CWPMuseum

02/03/2026

A thoughtful acknowledgment, and we’re grateful for the commitment has offered in preserving our shared history. We’re proud to have worked alongside you in keeping these important stories alive.

16/02/2026

The Caboolture Warplane Museum is having a final clear-out sale. Doors are open this Wednesday (18th Feb) and Saturday (21st Feb). Please let us know if you're planning to visit. Our volunteers will be on hand to help.

🔥 LAST DAY ITEMS – Going, Going… GONE! 🔥

Final Clear-Out Sale – Everything Must Go!

🗓 Wednesday, 9am to 2pm and Saturday, 9am to 12pm
All of our memorabilia has new homes, and we’re offering this last chance to grab what remains in the hangar. No holds. First in, best dressed. Cash preferred.

BIG ITEMS

LG Double Door Fridge/Freezer (635L) – Was $400. NOW $300

Microwave (2024 purchase, tested & tagged) – $50

BBQ Turbo + 2 gas bottles (one nearly full 8.5kg Swap & Go) – $80

Wood-stained pine cabinet (double slat doors + drawer) – $50

💡 LIGHTING & ELECTRICAL (all electrical items have been tested and tagged)

Laminator (A4/A3 Lowell) + 3 boxes A3 sheets – $40

Fluorescent ceiling fixture + new tubes (lot) – $40

Portable fluorescent light – $10

Fluorescent lamp (tested & tagged) – $5

Roden portable oven (tested & tagged) - $10.00

🛠 TOOLS & WORKSHOP

Bantam Welder + rods – $15

Drills, electrical workshop tools etc (tested & tagged) – $10 each

Trestle ladder – $10

Near new aluminium Bailey Ladders - $50 each (various heights x 3)
Saw horses – $30 each

Saws & spanners – $1 each

Hammers – $1 each

Industrial steel tripod stand – $5

Industrial steel chain – $10

Empty toolboxes – $2 each

Rope (yellow & striped) – $2 each

Shelf brackets (bundle) – $1

Screws & nuts – Giveaway

🪑 FURNITURE & OFFICE

Office chair (5 castor, adjustable, near new) – $50

A3 photo frames – $5 each

A3 ream paper – $15

A5 sign holders – $5 each

New CWPM polo shirt (one remains) – $20 each

Office bric-a-brac – Gold coin donation

🏗 SITE & SAFETY

Witches hats (37 various sizes) – $1 each

Hi-vis vests – $1 each

Yellow plastic chain (new) – $2 per bag

Mop buckets – $1 each

Silver tarp – $15

🏡 HOME & MISC

TV (works fine) – $20

DVD player – $10

Books – $1 each

Natural h**p garden bags – $2 each

Black safe boxes – $2 each

Brown paper bags – $1 for two

💛 GOLD COIN / DONATION ITEMS

Serving platters (black)

Milk & sugar ceramic jugs

Assorted chairs

Orange bunting

Australia flag bunting

Kids’ flying aircraft

Rubber arm bands

Books - $1 each

*Some items have been sold but not removed from photos.

19/12/2025

A POST-CLOSURE MESSAGE

To our valued community, supporters, and distinguished government representatives,

On behalf of everyone who has contributed to the long and proud story of our aviation history museum, we extend our heartfelt thanks. Your encouragement, advocacy, and shared passion for preserving our nation’s aviation heritage have sustained us over many decades. We are especially grateful to the government officials and partner organisations who walked with us through the closing chapter of our museum’s operation.

Although our doors have now closed, our story does not end. Like the cycle of life—what has been cherished continues to offer new purpose—our collection, memorabilia, and the stories entrusted to us will live on. Through carefully selected museum partners and historical organisations, the artefacts and knowledge we have protected will continue to educate, inspire, and enrich future generations. In this way, the legacy of our museum takes flight once more, carried forward by institutions equipped to share it with the world.

To our visitors, volunteers, donors, veterans, families, and friends: thank you. You have ensured that the achievements, sacrifices, and innovations of those who came before us will never be forgotten. While this chapter closes, the spirit of discovery and remembrance that defined our museum endures—reborn in new homes where it can continue to shine.

With deep gratitude,
Volunteers @ the Caboolture Warplane Museum (2025)

09/12/2025

WHEELS UP, WE'RE CLOSING DOWN
After 30 years of preserving our aviation heritage, the Caboolture Warplane Museum will be closing its doors for good—and we’re inviting the community to visit one final time.

Our last open day will be Friday, 19th December until midday.

Come and walk through the hangar, hear the stories behind the aircraft, and experience the history our volunteers have proudly cared for over three decades. Before you go, you can also take home a piece of that history. Used books from our library, and DVDs are available for purchase—many of them for the very last time. All merchandise is now 50% off.

We’d love to see you before we say goodbye.

Find us at the Caboolture Airfield. Open 7 days, 9am to 3pm.

11/11/2025

WHY WE WEAR A POPPY
During World War 1, towns and farms were destroyed, forests were burned and the ground was cratered and muddy from the bombings and rain. Despite the widespread environmental damage, one thing survived. In Spring, thousands of red poppies started growing everywhere.

When Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, from the Canadian Army, inspired by the sight of red poppies blooming on the war-torn battlefields of Ypres, wrote a poem called 'In Flanders Fields'. The poem, written after a friend was killed in battle, describes the poppies growing between the graves of fallen soldiers, giving a voice to the deceased and symbolising the sacrifice they made. To this day, 'In Flanders Fields' remains one of the most memorable war poems ever written.

Among those deeply moved by McCrae’s poem was Moina Michael (1869–1944), who wrote a heartfelt response titled “We Shall Keep the Faith.” Inspired by McCrae’s words, Michael began wearing a red poppy to honour the fallen and devoted herself to promoting it as a symbol of remembrance. Her efforts succeeded in 1920 when the American Legion adopted the poppy, and the following year the British Legion did the same—establishing the poppy as the enduring emblem of remembrance worldwide.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.

11/09/2025

When it comes to business names, yours certainly doesn’t leave room for second-guessing. A big thanks to the coordinator Glen (easy to spot in the black shirt and black hat) for tracking us down and bringing the crew along. We trust the visit lived up to your group’s bold name!

And just to add a touch of family prestige—Glen’s father once served as a senior Army officer in Changi Prison, Singapore. Clearly, the knack for organisation (and a strong sense of discipline) runs in the family.

You can find out more on their FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092674216894

10/09/2025

NOSTALGIC PAINTING COMES ALIVE!
Some things just fade into the background over time, a bit like the furniture—until suddenly, they come alive again. Take the magnificent ceiling-to-floor biplane painting, signed by none other than Brian Harper back in 1999. It’s easy to walk past it every day, but when you can put a face and a story to the painting on the wall, it becomes so much more than decoration.Today we had the pleasure of welcoming Brian back, and true to form, he casually pointed out another of his works hanging quietly on our theatrette wall—the P-51 Mustang in flight. Same Harper style, same familiar hues… though if you ask him, it’s just a “small example” of what he has done.

Brian’s story doesn’t stop with the paintbrush. At 17, he joined the Army as a tank driver and found himself stationed near the Russian border during the Cold War. He even served with Sir Winston Churchill’s own tank regiment in the UK and had the privilege of meeting Sir Winston himself. From 1953 to 1956, he wore the uniform—not seeing conflict, but shaping a chapter of history just the same.

These days, Brian calls a local northern suburb home. At 89, he still loves to share his memories, and we’re lucky enough to have volunteers ready to keep those stories alive.

The times may have passed, but thanks to Brian—his art, his service, and his stories—the memories most certainly live on.

The number '3615' represents his Army number and the Jerboa drawing — a small desert-dwelling rodent with long legs and a hopping gait — was famously used as the insignia of the British 7th Armoured Division during the Second World War. That division is better known as the “Desert Rats.”

03/09/2025

A heartfelt thank you to the Oxley Seniors Group for the thoughtful giftcard, and the generous bundle of sweets and goodies they contributed to our volunteers during their recent visit. While our volunteers give their time, effort, experience and stories freely, it's moments like these that remind us how deeply appreciated that contribution is. The kind words and great reviews are always rewarding, but the gesture brought not just treats, but true goodwill - a gift that means more than you know.

28/08/2025

The tallest gentleman standing at the rear of the group, was a former RNZAF airman, his trade had been in instruments and radios—a vital role in keeping aircraft operational. With a glint of memory in his eye, he recounted one particular journey he had made as part of a Bristol Freighter crew: a long, arduous flight that took nearly twelve hours to reach Darwin from Australia’s east coast. Around him, eleven other men—residents from the Redcliffe Retirement Village—listened and shared in the story, each enjoying the morning visit on the 19th of August.

Volunteers lend their voices, stitching history into the present, while visitors lean in, smile, and carry something home — a spark, a story, a wonder reborn.

17/08/2025

15/08/2025

Victory in the Pacific – 15 August 1945
Today we mark the 80th anniversary of the day World War II came to an end in the Pacific. For Australia, this meant the end of years of fear, rationing, and sacrifice—and the beginning of peace.

For airmen, it was a day mixed with relief and remembrance. Many RAAF squadrons had fought tirelessly across the Pacific and South-East Asia—in New Guinea, the Solomons, Borneo, and beyond—flying long, dangerous missions in bombers, fighters, and reconnaissance aircraft.

Victory in the Pacific was not only about the final battles—it was the result of countless sorties, dangerous ferry flights over open ocean, and the dedication of ground crews who kept the aircraft flying. For some, the war’s end meant a safe journey home; for others, it meant honouring those who never returned.

Here at the Caboolture Warplane Museum, we preserve and share the stories of those men and women—through the aircraft they flew, the uniforms they wore, and the memories they left behind.

📍 Visit us to read our own contribution to Australia's involvement in the Pacific Campaign.