Car Club visits Museum
(click image for larger view)
At the Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum expect the unexpected - the unusual, the quirky and eclectic amongst 4000 items of military and colonial
memorabilia, which form displays of exceptional quality.
The museum provides a testament to not only those heroes who fought in distant lands to ensure our way of life and prosperity, but also those courageous and
determined people who pioneered and progressed the Maryborough area for almost two centuries.
The exhibits include 3 Victoria Crosses, a Cross of Valour, many other significant medals, uniforms and period costumes as well as historic vehicles and scale models
of ships and planes.
For the art lover there is trench art, paintings, murals, wood sculpture and relief carving. Pianists entertain visitors with everything from old wartime favourites to jazz and
recent popular music.
All this as well as a 2000 book library, primarily of Australian and NZ military history, are housed in a magnificent heritage listed structure built in 1879.
Research facilities, including photocopying, are available for family historians.
The Museum is part of Maryborough's Portside district which runs from the Brolga Theatre along the Mary River to the Marina and extends out to parts of Kent,
Bazaar and March Streets in the CBD.
Maryborough's once thriving wharves are long gone, but in their place is an exceptional heritage precinct called Portside - with sensational parklands, museums,
restaurants, art galleries, historic pubs, steam train rides and river cruises.
The Museum has two of the most historically significant medal groups to Australian soldiers for the Vietnam War - 1964 to 1973.
They are Keith Payne VC OAM who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry in Kontum Province on 24th
May 1969 and Lt-Col Harry Smith SG MC who commanded Delta Company 6RAR during the battle of LONG TAN
on the 18th of Aug 1966.
Display items are rotated regularly. They range through the full spectrum of our military and colonial roots providing a vibrant and
nostalgia laced insight into the joys, tribulations and sadness that confronted our pioneering, patriotic and hard-working forebears.
Gallipoli Room -
According to Museum Director, John Meyers, the room contains the most significant collection of Gallipoli medals in the world. The new attraction contains the
medals of 65, mostly Australian, soldiers decorated at Gallipoli and the medals of 40 of the 370 Australian officers killed there.
There is also a detailed diorama of the Gallipoli battlefield which allows adults and students to picture the actual landing.
HMS Victory
Volunteeers move the scale model of HMS Victory in readiness for display.
The model was built by Mal Thorpe of Stanthorpe Queensland and took 3500 hours to complete.
Museum Hours
9am - 3pm 7 days.
John Meyers explains the significance of the Victoria Cross and other medals awarded to Keith Payne, to students from Riverside Christian College. The Museum
welcomes school groups. More information for schools!
Just one of the many scale model planes in the Museum.
View War Oddities!
This stone was found in the water at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, with an embedded Turkish bullet.
This Passenger Vehicle Girling 1911 Model is the only one in Australia and believed to be the only one remaining in the world.
"It is owned by Ron Stephenson of Maryborough ....." Read more ....
May Clarke
Visitors can enjoy tunes from WW1 right up to present day hits. Request your favourites! More information!
Gallipoli Room -
According to Museum Director, John Meyers, the room contains the most significant collection of Gallipoli medals in the world. The new attraction contains the
medals of 65, mostly Australian, soldiers decorated at Gallipoli and the medals of 40 of the 370 Australian officers killed there.
