Australian Aviation Museums

I shall be in Australia, 14-29 March (Melbourne until about the 19th, Canberra to about the 24th, Sydney the rest) and seek advice of those "in the know". With so many things to see (Ballaret gold fields are high on my list; so is Point Grey for nature), I have to use my time to best effect (it can't all be aviation). Searching the web is not fully satisfactory for some things I am seeking. May I solicit advice about what are the most uniquely Australian aviation museums in this limited area ? Do any have good displays of Australian aviation paintings (which may be more distictive of the country than any collection of aeroplanes ?) From the web, the RAAF Museum at Point Cook seems to have the best book shop; is this so ? Can you recommend the best second-hand aviation book shop (I am still looking for Taverner's book on the Distinguished Flyng Medal). If I wanted to compare Canadian bush flying to Australian commercial flying in your interior and in New Guinea, would I be able to find a good museum within the limits of my travels ? Help !

G'Day Hugh, Here are some clues.

Canberra:
Australian War Memorial: Currently the Aeroplane Hall is closed until August but if you go to the AWM's Treloar Annex in Mitchell you can see the collection in storage (Open Sunday & Wednesday).
The AWM also has a shop which you might like to look at. Not specifically a/c but military oriented.

Melbourne:
The RAAF Museum at Pt. Cook of course (the bookshop isn't all that great but I've got one or two interesting things there). Another Museum can be found at the Moorabbin Airport (don't know much about it as I've never been there).
Bookshops: To my mind the best bookshop in Melbourne is Hyland's Bookshop in a basement shop Flinders St. opposite the Railway Station. Arthur Hyland is one of the most helpful proprietors I know. Again not specifically a/c but the best "Men's Interest" bookshop I have found in Australia. You can also try Napoleon's in Elizabeth St. Small but lots of stuff.

Enjoy your trip to Oz.

Hugh,

I recently put up a list of WWI aircraft on display in Australian Museums. It is at:

http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/PointC...c_aircraft.htm

That list has links to the Museums respective websites as well. Which may help.

If your going into Sydney try some of ths side streets in the CBD, plenty of military souvenier shops and bookshops, as well as plenty of second hand bookshops.

Sydney also has the Narellan/Camden Air Museum, there is the RAN Museum at Nowra too which is a picturesque 2 hour drive from the CBD. Bankstown Airport also has some Warbirds displays. The AWM and RAAF Museum are the grand daddys of them all though.


cam

G'day Hugh,

As far as a dedicated Air Museum, well we do not have much, although one is being built at Bankstown Airport (a Suburb of Sydney), I think stage 1 is due to open if not already open.

The Treloar Centre in Canberra is worth the visit, pay the extra $15 dollars for the guided tour, Sakai's Zero is there as well as G for George (Lancaster) although that is being restored at the moment, the 3 WW1 birds are there as well, but are partly dismantled. The AWM research centre is not to be missed.

Point Cook should be good, my G G Unlce was the caretaker there during WW1 and his son was part of the Half Flight, the original cottage still stands.

Closer to Sydney there is the Museum at the RAAF base at Richmond, various jets etc, I seem to recall a DR1 (replica) there as well.

As for artworks there is a store at Bankstown airport that specialises in Aussie Aviation prints.

Bookstores, Napoleons in Sydney have a good range but are expensive, the definitive used bookstore is at Berrima (1hr from Sydney) ,Berkolouws (sp?) they have some amazing stuff but bring your money with you.

If you want a tour guide give me a yell when you get to Sydney, I live close to the Blue Mountains so if you want to head out there then I would be more than pleased to show a fellow forumite around.

Regards,
Andrew

Hylans and berkelouws are terrific stores,probably the best in the country!
the Camden/narellan museum is excellent, they are very proud of thier Vengeance Dive bomber and have a number of excellent 'relics'.
The Dri that weas at Bankstown is now at Point Cook and I believe it is up for sale! (noone will fly it,it is about 200lb too heavy for anything approaching real flight! My father flew the pup with the DR1 for some time at airshows and described the DR1 take of as "curvature of earth stuff", that is, firewall the throttle and wait for the earth to rotate away from under you The AWM treloar tour is the only way to view the A?C in store and is well worth the money.
I would be glad to offer my services as driver etc also,I do need to go to Canberra too....
Cheers
Chris

[Vin]

Hugh

I emailed you direct on this topic. If you did not get the message, let me know.

Andrew,

Blue Mountains, eh. Did you cause the crash ?


Vin

G'day Vin,

I have a reliable witness, I wasn't there, really I wasn't!

Andrew.