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The Australian National Aviation Museum is an aviation museum at the Moorabbin Airport in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1962 as the Australian Aircraft Restoration Group, an attempt to maintain a World War II-era aircraft. It later formed into a museum and was originally named the Moorabbin Air Museum. It currently holds 50 aircraft and 25 engines.
[edit] History
The Australian Aircraft Restoration Group was formed in 1962 as a nonprofit group by a group of members of the Aviation Historical Society of Australia. The project began with the recovery and restoration of a DAP Beaufighter which was threatened to be scrapped. Following the donation of the Beaufighter in April 1962, a Wackett Trainer was purchased, followed by a DH60G Gipsy Moth. In 1964, after additional purchases and donations, the collection was relocated to a service station in north Lilydale near the Moorabbin Airport. The Australian Department of Civil Aviation leased land to the museum and erected a fence on May 20, 1965. In July 1967, the museum erected a new fence and increased its land size due to its growing collection.
In the 1980s the museum had over 30 aircraft, but were all suffering from weathering. In April 1989 a 12,000 square foot hangar was built to house and protect the aircraft. Between 1980 and 2000 the aircraft collection increased by an average of one airframe per year. The collection now totals 52 machines.
[edit] Notable aircraft in collection
For a complete list, see the museum's webpage.
[edit] Awards
- Certificate of Merit in the 1985 Museum of the Years Awards
[edit] External links
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