The unusual, the quirky and eclectic are amongst 5,000 items of military and colonial memorabilia, which form displays of exceptional quality at the Maryborough
Military & Colonial Museum.
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 2 Victoria Crosses, a Cross of Valour, Star of Gallantry, Star of Courage and 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.
The Museum, housed in a magnificent heritage listed structure built in 1879, is part of Maryborough's Portside district. Portside 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.
The other VC held by the Museum is a Gallipoli VC to Major Herbert James VC of the Worcestershire Regiment.
With only 5 awardees of the Australian Cross of Valour medal, our Museum holds Tim Britten's for the Bali Bombing in 2002.
This is the only Cross of Valour anywhere in a Museum.
A recent acquisition is the Star of Courage medal group to James Runham with his AFSM, OAM, Sport Medal and Royal Humane Society Medal.
The Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum is the headquarters for the Queensland branch of the Military Historical
Society of Australia, which is now the strongest branch in the Society.
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, contains the most significant collection of Gallipoli medals in the world. The new attraction contains the medals of 73,
mostly Australian, soldiers decorated at Gallipoli and the medals of 42 of the 370 Australian officers who were killed in that action. The Museum focus from now until
2014 will be to acquire medals and memorabilia on soldiers with a significant history, who served in the early stages of WWI.
The room also contains many unusual items from the battlefield and personal belongings of the soldiers who fought there. A detailed diorama of the Gallipoli headland
allows adults and students to picture the actual landing.
Rifle collection from colonial days to present on display at the Maryborough Military & Colonial Museum.
The Museum has two of the most historically significant medal groups to Australian soldiers for the Vietnam War – 1964 to 1973.
