Museum curator Rob Ferguson and a life preserver from the World War II ship HMAS Waterhen. 33874
By Casey Neill
UPWEY Belgrave RSL Museum will soon have a ship-shape new naval display.
The Australian Naval Association Melbourne Sub-Section has lent the museum several items, including a life buoy from Australia’s HMAS Waterhen. German dive-bombers sank the ship on 29 June 1941. Museum curator Rob Ferguson said the collection also included an original 1920s oil painting featuring the Royal Australian Navy’s first battle ship, HMAS Australia, and dozens of ship pennants.
“So many of those ships are well and truly gone now,” Mr Ferguson said. He hopes to create a naval display next month.
The RSL opened the volunteer-built museum in April. It houses artefacts from wars and peacekeeping missions around the world, from the Boer War through to the current Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts.
Upwey-Belgrave RSL is at 1 Mast Gully Road, Upwey, and can be contacted by calling 9754 3665.
The museum is open from 10am to 2pm on Sundays, 10am to noon on Thursdays and by appointment. Entry is free, but donations are welcomed.
