Australian Armour and Artillery Museum

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Panzerman
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Australian Armour and Artillery Museum

Post by Panzerman »

Have been away from the hobby for a while back with a bit of a bang! Only been up and
running since 2014, the largest armour collection in the Southern Hemisphere.

Around 15klms north of Cairns the Australian Armour and Artiliary museum, the collection
is huge, around 160 individual items, approximately 60% of the collections powered machines
are operational with plans to get as many as possible running, a few of the tanks have modern
engines.

Please excuse me if I get some of this wrong, happy for those with more knowledge to jump
in and comment/correct me if I get things skew-if!

An early model Panther A which is in running order using the period correct Maybach engine.
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The collection has a number of Panzer IVs.
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The dreaded “88” used in the anti aircraft as well an anti tank role.
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3.7cm and quad 2cm anti aircraft guns.
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There is quite a collection of battle damaged items, a blown up Tiger turret lid.
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Panther front plate to the right and side panel from a Jagpanther to the rear.
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The rear on one of the Panzer IV turrets showing small round impacts, also of
Note she has been repainted but they have left the German cross.
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More soon........
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Herr Dr. Professor
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Re: Australian Armour and Artillery Museum

Post by Herr Dr. Professor »

Thank you for posting those fine photos! Apart from their being interesting, the photos show a few details of the tools that I actually painted correctly (dumb luck and the guidance of others). The handles of the shears, for example, are a dull red. Does anyone know, however, if the jacks as seen on the sides of the DAK Pzkw. IVs, were actually black? or is that gun metal?

"More soon.." is greatly appreciated!
Panzerman
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Re: Australian Armour and Artillery Museum

Post by Panzerman »

Thanks Prof, captured Czech tank used by the Germans at the start of the war.
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Nebelwerfer rocket launcher.
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Zundapp motorcycle with sidecar.
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Seeing as the museum was only opened in 2014 they have amassed a
size-able and very deserve collection.

British machines.
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43rdRecceReg
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Re: Australian Armour and Artillery Museum

Post by 43rdRecceReg »

Some nicely lit, crisp images there, Panzerman- many thanks! :thumbup:
Do keep 'em coming. :thumbup:
I see that they have a Tiger Turret looking for a tiger hull transplant. Maybe they could get the Panzer Museum in Munster, North Germany, to make them a nice new plastic hull for it. After all, theirs is pretty realistic. :think: I really like the Matilda-dozer. That's a genuine rarity, I imagine, and would make an amazing model :thumbup: They also have a fair collection of Pz IVs- at least 3.
"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please"- Mark Twain.
Panzerman
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Re: Australian Armour and Artillery Museum

Post by Panzerman »

43rdRecceReg wrote:Some nicely lit, crisp images there, Panzerman- many thanks! :thumbup:
Do keep 'em coming. :thumbup:
I see that they have a Tiger Turret looking for a tiger hull transplant. Maybe they could get the Panzer Museum in Munster, North Germany, to make them a nice new plastic hull for it. After all, theirs is pretty realistic. :think: I really like the Matilda-dozer. That's a genuine rarity, I imagine, and would make an amazing model :thumbup: They also have a fair collection of Pz IVs- at least 3.
She's done, most of the hull was built, she will run a modern diesel engine, scroll through the pic's
in the below link, looks pretty good!
Last edited by Panzerman on Mon Nov 29, 2021 3:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
Panzerman
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Re: Australian Armour and Artillery Museum

Post by Panzerman »

Delete double post
Last edited by Panzerman on Mon Nov 29, 2021 3:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
Panzerman
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Re: Australian Armour and Artillery Museum

Post by Panzerman »

Did a bit more searching and found the full build serious on tube.

Full Tiger I project, very well done and great photography, also really
interesting hearing how they got around the many and various problems.

Ep 1
phpBB [video]


Ep 2
phpBB [video]


Ep 3
phpBB [video]


Ep 4
phpBB [video]


Ep 5
phpBB [video]


Ep 6
phpBB [video]


Ep 7
phpBB [video]


Just like putting together a kit, all you need is a welder instead of
glue some heavy jacks and a serious block and tackle.
Panzerman
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Re: Australian Armour and Artillery Museum

Post by Panzerman »

Last of the set, the Americans sure had some strange ideas for their early tanks,
the main gun in the Lee and Grant tanks mounted in the hull, in most situations
the whole tank would have to be manoeuvred to bring this gun to target.

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Like most things Russian this SU100 has a real purposeful look to her.
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And what about this beast!
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Ex New Zealand Army machine.
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Now folks I have merely scratched the surface here, didn’t get many snaps of
all the artillery pieces, each machine has an information sign with details on
where they served and their performance. I would allow a few hours if not most
of a day if you really want to check the place out!

For those planning a visit they have a history guy every Saturday and try and run
at least one machine. Every two years they have Ausarmourfest.

Website
https://www.ausarmour.com
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jarndice
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Re: Australian Armour and Artillery Museum

Post by jarndice »

What a brilliant collection of photographs :thumbup: Thank you :clap: :clap:
Just a minor point,
The German Army did not use CAPTURED Czech Armour,
The reason Mr Hitler absorbed Czechoslovakia into the Greater German Reich pre WW2 was because they had an advanced Tank production facility that Germany at that time did not as well as a well proven engineering industry,
The Czech built Tanks were actually considered to be part of Germany's own manufacturing output and they were in production throughout the war in many different forms as the base for many different vehicles.
Without the Czech built Heavy (38T) and Medium (35T) Tanks the invasion of France and the Low countries in 1940 may not have been successful.
I think the Motorcycle combination is a BMW and not a Zundapp as that had upright cylinders unlike the "Boxer" configuration of the BMW.
I think I am about to upset someone :haha:
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Kaczor
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Re: Australian Armour and Artillery Museum

Post by Kaczor »

Fantastic museum. Their Youtube channel and Facebook page are great also ;)
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