Official opening of the RAAF Townsville Avia
T
HE “RAAF” is back in the
Townsville RAAF Museum.
Control of the museum was officially handed
to the newly-formed Air Force History
and Heritage branch on August 15.
With the transfer, comes a change of
name – it is now the RAAF Townsville
Aviation Heritage Centre.
The ceremony, during which DirectorGeneral AF History and Heritage
AIRCDRE John Meier accepted
responsibility for the facility, also marked
the opening of the RAAF Townsville
Aviation Heritage Memorial Garden.
The museum had previously been run
by volunteers working under the umbrella
of their own incorporated organisation.
Senior ADF Officer, RAAF Townsville
CO 27Sqn WGCDR Matt Harvey said it
was a positive step for the facility in that it
now had a direct line of support from RAAF.
The first tangible evidence of that will be in
two significant new displays that will arrive soon
at the centre - a Winjeel and a Forward Air Control
PC9 sporting the badges and colours of that branch.
“There is a lot of material at the Point Cook
museum, for instance, that is not on display
because there isn’t room, that will be distributed to
other Heritage C
Responsibility
Wagga Wagg
WGCDR
thanks
and d
atta
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to
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an
Th
and h
the Ai
CPL Michael Snu
drill during the offi
CO 27Sqn, WGCDR Matt Harvey lays a wreath
and salutes in front of the newly unveiled 27Sqn
plaque.
FLGOFF Olivia Rowlandson salutes
as the Australian National Anthem
is played at the official opening
of the RAAF Townsville Aviation
Heritage Centre
18 | SEPTEMBER 2016