019)
Fearless Alice Anderson and her all-girl garage, Loretta Smith interview with Sarah Kanowski, ABC, 5 April 2019:
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/conversations/alice-anderson/10955272
Loretta Smith on Alice Anderson, interview on Infinite Women:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPadE88en4g
The Alice Anderson Motor Service, Heritage Victoria, 15 April 2021:
https://www.heritage.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/news-stories/the-alice-anderson-motor-service
Miss Anderson’s Motor Service, State Library of Victoria, 5 August 2022:
https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/our-stories/miss-andersons-motor-service/
We are partnering with the City of Boroondara on The Alice Anderson Public Art Project!
We have raised over $157,000 to build a life-sized bronze statue of Alice! This includes $100,000 from the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce, $42,500 from 90+ individual donors via the Australian Cultural Fund, and $15,000 from Community Bank Inner East.
City of Boroondara is also contributing $40,000 towards the production of the statue, and $60,000 for landscaping to enhance people’s engagement with the artwork.
Fundraising has now closed on the Australian Cultural Fund’s The Alice Anderson Public Art Project in Kew page:
https://artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2EMn00000YwwbX/alice-anderson-public-art-project-in-kew
Our Fundraising
Contact Us
Interested in staying in the loop?
Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!
You can also contact us at: aliceandersonstatue@gmail.com
and
Samantha 0419 367 968