Established May 2014 (2014-05) Collection size at least 76 AFVs Phone +61 7 4038 1665 | Location Cairns, Australia Visitors Open to the public | |
Type Tank and Military Museum Key holdings Military Vehicles and Artillery Address 1145 Kamerunga Rd, Smithfield QLD 4878, Australia Hours Open today · 9:30AM–4:30PMFriday9:30AM–4:30PMSaturday9:30AM–4:30PMSunday9:30AM–4:30PMMonday9:30AM–4:30PMTuesday9:30AM–4:30PMWednesday9:30AM–4:30PMThursday9:30AM–4:30PM Similar Cattana Wetlands, Royal Australian Armoured, Cable Ski, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural P Profiles | ||
The Australian Armour and Artillery Museum is a museum dedicated to tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery from the second World war period and post war. It was officially opened in 2014, in Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
Contents
- The Collection
- US vehicles
- Australian vehicles
- British vehicles
- Russian vehicles
- German vehicles
- Other countries
- Vehicles not on display
- Donation of Australian Tank From Wargaming Inc
- Shooting Gallery and Workshop
- Tiger 1 Replica
- Military vehicle Museums in Australia
- References
The museum has purchased a number of vehicles and items for display from overseas, including some items from the The Littlefield Collection when it was downsized. It is the largest collection of military vehicles in Australia, and the only major collection of vehicles in Australia apart from the Royal Australian Armoured Corps Memorial and Army Tank Museum at Puckapunyal. It is one of the largest private collections of artillery and AFVs in the world.
The museums houses vehicles from a number of overseas manufacture, including vehicles from Russia, German, Japan, the UK, the US and Czechoslovakia.
The Collection
The museum houses artillery and vehicles, from WW2 and post WW2. All up the collection owns more than 75 vehicles, with more than 100 exhibits on display. A number are also in various stages of restoration and transit. The Collection features a range of armoured vehicles especially, German, US, Australian, British and Russian.
US vehicles
Both an early model and later model Stuart, M48 Patton, M110 SPG, M3 Grant, M3 Lee, Patton M47, White half track, Staghound, M52 105mm SPG, LVT4, M114 Command and Reconnaissance vehicle, M577A1 Command Vehicle (Ex Australian Army), Staghound Anti-Aircraft variant and an M3 Grant "local Farm conversion", M113A1 (Ex Australian army), White M3.
Australian vehicles
The collection house two rare Sentinel tanks, AC1 and AC4, dingo scout car, local Pattern 2 Carrier, Yeramba 25 pdr, LP4 Armoured Car, M113 fire support vehicle and a 2pdr Portee on a ford Blitz truck.
British vehicles
Saladin, Chieftain, Matilda II, WWII British artillery tractor, Sherman Firefly, Churchill Mk VII, Centurion, Churchill Flail, Churchill AVRE, Valentine tank, Saracen, Ferret Mk 2, Fox, FV433 Abbot SPG, Sabre (tank), Bar Mine Layer, Matilda II with Mk3 No.1 Bulldozer blade.
Russian vehicles
Soviet artillery tractor, T55, T34/85, T60, T70, T72, BTR152, SU76, SU100, Pion 2S7 203mm SPG, BTR60 Command version, ATL Artillery Tractor, SA-2 (Surface to Air Missile)
German vehicles
Jagdpanzer 38(t), Tiger 1 (replica from the film "Fury), Leopard 1, Jagdpanzer Kannone, Panzer IV Ausf D, Kettelgrad, Panther, Sd.kfz 251/1 Ausf D and a Sd.Kfz. 250B, Stug III, Beobachtungpanzer Artillery Observation Vehicle
Other countries
Other vehicles form other countries include a Canadian Ram Kangaroo, Czech OT810, Canadian Lynx, French Panhard AML, Ford Gun Tractor with Australian Limber and British 25 pdr, and Czech Praga with 30mm AA gun
Vehicles not on display
Additionally, there are a number of vehicles owned by the museum, but not currently on display. Mostly these are still being prepared in workshops, either on site or overseas, or they are in transit to the Museum. Some of these include an M4A1 Sherman, Humber MkIV armoured car, 2S1 Gvozdika, BMP 1, British Cromwell tank and an Archer SPG (Ex The Wheatcroft Collection).
Donation of Australian Tank From Wargaming Inc
The museum hosts two rare Australian Cruiser tanks (two of six left in the world), an AC1 Sentinel and a hybrid AC1 with an AC3 turret, presented as an AC4. The AC1 Sentinel was purchased and given to the museum by Wargaming (company), producer of the World of Tanks tank simulator. The Sentinel was in the United States at the Littlefield Collection when that collection sold off many of its vehicles, and Wargaming Inc desired to purchase it and return it to its original home. As part of the purchase, it allowed access to the tank by Wargaming, so that they could study it and replicate it accurately for their game.
Shooting Gallery and Workshop
The Museum site also includes a 50-metre shooting gallery and a repair/restoration workshop where the vehicles which are in a state of deterioration can be restored. The workshop has a number of staff and can modify and build vehicles. As of 2015, the site has expanded to house more vehicles.
Tiger 1 Replica
In 2016, the museum workshop undertook construction of a Tiger 1 replica. This utilised a highly accurate, partially constructed Tiger 1 that was originally constructed for the movie Fury, which in itself was an accurate replica of Tiger 131. The reconstruction utilised that upper portion of the Tiger, and also referenced original tiger parts the museum had purchased to make the whole tank. The bottom chassis was completely scratchbuilt, the first time the museum had produced its own tank from scratch. The Tiger reproduction uses a truck engine, and modern gear and drive compononents, but it is outwardly a running, almost completely accurate Tiger 1. It was completed in November 2016, and is the only tank of this scale to be completed in Australia.