Treloar Resource Centre facts for kids
The Treloar Resource Centre is a special place where the Australian War Memorial (AWM) keeps and takes care of its huge collection of military items. It's also known as the Treloar Centre or Treloar Technology Centre. You can find it in a part of Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, where there are many businesses. The AWM says it's where they look after and store large military machines like planes, tanks, boats, missiles, and cannons.
Contents
What is the Treloar Centre?
The Treloar Centre is like a giant, super-safe warehouse. It's designed to protect important historical objects. These objects are part of Australia's military history. They need special care to stop them from getting damaged. This place helps keep them safe for many years.
What's Stored There?
The centre holds a huge collection of military equipment. This includes:
- Large military vehicles
- Airplanes
- Boats
- Missiles
- Old cannons and guns
Many of these items are too big to display at the main Australian War Memorial building. They are kept safe and sound at the Treloar Centre.
Why is it Important?
The Treloar Centre is very important for preserving history. It makes sure that valuable items from past wars are kept in good condition. This way, future generations can learn about them. It's like a giant time capsule for military history.
History of the Treloar Centre
Before the Treloar Centre was built, the AWM used a different warehouse. This old warehouse was in Duntroon, Australian Capital Territory. It was used from the 1950s to store items not on display.
Building the First Centre
The first building at the Treloar Centre was built in the early 1990s. It cost about $6 million to build. This new building was much better for storing items. It had 5,800 square metres of storage space. It was also air-conditioned to help keep the items safe. The building officially opened on 21 April 1994.
Who Was John Treloar?
The centre is named after John Treloar. He was a very important person at the AWM. He was the director for most of the time between 1920 and 1952. He helped build the AWM's collection.
Growing Over Time
By 2017, the AWM had bought more land in Mitchell. This was to make the Treloar Resource Centre even bigger. At that time, the total storage space was 15,500 square metres. That's a lot of space!
Special Collections and Events
The AWM says the Treloar Resource Centre has "one of the world's leading military equipment collections." This includes many World War I artillery guns. Each year, the centre holds an "Open Day." It's called "Big Things in Store." People can visit and see some of the amazing items kept there.
Future Plans
In 2017, the AWM got permission to build another new building. This new facility will add another 5,240 square metres of storage space. This means even more historical items can be kept safe.
