Destination's Journey

Category: Military Museum

  • Australian Army Infantry Museum

    Australian Army Infantry Museum

    Australian Army Infantry Museum

    Only a ten-minute drive south of Singleton in the Hunter Valley, the Australian Army Infantry Museum showcases the history of Australia’s infantry men and women from colonial times to the present.

    Entry is free for Australian Defence Force members, with a modest $8.00 fee for adults (2020) and discounts for children and pensioners.

    Located adjacent to the Lone Pine Barracks, the museum has a new car park with plenty of parking spaces.

    The Museum

    Housed in a new, state of the art, purpose-built building, the museum is a huge improvement on the previous building. The display hall is large, spacious and has sombre lighting. Professionally curated, the displays tell the story of Australian Infantry, their equipment, training and deployments.

    The museum also houses a cafe, where you can purchase drinks snacks and light meals.

    Outside Displays

    In the outside courtyard a Matilda Tank and a Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle an Australian-built four-wheel drive armoured vehicle.

    Matilda Tank Outside the Australian Army Infantry Museum
    Matilda Tank Outside the Australian Army Infantry Museum
    Bushmaster
    Bushmaster

    Entrance

    The entrance has a beautiful wall of remembrance, covered in poppies and listing the names of those fallen in battle.

    The first exhibit that greets visitors is a huge bronze sculpture of an infantryman, which makes a great first impression.

    Wall of Remembrance
    Wall of Remembrance
    Infantryman Statue Australian Army Infantry Museum
    Infantryman Statue

    Ground Floor Displays

    The ground floor contains exhibits that cover heavy equipment the infantry used, from field-guns and personnel carriers to a helicopter. The walls contain display cases showing operational deployments, from Sudan in 1885 through to current commitments.

    Universal Carrier
    Universal Carrier
    Pak 38 German Anti-Tank Gun
    Pak 38 German Anti-Tank Gun
    Equipment Display
    Equipment Display
    M113A1 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle Australian Army Infantry Museum
    M113A1 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle
    Bell UH-1 Iroquois
    Bell UH-1 Iroquois

    Upper Floor

    Exhibits on the upper floor range from personal weapons such as rifles and grenades to uniforms and mortars. All of the exhibits are accompanied by explanations, which give excellent context to the displays. The displays show how they have developed and influenced the tactics, techniques and procedures of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps.

    Weapons Display at the Australian Army Infantry Museum
    Weapons Display at the Australian Army Infantry Museum
    Weapons Display at the Australian Army Infantry Museum
    Weapons Display at the Australian Army Infantry Museum
    Uniform Display
    Uniform Display
    Uniform Display

    What did We Think?

    If you are travelling through the area, this is an excellent museum to visit. It provides a history of Australian Infantry, without glorifying war. It shows how the army has evolved from colonial times to the present, illustrating it with very professional displays.

    To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

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  • North Head Sanctuary and Tunnels

    North Head Sanctuary and Tunnels

    North Head


    Operated by Sydney Harbour Trust, North Head is an ex-army heritage listed site. Staffed by volunteers, the Visitor Centre is an ideal point to start your exploration of the area as they can provide you with an overview of what’s available. Our visit on a Sunday corresponded to the day that a guided tour was running for the site and underground tunnels. For a small fee a guide shows groups around while explaining the importance of each area. Importantly this is the only way to gain access to the tunnels which form a major part of the site.

    Getting to North Head

    Public Transport

    Ferries to Manly run from Circular Quay, taking around 30 minutes for the trip. Alternately, the Manly Fast Ferry takes 20 minutes, but is more expensive. There is a Fast Ferry service to Q Station Wharf, if you want to start here instead of Manly.

    From the Manly Ferry Wharf, bus 135 takes 20 minutes to drive to North Head. This bus runs every hour and connects well with the ferry arriving and departing Manly. Located outside the main entrance, bus stops are easy to find.

    Walking

    Taking 40 minutes, the shortest walk winds through Manly’s streets, past Q Station and onto North Head. A more scenic track runs along the shore, taking you past fantastic clifftop lookouts and historical gun emplacements, before passing Shelly Beach and ending at Manly Beach. At 4.2 km long, the scenic track takes around an hour one way, but has wonderful scenery to enjoy along the way.

    Starting at Q Station, a 1.3 km track passes through bush land, passes the Third Quarantine Cemetery before ending at the North Head Sanctuary Visitors’ Centre. This well paved track is an easy 20-minute walk, with great views over Sydney Harbour.

    Headstones in the third Quarantine Cemetery
    Headstones in the third Quarantine Cemetery
    Headstones in the third Quarantine Cemetery
    Headstones in the third Quarantine Cemetery

    Driving

    Located outside the Visitor Centre is a pay for use car park, which makes driving yourself a convenient option

    North Fort Tour


    Starting with a short film on Sydney’s history of fortifications which was informative and gave us an insight into their original appearance.

    View of South Head From North Head
    View of South Head From North Head
    View of Sydney From North Head
    View of Sydney From North Head

    Memorial Walk


    The walking tour started with the Memorial Walk which is a paved pathway winding through Australian bush land. Many of the paving stones have been inscribed with the names of servicemen which gives a personal touch to the area.


    Progressing along the path takes you to all the memorials for wars Australia has been involved in. Each of the memorials is made of Sydney sandstone and engraved with an overview of the conflict. The Gallipoli Memorial contains the only non-native species in the area, a cutting from the lone pine.

    Memorial Walk
    Memorial Walk
    World War 1 Memorial
    World War 1 Memorial
    Lone Pine Gallipoli Memorial
    Lone Pine Gallipoli Memorial

    Fortifications


    Continuing to the above ground fortifications we saw the remains of gun emplacements which now consist of concrete structures without any guns. The only remaining gun is a 9.2 inch (23.37 cm) barrel which is on display next to the forts.

    9.2 Inch Gun
    9.2 Inch Gun

    Underground Tunnels


    The highlight of the tour was the underground tunnels. These consist of the rooms and the tunnels needed to service the guns and protect the military personnel manning the forts. Our guide took us through each room, explaining their function and how each was operating when the fort was working.

    In the magazine, dummy shells give an idea of the size of the projectiles used and a rack has them set up to show how it would have looked. Even the old diesel generators are in place, giving an idea of the power needed to run the fort.

    Well lit with well maintained walkways, the tunnels were easy to walk through with some good photographic opportunities. Stairs in several areas are steep, but not very long, so should not be a problem for most people. Unfortunately, people with mobility issues will not be able to take the underground tour.

    Dummy Shells in the Magazine
    Dummy Shells in the Magazine
    Underground Diesel Generator in the North Head Tunnels
    Underground Diesel Generator in the North Head Tunnels
    The Tunnels
    The Tunnels
    North Head Tunnels
    North Head Tunnels

    Food and Drinks

    At the end of the tour, you can also walk down to the restaurant for food and beverages.

    What Did We Think

    North Head is a great place to visit, as it covers, Sydney’s history, with fantastic views and bush walks. Being easy to get to either by public transport or car makes it a great day out.

    To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

    Our photos are available for purchase on

  • Our Town Model Show Newcastle 2019

    Our Town Model Show Newcastle 2019

    Our Town Model Show

    An annual event held at the Newcastle Jockey Club, Our Town Model Show  caters for a wide range of hobbies from model trains and planes to doll houses and boats. Anyone interested in models making or collecting will enjoy this event, because everyone who attends is passionate about their hobby.

    Model Trains

    There was a great display of trains running with amazingly well detailed dioramas. The effort that went into constructing them was outstanding, making it just as interesting as the trains were.

    • Railway Model
      Railway Model
    • Railway Model
      Diorama Railway Model
    • Railway Model
      Railway Model

    Model Ships

    The model boat displays were truly awesome. On static display was a range of 72 scale destroyers and other ships by Task Force 72. At around 2 m long, these huge models are amazingly detailed replicas of the original ship.

    There was an indoor pond displaying remote controlled boats, which we found extremely interesting, because of the variety and detail of the ships. Many of them were zooming around, especially the tugboats which were very manoeuvrable. At 1:100 scale, these models show the dedication their owners give to their hobby to produce such great replicas.

    • HMAS Hobart by Task Force 72
      HMAS Hobart by Task Force 72
    • Indoor Pool and Remote Controlled Ships
      Indoor Pool and Remote Controlled Ships
    • HMAS Tobruk (L 50)
      HMAS Tobruk (L 50)
    • A Ship on the Inside Pool
      A Ship on the Inside Pool

    Model Aircraft

    Model aircraft were present in a huge array covering all eras of flight and different scales. There was a huge display showing the skills of the model builders.

    Scale Model Aircraft Display at Our Town Model Fair
    Scale Model Aircraft Display
    • Large Remote Controlled Tiger Tank
      Large Remote Controlled Tiger Tank

    Science Fiction Models

    Science fiction models from Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica and Gundam were on display, making an interesting alternative to the “real world” models elsewhere at the Our Town Model Show.

    • Gundam Models at the Our Town Model Fair Newcastle
      Gundam Models

    Die Cast Models

    An extensive display of Corgi and other brands of cars, buses and machinery catered for collectors of die-cast models.

    • Corgi Bus Display at Our Town Model Fair Newcastle
      Corgi Bus Display
    • Cars Models at Town Model Fair Newcastle
      Cars Models

    Hobby Supplies For Sale

    For anyone interested in adding to their hobby Frontline Hobbies had a huge stall with models for sale, which was great if inspiration struck you to build something as you walked around the displays.

    A second had stall selling deceased estates was doing a good trade in model kits for anyone looking for some older models at a cheaper price.

    Tools and accessories were available from Tinkering Tools, who had a large
    range of high-quality products for sale.

    If you got hungry, the NJC has its cafe operating and coffee snacks and meals were available

    Parking was excellent on site and free, which was great and the walking distance to the fair was very short.

    The entry fee of $10 each was good value for a few hours of entertainment and profits were donated to Benwerrin Rural Fire Service, so a good cause was supported too.

    To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

    Our photos are available for purchase on