4 Field Regiment (SVN) 'Old Boys' Newsletter - February 2011 Edition

From Terry Westerway. Dear Volunteers and Museum Supporters, At a meeting of 60 volunteers and staff in Artillery Hall yesterday, the Head of Army History Unit advised Army will be closing the Museum at North Fort at the end of 2010. This follows unacceptable conditions of access and rent required by the nominal land owner SHFT to be implemented as from 01 Feb 2011. I believe this is SHFT's loss as the value added to North Head by the Army, the Museum and the Volunteers is in excess of $1 million dollars per year. The announcement was made 20 years to the day since the Museum was opened in 1990 by Sir Roden Cutler, VC and ends over 100 years of direct Army involvement with North Head and longer with Sydney Harbour.....The last Museum open day will be Sunday, 19th of December 2010. The Army Collection will be moved to Bandiana for storage until a new Museum can be funded and built at Puckapunyal, co-located with the School of Artillery. Ongoing arrangements with SHFT and the RAAHC, if any, are unknown. This news is extremely disappointing for all Volunteers, staff and supporters of the Australian Army Artillery Museum who have contributed years of outstanding support to the Museum and the Collection. A huge amount of work, particularly by Volunteers, has gone into the Museum over the past twenty years. The knowledge, skill and dedication of the Museum Volunteers, in all areas, but particularly in the areas of restoration of historic guns and other Artillery heritage items has been outstanding, the best I have seen in any military Museum I have visited anywhere in the world and is something all involved can be justly proud of. The loss of much of this knowledge and skill to the Artillery Museum will have a huge negative effect on the collection of the Australian Army Artillery Museum, the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery and the nation. At last, in the past 12 months the Museum is finally running on a successful financial basis. Volunteers numbers, morale and the number of projects being undertaken and completed have been at unprecedented levels. The commitment of volunteers to the Museum has never been higher and we have been able to fund restoration projects and the purchase of significant items of Australian Artillery history. However, nothing is forever and the Museum's time at North Head will soon be over. Other Army Museums have security of tenure within Army bases. Unfortunately, this was not the case with the Artillery Museum. Thank you and Best Regards, John Gallagher, Major, Manager, Australian Army Artillery Museum. FYI for all old gunners and those interested in the heritage of the Australian Army. Having spent some 17 years as a volunteer guide at the Museum I am somewhat pissed off at this development which, amongst other things, means that the general public will be deprived of close contact with artillery equipment that they otherwise will only ever see in movies (without any explanation as to how it works). Stored at Bandiana and then Puckapunyal, very few ordinary people will ever see or have access to the equipment. My personal view (and, I think, many of the Museum volunteers) is that this development can be laid directly at the door of uncaring and disinterested politicians and "green" environmentalists who have no regard for history whatsoever. PS - "SHFT" is the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust - which wants to do something commercial with the Museum land. From Bob Brady . Re: phone conversation with you (Peter Bruce) on locating 2412524 Gnr. Brian Keevers formerly HQ BTY 4 th Fld Reg RAA Vietnam 67-68 then transferred 6 Troop A Sqd. 3 CAV on M108. Also any location or contact details on following people who served in same unit from 4 th Fld Reg would be greatly appreciated in view of reunion. 2784191 Gnr John Hanrahan, 6410241 Gnr Ron Fulford Thanking you in anticipation, Bob Brady, 20 A Armstrong Rd , Charlestown NSW 2290. Ph: (02) 49 208858 or mob 0409716727. Or contactable on daughters email katemorris.speech@bigpond.com