Nothing remains of the now defunct Mildura Warbirds Museum.
I was there in late 1976 and took some photos of the aircraft and equipment that were on display at the time. It had the potential to be perhaps the best display of vintage military aircraft in the southern hemisphere.
But displaying an absolute appalling lack of foresight, the local shire council and the museum curator himself, allowed the collection to be frittered away over the years to the point where what was left could only be described as aeronautical flotsam and junk.
A lot of what was donated to the "museum" by the local populace was done so on the assumption that at some future date it would be restored and displayed in Mildura, making people aware of the history of the airport and of the rich aviation heretige associated with the 2 OTU that was stationed there during WWII.
Unfortunately
all of what was donated was sold off for personal financial gain with no consideration given to the individuals or families that had contributed towards the idea of a local aviation museum.
The Mildura city council continues to display the abovementioned lack of foresight in allowing the aerodrome manager, in an act of supreme vandalism, to have the gun butts removed and destroyed earlier this year. It was one of the few remaining visible links left on the aerodrome to its OTU days of the war.
The basic building blocks were in place (with appropriate funding) to establish a superb display/museum, but that was 30 years ago and because of vested interests and total disinterest by local bureaucrats the boat has well and truly been missed. How sad.
