Denis Gibbons (1937 – 2011) Trained with the Australian Army, before travelling to Vietnam in January 1966, Denis stayed with the 1st Australian Task Force in Nui Dat working as a photographer. For almost five years Gibbons toured with nine Australian infantry battalions, posting compelling war images from within many combat zones before being flown out in late November 1970 after sustaining injuries. The images held within the National Vietnam Veterans Museum make up the Gibbons Collection.A black and white photograph of Pilots of the 1st Platoon 'The Playboys' 334th Armed Helicopter Coy wearing their black Vietnamese flying suits led by Capt Ken Rubinalk walk past their Hueycobras at Ben Hoa after a day of flying missions.photograph, ben hoa, helicopter, the playboys, gibbons collection catalogue, 1st platoon, flying suits, capt. ken rubinalk, 334th armed helicopter coy, commanding officer, denis gibbons

Denis Gibbons (1937 – 2011) Trained with the Australian Army, before travelling to Vietnam in January 1966, Denis stayed with the 1st Australian Task Force in Nui Dat working as a photographer. For almost five years Gibbons toured with nine Australian infantry battalions, posting compelling war images from within many combat zones before being flown out in late November 1970 after sustaining injuries. The images held within the National Vietnam Veterans Museum make up the Gibbons Collection.A black and white photograph of a Huey helicopter Gunship from the 1st Platoon 'The Playboys' 334th Armed Helicopter, peeling off to attack sampans entering South Vietnam, from Cambodia, down the Mekong River. The gunships hunted in flights of three with the 1st Platoon the first unit in the US Army to get helicopter gunships, followed by Huey 'Cobra' Helicopter gunships.photograph, 1st platoon, 334th armed helicopter coy, cambodia, mekong river, huey 'cobra' helicopter, us gunships, gibbons collection catalogue, denis gibbons, photographer, vietnam war, the playboys, us army

Denis Gibbons (1937 – 2011) Trained with the Australian Army, before travelling to Vietnam in January 1966, Denis stayed with the 1st Australian Task Force in Nui Dat working as a photographer. For almost five years Gibbons toured with nine Australian infantry battalions, posting compelling war images from within many combat zones before being flown out in late November 1970 after sustaining injuries. The images held within the National Vietnam Veterans Museum make up the Gibbons Collection.A black and white photograph of a Huey Gunship from the 1st Platoon 334th Armed Helicopter with its windscreen sprayed with mud from the explosion after firing two rockets into a VietCong sampan, loaded with explosives and ammunition attempting to enter South Vietnam down the Mekong River from Cambodia. The sampan was blown to pieces with all on board being killed and the force of the explosion pushing the nose of the helicopter upwards. nearly turning the aircraft over. The pilot had to fight the controls to regain a normal flying attitude.photograph, 1st platoon, 334th armed helicopter coy, huey helicopter, the playboys, mekong river, cambodia, gibbons collection catalogue, denis gibbons, photographer, vietnam war, vietcong, sanpan

Example of a Braille magazine imported from the United States for readers in Australia. Playboy was produced by the National Library Service in Braille and exported to Braille libraries around the world. Magazines were costly to produce in-house, as they often held timely information that were not as relevant to the reader by the time that the transcription and embossing process was finished, and each issues required the process to be restarted each time a print issue was created. Working from the magazine itself, rather than an electronic file, and with no automated process yet developed, this issue in 1974 would have been scribed by hand and manually checked before being sent to the large embossing and binding machines for distribution. 1 Braille volume of Playboy magazinePlayboy - entertainment for men, August 1974, Volume 21, No 8, Part IVbraille library of victoria, braille books

Laminated colour Photograph. 1. Sign at the entrance to Nui Dat Playboy Club 2. "Nui Dat Rest Centre" signPlayboy Bunny Headphotograph, playboy club, rest centre, sign

Fire support base. Ammunition resupply by APC to infantry mortor crew in action. Rear hatch of APC open. Mortor crew are in a sandbagged fire position with mortor ammunition ready to fire on sandbags.White playboy bunny logo on gunshielddiorama, armoured personnel carrier, infantry mortor team, ammunition resupply

This is an souvenir menu from "The Playboy" restaurant.Collected in 1968, this menu gives an insight into the food and drinks (and prices) popular in restaurants at the time.Folder containing food and drinks menu. Black print on buff card.On front: owner's name and date :29.4.63playboy, restaurants, menus, black family

Drawing of a Boomerang with 8 Field Ambulance annotated above is a Playboy Logo and a Medivac Chopper. Below is the Red Cross logo and Nui Dat8 field ambulance nui dat

Black plywood and plastic sign "Field 8 Ambulance" in boomerang shape, playboy bunny ears, red cross and helicopter, red writing on white boomerangField 8 Ambulance Nui Datsign, 8th field ambulance

Muddy track depicting army tank following farmer's two wheeled loaded cartpulled by two oxen. Tank gun shield bears playboy bunny logo. US plag flies from rear of tank.us army, tank, diorama

Denis Gibbons (1937 – 2011) Trained with the Australian Army, before travelling to Vietnam in January 1966, Denis stayed with the 1st Australian Task Force in Nui Dat working as a photographer. For almost five years Gibbons toured with nine Australian infantry battalions, posting compelling war images from within many combat zones before being flown out in late November 1970 after sustaining injuries. The images held within the National Vietnam Veterans Museum make up the Gibbons Collection.A colour photograph of Denis Gibbons, standing beside a Huey Gunship from the 334th Armed Helicopter Battalion stationed at Bien Hoa. The 1st Platoon, known as the 'Playboy' Platoon, were tasked on a regular basis to support the Diggers of the Australian Task Force at Nui Dat.photograph, huey helicopter, 334th armed helicopter coy, 1st platoon, digger, australian task force, nui dat, bien hoa, playboy platoon, gibbons collection catalogue, denis gibbons, photographer, vietnam war, diggers

Denis Gibbons (1937 – 2011) Trained with the Australian Army, before travelling to Vietnam in January 1966, Denis stayed with the 1st Australian Task Force in Nui Dat working as a photographer. For almost five years Gibbons toured with nine Australian infantry battalions, posting compelling war images from within many combat zones before being flown out in late November 1970 after sustaining injuries. The images held within the National Vietnam Veterans Museum make up the Gibbons Collection.A black and white photograph of 1st Australina Task Force Commander Brigadier Ron Hughes standing beside the Commanding Officer Captain Ken Rubin 'Pappy Rabbit' Playboy 16, 1st Platoon 334th Armed Helicopter, prior to going on a flight in the Huey 'Cobra' gunship (Oct 1967 - Oct 1968).photograph, brig ron hughes, 1st platoon, 334th armed helicopter coy, playboy platoon, huey 'cobra' helicopter, gibbons collection catalogue, denis gibbons, photographer, vietnam war, 1st australian task force, captain ken rubin, pappy rabbit, huey cobra

This jacket was worn by Lynette Wekwerth when she worked as a volunteer in the National Wool Museum shop during the early 2000s. Lynette volunteered at the National Wool Museum for 25 years from 2001 until her passing in 2025, and was a much loved and respected member of the team. "I was born at Coonara Private Hospital at 173 Yarra Street, Geelong, on the 29th of March 1944, the third of five children. My father was in the RAAF when I was born, and on leaving the air force he became a carpenter/joiner. When I was young, we had the bread and milk delivered. There was a special tin for the bread and a big billy for the milk left of the front veranda to collect these items. My mother, elder sister, Wendy and my younger sister Zaidee, all went to “Physical Culture” held downstairs under the old Plaza Theatre building in Ryrie Street. We girls made our own sports clothes to do exercises (rods, dumbbells, and song and dance). It kept us fit, and we all won medals at some stage at the end-of-year concert. I was the only girl of my age in the street where I lived. There were boys my age, so I learned to play cricket and kick a football, all of which I did well. I attended Tate Street and then went on to Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary College in 1956. Matthew Flinders was a domestic arts school, where I learnt sewing, cookery, home management, and how to be a ‘good’ housekeeper. I enjoyed all the domestic subjects. Ray and I were engaged in August 1963. We purchased our engagement ring in Melbourne and went to dinner at the Playboy Club in Melbourne to celebrate. In preparation for our wedding, I spent many hours making my own wedding dress (with assistance from my mother). We were married at 11 am on Saturday, the 10th April 1965 at St. Matthew’s, Church of England, Geelong. When Ray retired, he responded to an advertisement for volunteers at the National Wool Museum to be a volunteer. He started in 1998. The year that the ‘Pharaohs exhibition’ started. That was fine by me, as he wouldn’t be getting under my feet. At this time I was playing golf regularly and didn’t want to miss out on this activity. I joined the volunteers in the Wool Museum in March/April 2001. I was allocated to the Museum Shop and thoroughly enjoyed being a member of the shop staff. I then became shop assistant. I enjoyed talking and serving the customers. I was soon asked if I would mind repairing some of the garments that may have pulled a thread or a minor fault. I also enjoyed doing ‘stock taking’ in the shop. (Not many staff enjoyed this job, but I did.) In those early days, the Museum staff wore the red blazer and the black wool cardigan." - Lynette WekwerthRed jacket with two buttons and two pockets at the front, and two decorative buttons on each cuff. Jacket has National Wool Museum logo on the left lapel. printed [label]: SABENA / 14working life, volunteer, national wool museum, clothing, uniform, lynette wekwerth, staff, employment, wool clothing, geelong

This vest was worn by Lynette Wekwerth when she worked as a volunteer in the National Wool Museum shop during the early 2000s. Lynette volunteered at the National Wool Museum for 25 years from 2001 until her passing in 2025, and was a much loved and respected member of the team. "I was born at Coonara Private Hospital at 173 Yarra Street, Geelong, on the 29th of March 1944, the third of five children. My father was in the RAAF when I was born, and on leaving the air force he became a carpenter/joiner. When I was young, we had the bread and milk delivered. There was a special tin for the bread and a big billy for the milk left of the front veranda to collect these items. My mother, elder sister, Wendy and my younger sister Zaidee, all went to “Physical Culture” held downstairs under the old Plaza Theatre building in Ryrie Street. We girls made our own sports clothes to do exercises (rods, dumbbells, and song and dance). It kept us fit, and we all won medals at some stage at the end-of-year concert. I was the only girl of my age in the street where I lived. There were boys my age, so I learned to play cricket and kick a football, all of which I did well. I attended Tate Street and then went on to Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary College in 1956. Matthew Flinders was a domestic arts school, where I learnt sewing, cookery, home management, and how to be a ‘good’ housekeeper. I enjoyed all the domestic subjects. Ray and I were engaged in August 1963. We purchased our engagement ring in Melbourne and went to dinner at the Playboy Club in Melbourne to celebrate. In preparation for our wedding, I spent many hours making my own wedding dress (with assistance from my mother). We were married at 11 am on Saturday, the 10th April 1965 at St. Matthew’s, Church of England, Geelong. When Ray retired, he responded to an advertisement for volunteers at the National Wool Museum to be a volunteer. He started in 1998. The year that the ‘Pharaohs exhibition’ started. That was fine by me, as he wouldn’t be getting under my feet. At this time I was playing golf regularly and didn’t want to miss out on this activity. I joined the volunteers in the Wool Museum in March/April 2001. I was allocated to the Museum Shop and thoroughly enjoyed being a member of the shop staff. I then became shop assistant. I enjoyed talking and serving the customers. I was soon asked if I would mind repairing some of the garments that may have pulled a thread or a minor fault. I also enjoyed doing ‘stock taking’ in the shop. (Not many staff enjoyed this job, but I did.) In those early days, the Museum staff wore the red blazer and the black wool cardigan." - Lynette WekwerthBlack woollen vest with four buttons at the front, and two pockets. Vest has National Wool Museum logo on left chest. printed [label]: BELLA / Collection / made in australia / WEKWERTH / TO FIT / SIZE / 12working life, volunteer, national wool museum, clothing, uniform, lynette wekwerth, staff, employment, wool clothing, geelong

John Millington Synge's plays were produced by the Irish National Theatre Society in 1905. Program notes reveal that the first performances "were the focus of some of the bitterest scenes ever witnessed in a theatre. Audience unrest ... grew to full-scale riots, and Yeats claimed that by the end of the week's run 70 police were keeping order inside the theatre, while 500 patrolled the streets outside".Unruly gatherings have been witnessed in the Athenaeum Theatre and Collins Street, such as in 1843, a year after the building was completed: "The first election for the Melbourne seat in 1843 turned into a sectarian battle between a Catholic and a Presbyterian candidate." Supporters of the losing candidate "massed outside the Mechanics Institution where the official declaration of the poll was to occur, and tried to storm the building. The police arrived and did disperse them but only to send them on a rampage throughout the town, ...("Building a Free Australia : Places of Democracy" by John Hirst, 2009)Paper program; coloured cover; 16 p. includes articles about the play and the actors.melbourne theatre company, the playboy of the western world, john millington synge, athenaeum theatre, katy wild, riots

The Letter pages contain two letter - one by Jorn Utzon and the second by Serge Chermayeff architect in New Haven). Robin Boyd’s desk cupboard contained two exercise books (item D482.1-D482.2) and assorted articles, essays and other material regarding the building of the Sydney Opera House, inserted inside the front cover of Walkabout magazine, July 1966 (item P1377). This publication is one of those inserts. Many of these were collected by Boyd’s eldest daughter, Mandie, who recalls that her father was writing a book, but was very disillusioned with the way the entire Opera House saga unfolded. A reprint from The Architectural Forum letters pp 89-91.sydney opera house, utzon, sydney opera house project, walsh st library