Kay Hull (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 24 June 1995 there was a huge celebration for current and ex-Defence members from right across Australia on the official opening of the RAAF Museum in Wagga Wagga by the then Air Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force, Les Fisher AO. There was the Kapooka Army Band, with parade inspections by Air Marshal Fisher. RAAF officials, politicians, mayors, ex-members of Defence from across the nation and proud community members all lined up to be associated with the extensive display documenting the history of the entire sections of RAAF operations. The Point Cook Museum donated $10,000 and the community raised over $26,000. It was a most impressive museum, described by the Air Force’s own newspaper as being ‘the guardian of history’.

In 2001 it was determined that there was a need to remove bonded asbestos from the museum building, so the museum was closed for refurbishment. This refurbishment was completed in around 12 months. However, after some time, members of the public became concerned as to why the museum had not reopened, so they started asking questions. But no answers were forthcoming until just recently, when the answer came that the museum had officially been closed in 2001. To rub salt into the wound, it is now understood that the RAAF hierarchy had never intended to reopen the museum when they advised us that they were closing for a refurbishment. In addition, the terminology of RAAF speak had changed; we suddenly found that it had been downgraded to being an annexe, not a museum.

The community had been cheated and they were not happy, nor were the thousands of people across Australia, who numbered 2,713 after just over one week of the circulation of a petition. We were told that Air Force policy is to support only one museum, the RAAF Museum at Point Cook. We were told by a Defence spokesperson that this policy has been in place since 1985. It is funny that there is a museum at Williamtown, at Townsville and at Point Cook—and maybe there are even more. It is funny that the RAAF did not know of that policy when Mrs Gabi McCormack was taken off her normal duties at RAAF Wagga Wagga in late 1994 in order to work on the museum project full time. It is funny that Air Marshal Fisher was not aware of this policy when he officially opened the museum on 24 June 1995 amongst enormous fanfare and official speeches, and it is funny that Point Cook did not know of this policy when they donated $10,000 to the project.

I am sure that if 97-year-old Alma Skeers had known of this policy she would not have donated her beloved summer uniform that she proudly wore in the 1940s, her identification discs and her pay books—and nor would the owners of the scale model of a 1700 naval vessel or the owners of nursing uniforms, of medals and of countless photographs, all of which now sit in a box after having been taken by stealth to Point Cook.

Last week I tabled a petition calling for the reopening of the RAAF Wagga Wagga Museum, and the persistent efforts of Mr Geoff Auld; Mr Ted Heskett; Mr Bob Gnezdiloff, the principal petitioner; and a young woman journalist at the Wagga Wagga Daily Advertiser, Rebekah Holliday; along with the sensational support of the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support, the Hon. Dr Mike Kelly, are to be admired. The parliamentary secretary has been a powerful and passionate ally in this fight and, obviously because of his own service, he understands the intense emotion felt by those who have given their treasured possessions, those who have served this nation and who have played an integral role in its history.

The people have been heard. Dr Kelly announced on Friday that the museum will be reopened. I genuinely thank Dr Kelly for putting the people first, and I pay tribute to all those who maintained the passion and the commitment to see our history returned to its rightful place in Wagga Wagga. It was a joyous day on Saturday to see the front page of the Daily Advertiser saying that the museum had been saved. I pay tribute to all those believers in the past and all those people those who served our country selflessly and who have a right to have their history recorded.