Number Plate Stories NT

Hi! I’m Vivien, from Dublin, Ireland and Adelaide SA. I came to Darwin in May 2011 (redundancy!) and one of the first things that caught my attention and tickled my sense of humour - NT personalised car number plates.
There are so many here and such fun!

To me, personalised number plates represent, a certain spirit in the NT - bold, adventurous, quirky, different, non-conformist. Many of them so clever, witty, hilarious, loutish, - not easy to decipher or I’m still trying to work them out.
Even Bogan?

I can’t imagine them appearing in such numbers anywhere else in Australia!
NT UNIQUE!! NT ENTERTAINING! NT COOL!

I walked the car parks of Casuarina, Karama, Nightcliff, Palmerston and Darwin photographing personalised car number plates with my MOB. Often I passed no more than 25 cars or so before I found one to photograph. That’s an amazing number of personalised plates and an amazing collection of stories to match! It was the story behind the number plate that interested me most. Meeting with car owners or drivers and chatting with them – I encountered many fascinating Darwin folk.

I purchased a small green camera for $62 (special offer) from Dick Smith then a voice recorder from JB HiFi. These became tools of my new trade!

Walking about Darwin, I began to collect photos seriously – like an addict.

The Greatest Husband in the World (GHitW) was always willing to stop walking, stop the car “Pleeze Stop!” and let me get out to take a quick photo / have a brief / not so brief chat …

Needing more skills …

I went along to several excellent computer classes at Casuarina Senior College.

Jim, Head Honcho, in the Darwin Seniors Computer Club (DSCC) cleverly provided me with my domain name ‘numberplatestories’.
Anne, DSCC Club Secretary, a million thanks for being so enthusiastic about my new hobby!

Justin and Carly in the City Library, Digital Hub thank you for all the support and coaching you have given me over the past few months. The coffee shop, across the road, “ Kingsheart” served us well with delicious coffee and kept us all going.

Tiana – an IT student at CDU -who so brilliantly designed my logo.

Maxime – a French IT Engineer, whom I found on Gumtree, worked very hard and long to set up my web site.


With increasing confidence, I had a few cards with my contact details printed – (Vistaprint - you were easy-to-use, cheap, speedy and good quality – great service). I began leaving them under windscreen wipers on cars where I requested owners to send me the story associated with their number plate.
I received many (fascinating) stories via gmail.

The NT NEWS another favourite (I also collect NT headlines and loved “OBAMA GETS CROC INSURANCE) included a short article on me in October 2012.

I spoke with the wonderful Julia Christenson on ABC Radio 105. FM.
Darwinians began to ask when we met, if I was the “Plate Lady” or “Plate Chick”.

Now I am an enthusiastic, serious collector of NT personalised car (and bike) personalised plates and their stories. I have set up a website, hope to publish a book by Christmas. Would love to publish a tourist item / souvenir - from what I can see there is no book on the plates in the NT and I think Territorians and tourists would like to have one.

Please help me build my collection! Thank you, Darwinians for providing me with hours of enjoyment and a new fascinating hobby.

If you haven’t yet, can you send me the story of your personalised plate?

numberplatestories@gmail.com

See if I’ve taken yours…

If not, can you add your plate or story?