Australian Armour and Artillery Museum facts for kids

The Australian Armour and Artillery Museum is a special museum in Smithfield, near Cairns, Queensland, Australia. It's a private museum, meaning it's not run by the government. This museum is all about tanks, armoured vehicles, and artillery (big guns). Most of the items are from World War II and the years after. The museum first opened its doors in 2014.

This museum has bought many vehicles and items from other countries. Some even came from the famous Littlefield Collection when it became smaller. It has the largest collection of military vehicles in Australia. It's also one of the biggest private collections of artillery and armoured vehicles anywhere in the world! You can see vehicles from places like Russia, Germany, Japan, the UK, the US, and Czechoslovakia.

An operational Panzer IV Ausf D tank

What's in the Collection?

The museum has artillery pieces that are very old, some even from World War I. It also displays vehicles from World War II and later. In total, the museum owns over 100 vehicles. More than 190 different exhibits are on display for visitors to see. Some vehicles are also being fixed up or are on their way to the museum. The collection includes many types of armoured vehicles. You can find examples from Germany, the US, Australia, Britain, and Russia.

US Vehicles

The museum has many cool vehicles from the United States. These include early and later models of the Stuart tank. You can also see the M47 Patton and M48 Patton tanks. There's an M110 self-propelled gun, which is a big gun on tracks. Other US vehicles are the M3 Lee and M3 Grant tanks. A Sherman M4A1 tank is also on display.

You can also find a White half-track and a Staghound armoured car. There's an M52 105mm SPG and a LVT4 landing vehicle. The collection also features an M114 Command and Reconnaissance vehicle. You can see an M577A1 Command Vehicle and an M113A1. Both of these were used by the Australian Army. Other vehicles include a White M3 half-track and a Staghound Anti-Aircraft version. There's even an M3 Grant that was changed into a "local farm conversion." Finally, you can see an M36 Jackson, M7 Priest, and M41 Walker Bulldog.

Australian Vehicles

The museum is home to some very rare Australian tanks. It has two Sentinel tanks (AC1 and AC4). These are special because not many are left in the world. Other Australian vehicles include a Dingo scout car. There's also a Local Pattern 2 Carrier and a 2 Pdr Attack Carrier. You can see a Yeramba self-propelled 25-pounder. An LP4 Armoured Car and an M113 fire support vehicle are also there. The collection includes an S1 (American) Scout car. A Rover MkII armoured car is on display. Lastly, there's a 2-pounder Portee gun on a Blitz truck.

British Vehicles

The museum has many interesting vehicles from Britain. These include the Archer and two Saladin armoured cars. You can see a powerful Chieftain tank. There's also a Humber Armoured Car and a Matilda II tank. A WWII British artillery tractor is also part of the collection. Other tanks include the Sherman Firefly, Churchill Mk VII, and Churchill Flail. A Churchill AVRE and a Centurion tank are also on display.

You can also find a Valentine tank, Saracen, and Ferret Mk 2. The collection includes a Fox and an FV433 Abbot SPG. There's a Sabre tank and a Bar Mine Layer. Finally, you can see a Matilda II tank with a special Mk3 No.1 Bulldozer blade.

Inside The Australian Armour & Artillery Museum

Russian Vehicles

The museum has a strong collection of vehicles from Russia (the Soviet Union). These include a Soviet artillery tractor and a BMP-1 armoured vehicle. You can see several famous tanks like the T-55, T-26, T34/85, T-60, T-70, and T-72. There's also a BTR-152 armoured personnel carrier. Other vehicles include the SU-76, SU-100, and ISU-152 self-propelled guns. A huge 2S7 Pion 203mm SPG is also on display.

The collection also features a BTR-60 Command version and an ATL Artillery Tractor. You can see an SA-2 (Surface to Air Missile) launcher. There's a 2S1 Gvozdika and a very rare KV-1 tank. The KV-1 was heavily damaged and is currently being fixed up.

German Vehicles

The museum has many impressive German vehicles. These include the Panzer 38(t) and Jagdpanzer 38(t). You can see a Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf J tank. There's also a Pz.Kpfw. VI "Tiger" tank, plus a replica from the movie "Fury." Other vehicles are the Hummel and Leopard 1 tank. A Kanonenjagdpanzer is also on display.

The museum has several versions of the Pz.Kpfw. IV: Ausf D, Ausf E, Ausf G, and Ausf J. You can also see a Jagdpanther and a Kettenkraftrad (Sd.Kfz. 2). There are different models of the Sd.Kfz. 250: Sd.Kfz. 250/3 Ausf A, Sd.Kfz. 250/3 Ausf B, and Sd.Kfz 250/8. The collection includes a Sturmgeschütz III Ausf A and a Sturmhaubitze 42. An Beobachtungpanzer Artillery Observation Vehicle is also present.

More German vehicles include the Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf D, Sd.Kfz. 251/9 Ausf C, and Sd.Kfz. 251/22. There's also an Sd.Kfz. 11/1 and a Pz.Kpfw. V Ausf A "Panther". You can see a Jagdpanzer IV, Sturmgeschütz IV, and a Raupenschlepper Ost RSO mit Pak 40. A Sturmgeschütz III Ausf G was fully restored between September 2021 and June 2025. It is now on display and made mostly of its original parts.

Vehicles from Other Countries

The museum also has vehicles from other nations. These include a Canadian Ram Kangaroo. There's a Czech OT810 and a Canadian Lynx. A French Panhard AML armoured car is also part of the collection. You can see a Ford Gun Tractor with an Australian Limber and a British 25 pdr gun. Finally, there's a Czech Praga vehicle with a 30mm AA gun.

Vehicles Not Yet on Display

The museum owns even more vehicles that are not currently on display. Many of these are still being worked on in workshops. Some are at the museum, while others are overseas or on their way. These include a Cromwell Medium Tank and a Goliath tracked mine. The museum plans to add close to 25 more exhibits in the future.

AusArmourfest: A Special Event

Sherman Firefly tank at AusArmourfest 2019

Every year, the museum celebrates its birthday with a three-day event called AusArmourfest. This is a super exciting time! Visitors get the chance to ride in some of the museum's working vehicles. In past years, people have ridden in vehicles like the Hetzer, T72, Panzer IV G, Leopard, Kettenkrad, and Sabre. It's a unique way to experience these amazing machines.

Australian Tank Donation

The museum is very proud to have two rare Australian Cruiser tanks. These are an AC1 Sentinel and a special AC1 with an AC3 turret, shown as an AC4. Only six of these tanks are left in the world! The AC1 Sentinel was bought and given to the museum by Wargaming Inc. This company makes the popular tank game, World of Tanks.

The Sentinel tank was in the United States at the Littlefield Collection. When that collection sold many of its vehicles, Wargaming Inc wanted to buy the Sentinel. They wanted to bring it back to its original home in Australia. As part of the deal, Wargaming was allowed to study the tank. This helped them make a very accurate version of it for their game.

Shooting Gallery and Workshop

The museum site also has a 50-metre shooting gallery. This is a fun place where visitors can try out shooting. There's also a special repair and restoration workshop. Here, skilled staff work to fix up vehicles that are old or damaged. They can even change or build vehicles from scratch. Since 2015, the museum has grown to hold even more vehicles.

The Tiger 1 Replica

In 2016, the museum's workshop built a replica of a famous German tank, the Tiger 1. They used a very accurate, partly built Tiger 1 that was first made for the movie "Fury." This movie tank was itself a good copy of the real Tiger 131. The museum used the top part of the movie tank. They also used real Tiger parts they had bought to help build the whole tank.

The bottom part of the tank was made stronger so it could actually drive. This was the first time the museum had built its own tank from scratch! This Tiger replica uses a Scania truck engine. Its tracks and wheels come from other tanks, like the T55 and M110. The driving parts are from a T62. Even with these different parts, it looks almost exactly like a real Tiger 1 when it's running. The only small differences are the front drive sprocket and the tracks. It was finished in November 2016. This was the only running replica tank of its size built in Australia. This vehicle was later sold to another collector in Australia. The museum now has a different, late-production Tiger 1 in its collection.

Other Museums to See

• National Military Vehicle Museum – South Australia
• Royal Australian Armoured Corps Memorial and Army Tank Museum – Victoria, Australia
• The Army Museum Bandiana – Victoria, Australia
• Bundeswehr Museum of German Defense Technology, Koblenz, Germany
• Deutsches Panzermuseum – Munster, Germany
• Musée des Blindés – Saumur, France
• Royal Tank Museum – Amman, Jordan
• The Tank Museum – Bovington, United Kingdom
• United States Army Ordnance Museum - Virginia, USA
• Polish Army Museum – Warsaw, Poland