Museums
Ashburton Aviation Museum
Ashburton Airport This museum has been on my list 'to visit' for some time, so I was very pleased when Museum Society member Doug George contacted me in early 1998. He wanted to check out the chances of enlarging the entry for the Museum posted on this website, and so I made arrangements to visit on my way south to the Warbirds over Wanaka airshow. The result was a very pleasant couple of hours being toured round the facility. My thanks to Doug and his fellow members.
The Museum Society was founded in 1974. The museum is based at Ashburton airfield, the former home of a World War II RNZAF EFTS station. The idea of a museum became serious when ex-RNZAF Harvard NZ1012 was purchased in 1978. The society have been able to construct their own hangar building which houses the display aircraft, and this was opened in 1991. In 1994 they acquired the adjacent hangar which now houses the Society's rooms and restoration facilities. Aircraft on display include a Devon C-1, Porterfield 35W, Harvard, Vampire T.11(on loan from Phillip Burns), Yeoman Cropmaster (on loan from Lindsay McNicol), and PL-12 Airtruk (on loan from Don Hart) plus Olympia and Bergfalke gliders. The variety in these aeroplanes reflect the military and civil aviation history of the area. In addition, the museum houses an excellent collection of engines, and aviation related memorabilia and other displays. (The picture of the museum exterior at left was supplied by Doug George)
The museum is open Wednesday and Saturday from 10am to 3pm and other days from 1pm-3pm. Admission is $10 per person (children free).
Contact:
Ashburton Aviation Museum Society,
c/o Jim Chivers (Curator),
9 Carters Terrace
Tinwald.
Phone (+64)(03) 308 3262
or
c/o Murray Perkins (President),
55 Leeston St,
Ashburton.
Phone (+64)(03) 308 6118
© 1998 Phillip Treweek, all rights reserved
The Museum Society was founded in 1974. The museum is based at Ashburton airfield, the former home of a World War II RNZAF EFTS station. The idea of a museum became serious when ex-RNZAF Harvard NZ1012 was purchased in 1978. The society have been able to construct their own hangar building which houses the display aircraft, and this was opened in 1991. In 1994 they acquired the adjacent hangar which now houses the Society's rooms and restoration facilities. Aircraft on display include a Devon C-1, Porterfield 35W, Harvard, Vampire T.11(on loan from Phillip Burns), Yeoman Cropmaster (on loan from Lindsay McNicol), and PL-12 Airtruk (on loan from Don Hart) plus Olympia and Bergfalke gliders. The variety in these aeroplanes reflect the military and civil aviation history of the area. In addition, the museum houses an excellent collection of engines, and aviation related memorabilia and other displays. (The picture of the museum exterior at left was supplied by Doug George)