General News
4 February, 2022
Horsham war museum marches forward
Horsham Military Collection owners talk about what visitors can expect to see in the newly opened war museum.
AFTER 12 months of construction Horsham’s own war museum, Horsham Military Collection, has opened for public viewing.
The collection is made up of various military vehicles, hardware and militaria spanning over the 20th Century period, along with accompanying information boards.
Horsham Military Collection co-owner Brad Stephens said the museum, located at 15 Madden Street, is intended to educate its visitors as much as amaze them.
“A lot of this stuff is rare. For one of the copy-vehicles here, the original can only be found in the Imperial War Museum in London,” he said.
“Our collection is great for school kids, Lion Clubs, and other groups. It will be interesting for people that haven’t seen this sort of thing. It’s educational.
“We’ve had a couple of groups contact us for appointments; bowling clubs, Rotary; beside other groups which is great.
“Once the word gets out there more, I believe we’ll get people travelling interstate to see the museum .”
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Horsham Military Collection began with Hartley Stephens and sons Justin and Brad Stevens showcasing their military collection 17 years ago at exhibits across Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.
Hartley said the idea for the museum had come following increasing logistic difficulties in attending military shows.
“We’ve been doing this for a long time; travelling to military reenactments, aeroplane shows, and constructing all the vehicles and equipment we have,” he said.
“It came to a point where we couldn’t do it anymore, so we decided on a permanent static display of the collection to be housed in our hometown.
“The museum is all private, we've had no money given to us. So it’s all done by way of family.”
Justin said the motivation for the museum, overall, came down to a deep love for history.
“Hartley used to manage a disposal store when me and my brothers were kids,” he said
“I used to play army a lot with my mates, so that led to a strong interest in the Second World War for me growing up.
“World War Two was a fascinating time period, and we have all the information for the equipment and vehicles explained on the floor and walls.”
Horsham Military Collection is open by appointment and is available for most times of the year on agreed times.