Fun Facts About Number Plates in Australia

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Ever played the number plate game on a road trip?

You know, the one where you make phrases with words that start with the letters of the plate in front of you? Anything to kill time on the open road, right?

Next time the number plate game comes up, show off your knowledge with these 10 fast facts.

10 Fast Facts About Number Plates

Yep, we know you’re excited to know that…

1. Aussie car licences are older than plates

The first Australian car driving licence was issued in Adelaide on 10 September 1906. But number plates didn’t start being allocated until 1910, starting from 1 – as you might expect!

2. Why do we need them?

Well, it’s law! Number plates are issued by Australia’s state, territory and Commonwealth governments, as well as our armed forces, as part of a vehicle’s registration.

3. There’s some history attached to number plates in Australia

When the “Vic 1” number plate was released in 1932, the governor, premier and police commissioner argued over who should have it. In the end, nobody won! The plate was locked into a vault at the Motor Registration Board, then sold at auction in 1984.

4. Why ACT plates are so…short

In 1948 the Australian Transport Council allocated alpha-numeric number plates to all states and territories. The bigger jurisdictions were given a range of letters while the ACT was given a single letter – Y.

5. New vs old plates

Today, plates still feature the state or territory acronym. But recently released plates no longer include the state/territory colour and slogan. Plenty of people now primp their car with personalised plates. You can even choose a background theme (cats, anyone?)

6. There’s a collectors club

Australia has an active Number Plate Collectors Club, which formed in 1981 after the inaugural number plate collectors’ convention in Mildura VIC. It now has over 400 members and even has a quarterly newsletter – check out the first edition.

7. And collections can bring serious money…

Why do people collect? Unsurprisingly, the number one reason is investment. Turns out, these things can be worth a lot! Number plates hold value for several reasons. The most valuable being heritage plates featuring one single low number.

8. If you do it right, anyway

But the real value lies in the right to display the number plate on your vehicle. Many heritage plate owners mount reproductions on their car so the real thing doesn’t get stolen or damaged.

9. A recent sale made a tidy profit

In March 2020 a heritage Victorian number plate with the number 26 sold for $1.1 MILLION. Its guiding price range was $600-$700k. It had last been sold for between $70-$80k in 2000.

10. And the most expensive plate in Australia?

The record is held in NSW for the number 4 plate, which sold for $2.45m in 2017. The buyer arrived at the auction in a Ferrari featuring the number 2 plate. Talk about being keen!

cat faces on a number plate

Car insurance and surviving long trips on the road

So, there you go. Now you have enough car trivia to keep your posse calm between toilet stops. And to tempt you away from resorting to distracted driving. If you’re looking more more ways to make a road trip more bearable (specially when children are involved) we’ve got you covered.

Check out:

And even though none of these facts or games involve insurance, we all know that comprehensive car insurance is one of the key elements in road trip success. Plus, you might save on your premium and end up with more money to spend during your driving adventure.

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