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Category: Vehicles

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National Museum of Australia

FJ Holden and Propert Trailaway touring caravan

National Museum of Australia

Dedicated to preserving Australia’s social history, the National Museum of Australia contains many unique and significant artefacts. Located in Canberra on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin, its distinctive because of its architecture.

Getting There

We drove and used the large carpark on site, although as with most Canberra parking, there is a fee. Entry to the museum is free, but entrance to any special exhibits incur a fee. During our visit, Ancient Greeks, a large display of ancient Greek artefacts was there, so we paid to visit this too.

National Museum of Australia
Entrance
National Museum of Australia
National Museum of Australia

The Gandel Atrium

This is also the entrance foyer, containing the giftshop and several displays. In the centre is a cast of Australia’s most famous dinosaur, Muttaburrasaurus. Nearby is Australia’s first car, the FJ Holden and a caravan, showing the affluence of the 1950s and the rise of industrialisation.

Situated just off the atrium is the café, where food and drinks can be purchased. We bought morning coffee and snacks here before moving on to other displays.

FJ Holden and Propert Trailaway touring caravan
FJ Holden and Propert Trailaway touring caravan
Cast of Muttaburrasaurus langdoni National Museum of Australia
Cast of Muttaburrasaurus langdoni

Landmarks Gallery

The Landmarks Gallery traces the social development of Australia from it’s early colonial farming to the current day. Important features such as the windmill used to pump water, harvesters and stagecoaches give way to mining and the stock market. We thought the most interesting item here was the very first Holden Prototype preserved in excellent condition.

Kenya station windmill from the 1920s National Museum of Australia
Kenya station windmill from the 1920s
Sunshine Harvester
Sunshine Harvester
Thoroughbrace Coach used by the Nowland family, 1860–80
Thoroughbrace Coach used by the Nowland family, 1860–80
Backhoe rock shovel bucket from a Terex O&K mining excavator RH-120E
Backhoe rock shovel bucket from a Terex O&K mining excavator RH-120E
Holden Prototype No. 1 National Museum of Australia
Holden Prototype No. 1

First Australians

The First Australians gallery showcases aboriginal society from pre-colonial times to the present day. Artefacts including a full sized outrigger canoe represent Torres Strait Islander culture.

The post-colonial treatment of aboriginal people shows their disenfranchisement, loss of land and persecution. Although attempts have been made to remedy the wrongs of the past, a lot is still required for true equality. The displays here demonstrate the wrongs, often with personal stories from those who suffered.

Hatchet and an adze National Museum of Australia
Hatchet and an adze
Bark hut from the Framlingham Kaori settlement
Bark hut from the Framlingham Kaori settlement
Mask from the Western Torres Strait National Museum of Australia
Mask from the Western Torres Strait
Double outrigger canoe named Kulbasaibai, 2000, from Saibai Island in the Torres Strait,
Double outrigger canoe named Kulbasaibai, 2000, from Saibai Island in the Torres Strait,

Special Exhibition Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes

Open until 1 May 2022, Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes contains many treasures from the British Museum. From statues to tiny coins and jewellery the displays were amazing. If you are in Canberra while this is showing, it is really worth going to. We have been to Greece but still enjoyed this display.

Woman of Wealth National Museum of Australia
Woman of Wealth
Frieze from Halikarnossos Greeks vs Amazons
Frieze from Halikarnossos Greeks vs Amazons
Heroic athlete or athletic hero National Museum of Australia
Heroic athlete or athletic hero
Amphora depicting the Keles
Amphora depicting the Keles
Olympic Discus Thrower
Olympic Discus Thrower

What Did We Think?

We loved the Greek display and would have visited just for that. The rest of the museum has a nationally important collection, which we found interesting. If you want to see the social history of Australia, it’s a great place to visit.

For other places to visit in the Australian Capital Territory click here

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Yass New South Wales

Yass Courthouse

Yass New South Wales

An hour’s drive north of Canberra, or west from Goulburn, Yass is an historic New South Wales Town. We were passing through on a drive from Canberra to Orange so stopped to have a quick look around. Being early morning, parking was easy, and we found a spot outside the Banjo Patterson Park, named after the famous Australia poet.

Several coffee shops were open, so we ordered a coffee before setting off to explore the town. The main street, Comur St contains several well preserved nineteenth-century buildings. The Post Office looks great, but the courthouse looks like a small palace!

Yass Post Office Yass New South Wales
Yass Post Office
Yass Courthouse Yass New South Wales
Yass Courthouse
Banjo Patterson Bust Yass
Banjo Patterson Bust
Banjo Patterson Park Yass New South Wales
Banjo Patterson Park
Tootsie Gallery and Café Yass New South Wales
Tootsie Gallery and Café

Yass Railway Museum

The Yass Railway Museum is small with only a few trains and pieces of rolling stock on display. However, it’s a great place to visit, see some interesting trains, memorabilia and find out about the history of trains in Yass. You can find a full story of our visit here.

1307 Steam Locomotive Yass New South Wales
1307 Steam Locomotive

Abandoned Railway Bridge

We drove to the old railway bridge over the Yass River, parking at Joe O’Conner Park and walking down to the river. Disused since 1988 when the rail line closed it’s now a tourist attraction and heritage listed. It was interesting to walk around, especially as there are trees growing through parts of it.

Old Tramway Bridge Yass
Old Tramway Bridge
Old Tramway Bridge
The Old Tramway Bridge
Old Tramway Bridge
Old Tramway Bridge

What Did We Think Of Yass?

Although this was only a quick visit, we enjoyed our time here. The lovely old buildings on the main street, abandoned bridge and railway museum are all worth stopping to see.

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

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Yass Railway Museum

1307 Steam Locomotive

Yass Railway Museum

Located in the old Yass Town railway station, the Yass Railway Museum displays some of the old rolling stock that used to work here. The main rail line passes four kilometres to the north of Yass, because two river crossing would have been needed to bring it through town. Because of this, Yass lobbied for a light tramway into the main town. Opened in 1892, but never operating at a profit, it was closed in 1988.

The old railway station building houses a small giftshop, railway memorabilia and a model railway. All the main exhibits are outside on the old tracks.

The main attraction is the 1307 steam locomotive. This coal fired steam locomotive operated at Yass from 1910 to 1964. On leaving Yass, it worked around several of Sydney’s train workshops, including Eveleigh and Clyde. When finally retired, it had operated for 94 years. Fortunately sent to Thirlmere Railway Museum for preservation, 1307 relocated to Yass in 1999.

Sitting on the tracks just passed 1307, a line of rolling stock includes a freight wagon, a covered wagon, fuel truck and brake van. At the head of the line-up is X203 diesel locomotive. Although usually employed for shunting trains around stations, at Yass it was the sole locomotive from 1964 to 1972. Scrapped in 1989 the Yass diesel locomotive was actually X202, but X203 stands in for it at the museum.

Awaiting restoration, an open carriage and brake van sit outside the goods shed. As with all the displays, you are able to enter them.

What Did We Think?

With only a few displays, it doesn’t take long to look around, but it was a fun visit, and we were pleased we went. Plenty of parking makes access easy.

Yass Railway Museum
Yass Town Railway Station – Now a Museum
Yass Railway Museum
Old Yass Railway Station
1307 Steam Locomotive Yass Railway Museum
1307 Steam Locomotive
1307 Steam Locomotive
1307 Steam Locomotive
X203 Diesel Locomotive
X203 Diesel Locomotive
X203 Diesel Locomotive Yass Railway Museum
X203 Diesel Locomotive
Open End Carriage No. 1259 Yass Railway Museum
Open End Carriage No. 1259
Model Railway Yass Railway Museum
Model Railway

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