Army Museum of Tasmania

28/08/2026

28/08/2026

Did you know, that before the Blundstone boot became a global fashion statement, they kitted out the feet of the Australian Army?!

In 1939, Blundstone received a substantial contract to provide boots for the Australian Army supplying approximately 500,000 pairs of boots over the war years. A major innovation to the standard boot was the addition of brass "Jungle Cleats" which were attached to improve grip in muddy conditions, proving to be particularly useful on the Kokoda Track.

Beginning in Hobart in 1870, Blundstone has expanded to have global reach, now operating out of six cities world wide.

Come and see this pair of Blundstone boots in our WW2 room!

https://armymuseumtasmania.org.au/

17/08/2026

VIETNAM VETERANS DAY | 18 AUGUST 2026

On Tuesday, 18 August 2026, Australians across the country will come together to commemorate Vietnam Veterans' Day and honour the service and sacrifice of all Australians who served in Vietnam.

Please see below for some of the services that will be taking place across Tasmania.

If your commemorative event is not listed - please utilise the comment section to add your event.
Please keep comments brief and respectful.

17/08/2026

Vietnam Veterans Day 18 August
This is a day for honouring and remembering the 60,000 Australians who served their country in the Vietnam War, Australia's longest military engagement of the 20th Century.
On this 60th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, we honour all veterans of the Vietnam conflict and reflect on the impact of service on veterans and their families.
Lest we forget.

https://armymuseumtasmania.org.au/

13/08/2026

Have you ever wondered who carved the intricate WW1 Honour Roll Boards on display in your local RSL Club, Town Hall or church?

If you live in Tasmania, it’s very likely that it is the work of Ellen Nora (Nellie) Payne (nee Field) a local Tasmanian woodcarver. You may be surprised just how many of Nellie's works are quite familiar to you - the carved coat of arms above the Speaker's Chair in the House of Assembly in the Tasmanian Parliament is one example!

Born in Westbury Tasmania in 1865, Nellie was the twelfth child of Thomas and Elizabeth Field, a prosperous Tasmanian farming family. After marrying Dr Charles Payne in 1887, the couple moved to Victoria where Nellie undertook lessons in woodcarving. She developed her skills further when in 1899 she enrolled in art at Goldsmiths College at the University of London. Nellie went on to become one of the most prolific female sculptors of the twentieth century, producing over 200 works encompassing honour rolls, furniture, dower chests, fire-screens and church altars.

Nellie carved throughout her adult life, completing her last major work (at the age of almost 90!), for the All Hallows church in London in 1953. Nellie died in 1962 at the age of 97.

AMT is fortunate to be the custodian of two of Nellie Payne’s works (pictured): a plaque for Memorial Rest Home for Nursing Sisters at Lindisfarne in memory of Matron Miles Walker, Royal Red Cross, Sister Janet Radcliff and Sister Isabel Edwards who had all died while on active service during the Great War; and this stunning President’s Chair which Payne carved to mark the amalgamation of the Naval, Military and Airforce clubs into a single Association. These works will be on display in coming months, please call into the Museum and view them!

In 2015 (150 years after her birth), the Westbury community came together to celebrate the life and works of Nellie through a major exhibition. The 2015 celebrations also saw the establishment the "Who was Nellie Payne?" website that catalogues her known works, accompanied wherever possible by photos of the work. You can read all about the extraordinary work of Nellie Payne at the Who was Nellie Payne? website: https://nelliepayne.com

We gratefully acknowledge the Who was Nellie Payne website as the primary source of material for this story.
https://armymuseumtasmania.org.au/

03/08/2026

On this day 144 years ago a Tasmanian hero was born…
On a tiny island in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, Tasmania, John Whittle was born on 3 August 1882 to parents Henry Whittle, a labourer, and his wife Catherine (née Sullivan).
In 1899, at the age of 17, John enlisted as a private in Tasmania's 4th (2nd Imperial Bushmen) Contingent which he joined in South Africa in April 1901 to participate in the Boer War.
Upon returning to Australia, he joined the Royal Navy where he served as a stoker for 5 years.
He enlisted in the 12th Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF, in August 1915, was sent to France, and was made sergeant in late 1916.
Whittle was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for bravery in early 1917 when he bombed an enemy machine-gun post during an attack.
He received the Victoria Cross later that same year for his actions around the villages of Boursies and Lagnicourt around 9-15 April: at one point he "rushed alone across the fire-swept ground" to attack a German machine-gun crew before they could bring their gun into action. He killed the whole German crew and then carried the machine gun back to the Australian position.
For his heroism at Boursies and Lagnicourt he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Wounded again during the German offensive of March 1918, and once more in late July, Whittle returned to Australia in October 1918. Following the Armistice, he was discharged on 15 December and lived in Sydney.
Whittle was awarded the Victoria Cross, DCM, service medals for the Boer War and First World War, the King George V Jubilee Medal, and the King George VI Coronation Medal.

Lest we forget.

Reference:
Image: John Woods Whittle (1882-1946), by unknown photographer, c1919

Stephen Allen, 'Whittle, John Woods (1882–1946)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/whittle-john-woods-9088/text16023, published first in hardcopy 1990, accessed online 3 August 2026.
This article was published in hardcopy in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 12, (Melbourne University Press), 1990

https://armymuseumtasmania.org.au

28/07/2026

We remember

On Sunday 11 October, RSL Tasmania will join communities across Australia to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the start of Australia's military involvement in Afghanistan.

Commemorative services will be held in Hobart and Launceston at 11am, taking place simultaneously with the National Commemorative Service at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

This significant anniversary is an opportunity to honour the thousands of Australian Defence Force personnel who served in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021 as part of Operation SLIPPER (2001- 2014) and later HIGHROAD (2015-2021). We remember the 41 Australians who did not return home, acknowledge the 261 wounded in action, and recognise the many veterans who continue to live with the physical and psychological impacts of their service.

We also pay tribute to the families whose unwavering support sustained their loved ones throughout two decades of continuous operations.

Twenty-five years on, we pause to reflect on the courage, commitment and sacrifice of a generation of Australians who answered our nation's call, often deploying multiple times under difficult and dangerous circumstances.

Veterans, serving personnel, families and members of the community are warmly invited to join us as we honour their service and ensure their legacy is never forgotten.

📅 Sunday 11 October
🕚 11:00 am
📍 Hobart Cenotaph or Launceston Cenotaph

Lest We Forget.

📸 Defence Imagery

27/07/2026

Can you guess what these are?
It was common for servicemen and women to bring home mementos of their service, however, these are amongst the more unusual items we have received.
They are a pair of wreathed hornbill skulls, part of the collection of WW2 veteran LAC Frank Angel, Radar Operator, and kindly donated by his family. LAC Angel was on active service in Papua New Guinea in 1943 and 1945, where we presume he acquired the skulls.
Visit us at Anglesea Barracks to find out more about Tasmanians in military service.

https://armymuseumtasmania.org.au

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24/07/2026

Consultations to be held next week on the future of the Hobart Garden of Remembrance Redevelopment…

The Hobart Garden of Remembrance will close from late August to early September for redevelopment works.

The Office of Australian War Graves will hold in-person community consultation sessions in Hobart on 28 and 29 July.

🗓️: 28/07/2026
⏰: Session 1 Archaeological and Historical Information Session at 10:00am - 12:00pm | Session 2 Office of Australian War Graves Redevelopment Information Session at 2:00pm - 4:00pm
📍: Wellington Chapel, Queens Walk, Cornelian Bay Hobart, TAS 7000

🗓️: 29/07/2026
⏰: Session 1 Office of Australian War Graves Redevelopment Information Session at 10:00am - 12:00pm | Session 2 Archaeological and Historical Information Session at 2:00pm - 4:00pm
📍: Wellington Chapel, Queens Walk, Cornelian Bay Hobart, TAS 7000

To register your interest in attending these sessions please email [email protected]

The OAWG recognises that the site is a special place for many families and apologises for any inconvenience caused by these necessary safety works.