Australia - Fleet Air Arm Museum Nowra 2019

The Museum boasts a 6000 square metre two storey exhibition centre, souvenir shop, function centre, theatre and airfield viewing platform. The Museum is open seven days a week except for New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Christmas and Boxing Days. Pre-booked guided tours are also available for bus groups at no extra cost.

The museum's verandah overlooks the historic airfield at HMAS Albatross which has variously served the RAAF, the Royal Navy, the RNZAF and the RAN since it began in 1941. Many operational helicopters may be seen training whilst viewing from the verandah.



Developed from a small collection of naval aviation relics and five obsolete RAN aircraft by a very energetic team of Navy volunteers originally established in 1974, the museum has grown to be the largest regional aviation museum in NSW now containing over 30 aircraft and numerous aviation artifacts to relay the story of Naval Aviation and the development of the Royal Australian Navy's Fleet Air Arm.

The Navy team worked harder during the 1980s to raise funds for the construction of a large hangar, function centre and shop and over $8m was raised through corporate donors, private donors and from material in kind from building companies. It was a superb effort which resulted in an excellent facility that now stands in testament to the vision and energy of a dedicated group and the generosity and community mindedness of the donors. Much is owed to RADM Andrew Robertson AO, DSC, CDRE John Goble and other very highly motivated people to bring about such remarkable results. The Australian Naval Aviation Museum Foundation was formed on 6 June 1990 to operate the Museum and fulfil an ambitious charter largely related to relaying the story of Australian Naval aviation.

The collection was broadened in 2000, adding objectives related to aviation history in Australia and renaming the institution as Australia's Museum of Flight to recognise the change. The aviation display hall was reconfigured, displays were upgraded and the museum was unveiled by the Chief of Navy VADM CA Ritchie AO on 17 December 2003, the 100th Anniversary of the Wright Brothers first flight.

While the institution's name was changed in 2001 - to Australia's Museum of Flight - the ANAMF maintained an abiding interest in commemorating, collecting, preserving, and interpreting Australia's proud naval aviation heritage.

On 1 September 2006 the Chief of Navy, VADM RE Shalders AO, CSC, RAN accepted ownership and management of the Museum on behalf of the Royal Australian Navy, announcing its new name as the Fleet Air Arm Museum.

The museum was visited by myself in February of 2019.

Note; all information provided is from the museum website

Photography 

Nigel Roling