Museum Metadata Exchange

Names

Name PrimaryWorld Wars I and II Collection from Queensland

IDs

ID LocalQM00006

ID UriOffline Only

Descriptions

Brief DescriptionA large collection of World War I and World War II relics, medals, memorabilia, weaponry, uniforms, documents and personal effects of soldier's as well as their wives and mother's back home relating to Queenslanders' professional and private experiences of war.

Full DescriptionWith the outbreak of the First World War, tens of thousands of Queenslanders were involved in the Great War which saw the death of thousands of men. The Great War changed many Queenslanders' perceptions of conflict. Highlights of the QM collection include the Mephisto - a German Army 20 A7V Sturmpanzerwagen tank recovered from the field in Villers-Bretonneux by the 26th Batallion, made up primarily of Queensland soldiers; Bert Hinkler's flying goggles, material from a soldier who fought at Viller-Bretonneux, including, pay books, ration cards, photographs, uniform and ribbons; decorative pins made from the wires of the zeppelin shot down over Cuffley, Essex; and a Mk III Hythe gun camera.In 1939 a Second World War commenced which once again saw Queenslanders involved in conflict, this time in the Mediterranean and North Africa. With the entrance of the Japanese in the War in 1941, conflict was brought to the doorstep of Australia for the first time. Some of the most violent conflict on Australian land and water occurred in Queensland, with numerous Japanese air raids in the north targeting military facilities at Horne Island and Townsville. The destruction of the neutral AHS Centaur off Brisbane in 1943 was representing one of the most dramatic incidents on the home front. Some highlights of the Queensland Museum collection include a Japanese flag captured and signed by AIF soldiers at Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea; a chair made by POW's working on the Burma-Thailand railway; relics of the Japanese bomb dropped on Townsville, crafts from an Italian family interned in Australia during the war, and a large collection of radio equipment.

SignificanceAs part of Colonial Britain, and then the British Commonwealth, Queensland was involved in international warfare. In the twentieth century, Queenslander's fought in Europe, the Mediterranean and the Pacific to defend the British Empire and the new Australian nation. World Wars I and II and the resulting ANZAC tradition have become highly significant symbols of Australian identity

Subjects

local20th century; Defence; Documents; Medals; Memorabilia; Mephisto; Uniforms; Weapons; World War One; World war Two

pontMilitary medals; Uniforms; Weapons

scotMilitary service; Soldiers; World wars

Coverage Temporal

From1918

To1945

Related Collections

Dates

Date Record Updated2012-05-30 23:40