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Australian National Aviation Museum

Australian National Aviation Museum
Australian National Aviation Museum Logo 2014.jpg
Australian National Aviation Museum is located in Victoria
Australian National Aviation Museum
Location within Victoria
Established 1962
Location Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Coordinates 37°58′36″S 145°05′28″E / 37.9767°S 145.091°E / -37.9767; 145.091
Type Aerospace
Website www.aarg.com.au

The Australian National Aviation Museum is an aviation museum at the Moorabbin Airport in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1962 as the Australian Aircraft Restoration Group, an attempt to maintain a World War II-era Bristol Beaufighter aircraft. It has since became into a museum with a large aircraft collection. It was originally named the Moorabbin Air Museum. As of 2008 it held 50 aircraft and 25 engines.

The Australian Aircraft Restoration Group was first formed in 1962 as a volunteer group by aviation enthusiasts including members of the Aviation Historical Society of Australia.

The first home for the collection was on a farm in Wandin North then the Pine Hill Service Station, at that time on the Warburton road, outside of Lillydale Victoria. The museum aircraft were stored there with the Wacket trainer ,donated by the Lucas family, displayed prominently. In 1965 land was allocated for a museum at Moorabin Airport Victoria the current home of the collection.

The collection in the early days was made up of a combination of privately owned aircraft and those the Museum acquired in their own right .

Amongst the first acquisitions was DAP Mark 21 Bristol Beaufighter A8-328 ex Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) that had been used as playground equipment at The Lord Mayor's Children's Camp at Portsea and was at risk of being scrapped.

Following donation of the Beaufighter in April 1962, a CAC Wackett was donated by the Lucas family then the oldest complete aircraft in the collection, a DH.60G Gypsy Moth.donated by ( citation required)

1963 was a busy year for the group. In January an Avro Anson was purchased from Flinders Island Airlines, ( VH-FIA) and in May a Gloster Meteor was aquired from the Department of Supply. Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) donated a Tiger Moth in mid-1963, and the year was rounded out by recovering a CAC Wirraway from the dump at East Sale RAAF base .


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