The Military and Memorabilia Museum is “unquestionably one of the best displays of military memorabilia outside the Canberra war memorial” as was the ‘wrap’ placed on the collections at the Military and Memorabilia Museum by the judges when Childers won Queensland’s Best Heritage Town in 2010. The collection includes countless items associated with various emergency services including police, ambulance, fire brigade, SES and nurses. The museum also dedicates a large part to remembering our service men and women from Boer War to present day conflicts. It also showcases appliances from bygone eras making the collection tally up to 30,000 items from over 140 countries.
Run by the Baker Trust Family, the Museum is quietly located in a street that is now opposite the Memorial Centre….48B Churchill Street Childers Queensland. Inside you will find Alan Baker seated behind the desk. The museum is his collection of memorabilia collected from everyone and everywhere. He is a wealth of information. I asked if he had a photo of the Decorated soldiers carrying the deceased soldier, and he showed me multiple images and explained each one.
A Brief Summary of the MILITARY AND MEMORABILIA MUSEUM, Ashby Lane, Childers, Queensland. (Owned and run by the Baker Family Trust).
Contact: (07) 4126 1545
What started as a hobby for Allan Baker grew into a Museum of over 26,000 items on display from 140 countries, and which the family is most proud of. Visitors from overseas and Australia, who work in museums, say it is one of the best they have seen, and of course, other visitors have made such wonderful comments also. Allan is trying to get as many photos as possible of men and women who have served during both War and Peace. The museum already has hundreds and is continually looking for more. Every photo is displayed with honour.
Some other displays of general interest include items from the campsite at Adelaide River, Northern Territory; wireless and other items from the Coast Watchers main base at Thursday Island; handcuffs from the Japanese POW camp at Cowra; cameras and gear used in WW2 for aerial photography; equipment used by our Civil Defence. from the Great War (WW1), World WW2, Korea, Vietnam and Gulf Wars; a part of a telephone system from General MacArthur’s Headquarters, Brisbane.
Additionally equipment uniforms, hats, caps, helmets, photos and medals from Police, Ambulance and Fire services, SES and Railways. Altogether over 900 headgear, 600 uniforms or part thereof, 200 medals, 400 badges, 3200 patches as well as coins, fossils rocks, minerals, sea shells and items used in the home in both War and Peace, plus more intimate memorabilia such as letters from his father to his mother during World War 1.
All in all a fascinating and irreplaceable place where you could happily lose yourself for hours. Quite a few 6 Div Cav photos are beginning to appear in their own little space so any memorabilia that you may have and needing to find a home for it then Allan is the chappie to contact! Unless of course it relates to 2/6 Cavalry Commando Regiment, 6 Div. Cav. or our daughter Regiment 2 Cav. Now in action on 5 fronts; in which case it would go to the Regiment’s museum in Robertson Barracks Palmerston N.T.
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