Australian Army Artillery Museum facts for kids
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| Dissolved | 19 December 2010 |
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| Location | Sydney, Australia |
The Australian Army Artillery Museum was a special place that showed off the history of artillery (which are big guns and cannons). It was located at North Fort, a historic spot at the entrance to Sydney Harbour in Sydney, Australia.
This museum used to be called the "National Artillery Museum." It held a huge collection about the history of the Royal Australian Artillery, Australia's army unit that uses big guns. Volunteers helped run the museum.
Contents
What Was Inside the Museum?
The museum had an amazing collection of items. You could see more than 50 different guns and mortars. Mortars are like small cannons that shoot shells high into the air.
Cool Displays and History
Besides the big guns, the museum also had many paintings and displays. There were memorials and medals that told stories of brave soldiers. The museum's library was full of history. It had over 2,500 photos and about 4,000 books. These books and photos covered Australian history from 1788 until recent times.
Fun Things to Do at the Museum Grounds
The museum wasn't just about history inside. Its outdoor areas were also great for visitors.
Outdoor Fun and Views
You could find shaded picnic areas with barbeques. There was also a special "Observation Platform." From here, you had amazing views of the entrance to Sydney Harbour. You could even see the channels leading to Bradleys Head and the Sydney central business district.
Explore World War II Tunnels
The museum grounds also had old World War II fortifications and tunnels. These tunnels are so important that they are listed on the Australian Commonwealth National Heritage list. Exploring them was like stepping back in time!
Why the Museum Closed
The Australian Army Artillery Museum closed its doors on 19 December 2010. All its collections were moved to a storage facility. The plan was to create a new army artillery museum at Puckapunyal army base in Victoria.
Moving the Collection
The Artillery School, which trains soldiers to use big guns, had moved to Puckapunyal in 1997. The museum, however, stayed behind at North Head. The move of the museum's collection was decided because the owners of the North Fort site, the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, had different plans for the area than the Army.
Different Ideas for the Site
The Sydney Harbour Federation Trust wanted the historic North Fort area to be open to the public every day. This was to let more people visit the old defence lands around Sydney Harbour. They also said the Army would have to pay rent if the museum wasn't open daily. The Army said they only had enough money to open the museum on weekends.
Training Soldiers
The Army also explained that their museums help train new soldiers. The artillery museum at North Head was almost 1,000 kilometers away from the Artillery School at Puckapunyal. This made it hard for the museum to help with soldier training. So, moving the collection closer to the school made sense for their training goals.
