Thursday, part II

[xenith]

The War Memorial was constructed as a memorial to the Great War, a repository for records, relics and research materials. The original building was completed in 1941. You can probably guess the next bit.

What it is now, is a very large military museum




I really like the way the buildings line up.



From the entrance foyer.


The Commemorative Area is in the centre of the building, and there are large galleries for each world war to the sides. More recent conflicts have space downstairs, along with the research centre.



The First World War gallery is closed! (Ready for next year.)



Behind the Commemorative Area is the Hall of Valour, with a photos, description and medals (where they have them) for every Victoria Cross recipient.



Then behind that is the Aircraft Hall.

AIR POWER IN THE PACIFIC
1941-1953


It is full of planes! And related displays. If I'm clever, I should be able to work out from my photos what each plane is. So this is Polly, a Curtiss P-40 E KittyHawk.

This American-built fighter was shipped to Australia in mid-1942, one of dozens hastily assembled and sent north to defend Australia.


The Hawker Sea Fury fighter-bomber was one of the last propeller-driven naval aircraft to see action. Australians flew these heavily-armed aircraft in Korea attacking shipping and ground targets.


It was in here that I decided I couldn't walk anymore, so I went upstairs to sit down for a while, I mean, take photos of this Mustang with the timer on (slow shutter speed).


Once reinvigorated, I headed through the Aircraft Hall to what seems to be a new bit, the Anzc Hall, with a sign at the entrance promising Big Things and Films On The Half Hour. It's a big space, two storeys high, the ground floor hall I entered through comes in at the top level.


Looking down, there's guns from HMAS Sydney and SMS Emden, which as it says in the previous photos, was Australia's first naval battle. Now you have to remember over the few months, I've been reading bits about the encounter, and making up lists of names, and seeing references to it everywhere and THERE ARE THE GUNS FROM EACH SHIP SET UP FACING EACH OTHER OVER A REALLY COOL BLUE RIPPLY LIGHTING EFFECT. It doesn't really take much to make me happy. Pretty shiny things, that's all.


Moving on, that's a Japanese midget submarine. You know that. I mean, you look at it and you straight away think What the Japanese midget submarine. This one was captured in Sydney Harbour.

There's a viewing platform to the left there.


On the other side of that, the display is "Striking By Night" based around a WW II bomber called "George".

One of the first Lancaster bombers delivered to 460 Squadron RAAF was given the letter "G", and so was called "G for George". "George" flew its first operation on 6 December 1942. Over the next 10 months, it flew nearly 90 missions, including targets in Germany (76), Italy (4), and France (7), and sea mining operations (2). Its survival against the odds made it famous.



From the viewing platform there are steps down to the floor level. So, under George!



Also, Japanese midget submarines are hard to photograph in a dark room.


Finally I got up to the other end, and behind a partition there are LOTS OF BI-PLANES. Up above and on the ground. Five? Six? You know that bit about reading about things and then seeing them. That.

Don't ask me what those two are. That would have required me to have been thinking. Although I've matched up the grounded craft with their labels. But not the flying one. Although the back one might be a SE5a and the German is a Pfalz D.XII Scout Aircraft.

I have more photos. (Yes, really.) Will put them up later.


The curious thing about planes during WW I, other than how did they stay in the air anyway?, is they weren't the first and only choice for aerial warfare. Balloons (this was from a British balloon used for spotting) and Zeppelins were also used, as they were in the civilian world. I assume it was the war that pushed the airplace into predominance.



There was a wall of models of the various craft in use too. Not all of them, but the better known ones. Also a Sopwith Triplance.


But the really cool bit I almost missed. See the screen over the back? It divides up into three screens, actually. Anyway, as I was leaving they announced the next film was about to start and it seemed like a good chance to sit down for a while. So I grabbed a stool and waited for it to start, expecting a film put together from bits of archival footage. It was actually in colour (by Peter Jackson they kept telling people) and opened with a squadron preparing to go out (starting the motors) with a voice over giving a quick overview of the three types of craft. Then there was a dog fight between one of the place and a German balloon. Which wasn't as one-sided as you'd think, although the plane one. Then an all-in fight between two squadrons of planes. These things are boxes with wheels and wings stuck on. How they manage to stay in the air is surprising, let alone manoeuvre and fight. Is hard to describe, but the film captured the atmosphere, and attitude of the young pilots, and then there's a quiet moment where one of the planes goes down, and the pilot bails out... but they didn't have parachutes. The film was just the right finishing touch to the exhibition.

There's a cafe adjoining this area, upstairs, so I went to get something to eat. I don't eat much when I'm travelling. I don't get hungry and when I do buy food, don't always feel like eating it. (That egg & bacon roll from the other day remained uneaten.) Certainly, anything heavy or dry is out. Which is most lunch offering. Fruit is always good, and the cafe had a bowl of chopped up fruit. So I bought one and went to the outside area to eat. Very pleasant.


After that, I headed downstairs to look at the other galleries. I was rather tired by this stage, and I can't remember what this one is, although I'm thinking Korea because there's a panel on the war with the title "Another War Already".


The central display:

A solid investment

The Bushmaster, also know as a Protected Mobility Vehicle (PMV), was first designed and produced in Bendigo Victoria, in 1998. The manufacturers, Thales Australia, have gone on to modify and enhance the PMV to become one of the most successful military vehicles in operation today.

Many PMVs have been damaged or destroyed in Afghanistan by Improvised Explosives Devices (IED). Although there have been some Australian casualties, no lives have been lost -- a testament to the vehicle's uniquely effective design.

This storage bin was ripped from the side of Bushmaster when a powerful IED was detonated beneath it in early November 20112.


Walking into the Vietnam War gallery, I was confronted with this thing of flashing nights, moving images, helicopter noises, wind and screaming school children. All very dramatic.


This is the bridge of HMAS Brisbane.

After decades of service with the RAN and having seen action in both Vietnam and First Gulf Wars, HMAS Brisbane was decommissioned in 2001. In 2005 it was sunk off the Queensland coast and is now a dive site. Before the sinking Brisbane's bridge was removed and brought to the Memorial. The bridge appears here in its Gulf War configurations.

There are two cool things about this photo, other than it being red. Those white marks on the floor are my shoes, as I was walking around while the camera did cameray things. Slow shutter speeds are fun :) And as I wanted the room clear for my photos, when I heard people approaching, I hung back at one end to wait them out, and managed to freak out a school kid, who thought I was a "hologram".



On the way out now, because I don't really care enough to look at more things.


Although I pass the entrance to the Second World Gallery and while I have been deliberately avoiding WW II stuff for the most part (cross-contamination), I think I should go in at least for a look. But it's a real maze of room, and it's full of kids, and I would like to catch the next bus.



I did get some interesting photos (well photos of interesting things). Might do something with them later.

I stop in the gift shop on the way out, and it's one of the better ones. They have a good range of things: DVDs, books, a decent range of postcards, lots of souvenir type stuff like those pencil sharpeners in the shape of things like bi-planes, lollies, posters, models.



Then just enough time before I have to leave for the bus to have another look in here (the Commemorative Area), but from the upper level.





And another of these photos :)



It's an odd-looking building from some angles. Also, if it did rain, I missed it.



More photos from the bus: Parliament House



Old Parliament House form behind, and looking back to where I was earlier.


The interesting building near the lake again.

Back in the city, I heard for the shopping centre to get some inner soles (gel ones, as it turns out) because I have much more walking to do tomorrow and I hope they'll help. The guy at the check out, someone who apparently enjoys his job, managed to serve two customers at once (while I was doing the EFTPOS thing, he was sorting out a bag for the woman behind me) and make them both feel appreciated. That's a rare talent. Many shop assistants struggle to do it for one customer at a time.

I also picked up some Hokkien noodle takeaway to eat. I not this because I couldn't eat it all :( Silly, how I don't feel like eating. I did have some fruit left over from the night before to eat. (I really do get by on fruit and drinks. It's a bit odd.)


This just raining at night thing, I like the idea.

Another night of a stuffy room and it being hard to sleep, and I have to be up early the next morning. Have a bus to catch at 7.30. Then at 2 am THE FUCKING FIRE ALARM GOES OFF AGAIN.

*sigh*

Comments

[littlerdog.livejournal.com]

Looks like a fascinating museum, although from the outside it seems a bit cold and unfriendly.