More of Australia's Heritage at risk

Over the years, I've had the good fortune to visit some of the world's great museums - the Smithsonian in Washington, the British Museum in London,
the National Palace Museum near Taipei and so on.

Since I am interested in Military History, I have visited, among many others, the Imperial War Museum in London, the Junshi Baowuguan in Beijing, the Heersgesichtlichen Museums im Arsenal in Vienna, the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and the Yasukuni Jinja in Tokyo ((b.t.w., many of my own family members fought against the Japanese Empire; I had no qualms at all about going there)) .

Each of these museums has impressive budgets, outstanding buildings, researchers and curatorial staff of the highest calibre and, of course, the support of eminent and influential people (for example: the Friends of IWM
in London, Forum Viribus Unitis in Vienna).

Right over at the other end of the spectrum from these great museums are the community or unit museums, run on a shoestring budget by hard-working volunteers. They are museums that have usually started with a few people donating or loaning books, artifacts and memorabilia which they feel should not be lost forever and which they feel would interest a rising generation. More often than not, these collections are housed in old buildings; far from perfect conitions for conserving such collections but it is whatever housing for them that the local enthusiasts can afford.

Such a public-spirited group is the
Central Queensland Military & Artifacts Museum,
Bolsover Street, Rockhampton, Queensland 4700, Australia.

This small group has done a mighty job in bringing together an excellent collection for the public to see. Some of the collection was donated by the families of deceased service personnel, entrusted to the Museum by loved ones who knew that what was donated would be handled with care and respect. Some of the collection was rescued from garage sales and second-hand shops by dedicated members who selflessly used their own time, effort, money and fuel over several years to search for items to add to the collection. Display cabinets have been scrounged, recycled, repaired or whatever and filled with all sorts of irreplacable memorabilia. Models and dioramas have been created out of the most unlikely raw materials.

Although the main themes of this community museum are military, naval and air force, the displays are non-judgemental; neither war veterans nor anti-war activists alike would be offended at all by the displays. The memorabilia of former enemy are treated with as much respect as those of our own armed forces or those of our allies and neighbours. No political points are made, no ideology is promoted or despised - where items of wartime propaganda are displayed, they are done so without comment and simply show what things were said in those days. War and military service are not glorified or belittled; they are simply presented as things that have affected the lives of ordinary people.

All in all, this is an excellent community museum and a fine example of how a community's heritage can be saved.

The whole community too has appreciated the efforts of this small band of volunteers: When a Petition was given quite limited circulation for the acquisition of the historic and no longer used wooden barracks of the renowned 42 Battalion from the Department of Defence as a new home for the Museum, there were not dozens or even hundreds of signatories, there were THOUSANDS! Such is the respect these volunteers have earned.

Now this Museum, this priceless collection and these volunteers face a grave problem.

The Central Queensland Military & Artifacts Museum has been temporarily housed in the old Capricornia Electricity Commission office building ..... the building has been sold. The commercial reality is that they must move out very very soon!

Moving into the 42 Battalion barracks in Archer Park is the optimal solution ..... but a major problem has emerged: Over $ 400 000 (AUD = about $ 300 000 USD) in mandatory/compulsory repairs and associated costs is a bit beyond the resources of a small band of volunteers committed to preserving Australia's heritage.

Another solution might be having the Department of Defence donate the use of two of its steel buildings in the Weston Street Depot, Rockhampton, for the use of this military museum but non-military decision makers down in Canberra might fear a terrorist attack or have other compelling reasons and so they might prevent this happening in time. Yet another solution might be to make the repair of the historic 42 Battalion Barracks a week-long exercise (=manoeuvre) for an Australian Army Engineer squadron .......

What can you do to help this band of volunteers? I'm sure all suggestions (and donations too) would be welcome.

Moderation and dissent

Dissent is very welcome here. We cannot learn by refusing to listen to those whose views differ from our own.

I have just started this blog ......
Over the years I have made some rather nasty enemies and I have had my fingers burnt before. So, for the time being, until I gain confidence in dealing with real problems (as opposed to mere abuse) in this format, moderation will have to stay a little longer. The sooner I can get rid of moderation the better.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused by this to anyone who makes honest comment in good faith.

Australian Aborigines - justice and hope

I was going to write a long wordy piece about how we all would benefit from Aboriginal Reconcilliation .... but then I was upstaged .... and I'm glad I was upstaged .... because it was by NSW MP Linda Burney who presented the 7th Vincent Lingiari Memorial Lecture which was broadcast on ABC Radio National's "Awaye" program on Friday 1st September 2006.

You can find it at http://www.abc.net.au/rn/awaye/stories/2006/1721722.htm

There's a Transcript there or you can download the Podcast.

Brilliant. Anything I could have said would have been trivial by comparison .... so I urge you to read it or listen to it.