Gold Coast War Museum at Mudgeeraba celebrates 50 years
A leafy Gold Coast suburb is home to one of Australia’s most expansive war memorabilia collections. From fighter planes to real-life spy equipment which helped inspire James Bond novels, find out how you can see it all for free.
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Over half a century, a humble collection of war memorabilia in Mudgeeraba has turned into one of the most impressive curations of military artefacts in Australia.
The Gold Coast War Museum started as Vic Coote’s personal collection in 1975 and 50 years later the operation at 42 John Rogers Rd is still owned and run by an army of family and friends.
A friend of the Coote family, Tallon Miller has spent countless hours at the museum since 1981.
“I think it’s an unknown gem of Gold Coast tourism,” Mr Miller said.
As well as a collection of tens of thousands of artefacts, he said the compound boasted a paintball field and had even been used as a film set.
Mr Miller’s personal favourite in the collection is the espionage and spy equipment from World War II.
“There’s a spy radio there that was donated to the war museum by a British spy who was actually good friends with Ian Fleming who wrote the James Bond novels and he served with him in World War II.”
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Gold Coast War Museum is offering free entry to the museum from 9am to 4pm on Saturday, March 1.
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