Help bring a cultural icon back to life
In 1994, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert burst onto Australian cinema screens. The film was a beacon of hope for LGBTQIA+ people – and instantly became a symbol of freedom, love and pride.
Since then, Priscilla – the iconic bus that gave the film its name – has fallen victim to rust and decay, and narrowly escaped being destroyed by bushfires. To revive this cultural icon and bring its message of equality and love to a whole new generation, the History Trust of South Australia needs your help.
Your generous support will help restore Priscilla to its glittering former glory. You’ll also help turn Priscilla into the centrepiece of an immersive exhibition and suite of programs and events at Australia’s National Motor Museum – the likes of which audiences have never seen before.
It’ll be colourful, joyful and welcoming to everyone – and we need you to be part of it. Will you pledge your support and be a driving force on this fabulous and exciting journey?
Once in a purple moon, an opportunity comes along to
be part of something truly special.
Priscilla: Destination Fabulous is that kind of opportunity.
An ambitious ground-breaking and unique project. It’ll be like nothing visitors to our National Motor Museum have ever experienced.
But like all projects, Priscilla needs the support of passionate, engaged people like you. People who understand the importance of culture, storytelling and celebrating the rich tapestry of our shared histories. People who know how enriching and illuminating a world-class museum experience can be. People who are committed to giving the past a future – now!
I’m asking for your support to help fully restore the original bus from the film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Then to create an immersive, world-class exhibition and elevate Australia’s National Motor Museum as a cultural landmark. The History Trust has already taken an important first step in acquiring Priscilla (complete with the original carpet the film’s director, Stephan Elliott, installed himself). Next comes the truly exciting part – bringing Priscilla back to life and projecting its message of love and inclusion to audiences worldwide.
As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, I grew up hiding my true self from the world. My own personal journey of acceptance and self-respect was forever transformed when The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert hit the big screen. Seeing it for the first time was a moment of pure joy, and a call for courage in the face of adversity.
Priscilla: Destination Fabulous will bring that same joyful and transformative experience to museum visitors. So, I hope you’ll join us on this exciting adventure and this audacious historical journey.
Together, we can create something unique, inspiring - and unmissable. And I can promise you, it will be nothing less than fabulous!
Greg Mackie OAM
CEO, History Trust of South Australia
Help transform Priscilla!
When The History Trust found the original Hino bus from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, it was a shadow of its fabulous former self.
Since starring in the 1994 film, Priscilla had been ravaged by sun, wind, and rain. In 2019, bushfires in the Northern River region of New South Wales devastated the area where Priscilla was abandoned.
Miraculously, Priscilla survived. For an object steeped in cultural significance, it is vital that Priscilla’s journey continues.
Which is where you come in.
Your generous support will help transform Priscilla into a shining beacon of hope and acceptance.
Next, you’ll help create a blockbuster immersive exhibition starring Priscilla – launching the National Motor Museum of Australia onto the global stage. With your help, Priscilla will be ‘back on the road’ and ready to spread a message of love and inclusivity once again. Imagine for a moment Priscilla headlining at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras or Adelaide’s own Feast Festival.
And that’s just the beginning.
"When I put pen to paper to write The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 30 years ago, I never dreamed it would come to mean so much, to so many people. But the film resonates because, under all the sequins, gags and music, it’s a story about togetherness and unconditional love. That message is as important now as it was three decades ago. Perhaps more so, because in many ways, it feels like we’re seeing a backlash and a return to intolerance. So now’s the perfect time to revive and restore Priscilla and put equality and acceptance back on the map. I hope everyone gets involved in supporting this fabulous project. I can’t wait for Priscilla’s next chapter to begin. And I’m planning to be at the opening party, with bells on. I hope to see you there!"
Stephan Elliott
Writer and Director,
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
You’ll highlight LGBTQIA+ stories at Australia’s National Motor Museum
By supporting Priscilla: Destination Fabulous, you’ll be a driving force behind a major exhibition to celebrate a key moment in Australian cultural history. The one-of-a-kind exhibition will propel the museum onto a global stage and highlight the unique contribution LGBTQIA+ people make to Australian culture.
You’ll bring more joy and acceptance to South Australia – and the world
Operatics atop a giant silver shoe. A frock made of thongs. Sequins glittering in the outback. These vibrant, uplifting images left a mark on the Australian psyche. By helping create an immersive exhibition and suite of programs and events, you’ll bring that same energy, exuberance and fabulousness to Australia’s National Motor Museum. And bring joy, delight, colour and movement to visitors from across Australia, and around the globe.
You’ll help make discrimination history
Museums are a record of the way we were, the way we are now, and what matters to us. They are places of lifelong learning that, at their best, expand our horizons, connect us to others, and inspire positive change. As a supporter of Priscilla: Destination Fabulous, you’ll help break down barriers, challenge stigma and promote a more inclusive and accepting society.
"Museums enrich our lives. They are a link to our past; from the people and events that came before, to the struggles and triumphs that define us. And in times of uncertainty, museums carry a torch of hope.
Museums help us build understanding in the present so we can navigate the future with wisdom – and an understanding of how to make the world around us a better place.
For me, this is why the restoration of Priscilla is so important. And why this project is so needed.
At its core, the film is a story about the struggles we all face. And how love, laughter and a strong community can help us overcome adversity and become who we truly are.
By helping save Priscilla, and creating an unforgettable exhibition experience, you’ll help make Australia’s National Motor Museum a destination and a driving force for change. Your support will also be a reminder for all museum visitors that deep down, we are all the same. And that what unites us is our humanity, our care for each other and our need to belong.
I hope you will join the History Trust of South Australia on this wonderful journey."
Dr Kristy Kokegei
Head of Audience and Experience,
History Trust of South Australia
A roadmap to a more fabulous and accepting future
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert made its sequin-filled debut 30 years ago. Since then, the LGBTQIA+ community has experienced huge progress. Australia’s ban on transgender people serving in the military has been overturned. Mardi Gras is now broadcast on national television. And marriage equality was a giant leap forward. Although our society is much more accepting than it was three decades ago, the LGBTQIA+ community still faces discrimination, marginalisation and violence. Which takes a heavy toll. Gay, lesbian and transgender people experience depression at four times the rate of other people. And nearly half of transgender people in Australia have attempted suicide.
Those facts show there’s still a long way to go.
The Priscilla: Destination Fabulous project will be a significant milestone on that important journey. Priscilla will bring LGBTQIA+ stories into the museum and give audiences a chance to engage with those stories in ways that are profound, authentic, educational, and universal. The project will build bridges and invite connections between different people and diverse communities. Priscilla: Destination Fabulous will send a strong message that nobody should face discrimination. Ever. And that we should all be celebrated for what makes us different, unique – and fabulous.
"The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was a turning point for my generation.
At the time, I was living in a shelter for LGBTQIA+ youth at risk of homelessness. My ‘chosen family’ were immersed in queer culture and art. We loved dressing up, wearing whatever we wanted and having fun. But we only ever did that in private.
When the film came out, it felt like we could suddenly be authentically ourselves in public. For the first time, we felt welcome in mainstream culture.
Bringing Priscilla into Australia’s National Motor Museum feels like a significant next step on that journey.
An exhibition of this scale will show queer young people growing up today that the museum is an open, inclusive, safe space. It’ll communicate that people of different sexualities and gender expressions are welcome, important and deserve a place in history. And it’ll teach a new generation about self-expression, and how to become their fullest selves – just as the film did for me."
Troy-Anthony Baylis, Artist and performer
Priscilla Glambassador
A project this audacious can only happen with your fabulous support
The restoration of Priscilla is just the beginning. The project will also include a blockbuster exhibition, education programs, a suite of exciting cultural events, digital stories and online diversity programs that will bring Priscilla to audiences worldwide. To make all that a reality, The History Trust of South Australia will need to raise $2.2 million before 11 August 2025. Are you on board?
Will you be a driving force on a journey towards a more inclusive, accepting society?
|
Detail Expenditure |
Budget |
|---|---|
|
Bus Restoration and Conservation |
$755,000 |
|
Exhibition |
$450,000 |
|
Digital Stories |
$110,000 |
|
Digital Infrastructure |
$450,000 |
|
Specialist Skills |
$335,000 |
|
Project Contingency |
$100,000 |
|
TOTAL |
$2,200,000 |
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