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Bendigo Military Museum
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Literary work - MILITARY MUSEUM HISTORY, A brief history of the Soldiers Memorial Institute Military Museum Bendigo

  • Folder, a brief history of the SMIMM Bendigo.

    A brief written and photo history of the Soldiers Memorial Institute Military Museum.

  • Early days in the Museum Billiard room.

    The Billiard room in the early days pre 2005.

  • Early days in the Main Hall SMIMM

    The Main Hall in the early days around 2000

  • The 67th Bn Colours ready for display.

    The Colours of the 67th Militia Training Battalion ready for display 2007. Peter Ball, Tony Cornelius, Marg Andrea.

  • SMIMM volunteers at the Shrine re Opening of Camera on the Somme.

    Museum Volunteers at the Shrine for the Opening of "A Camera on the Somme" in October 2010. Tony Cornelius, Blair Michael, Norm Smart, Ian Bates, John Young, Cliff Richards, Marg Andrea, Peter Ball, Ted Hosking, Glennis Gordon.

  • Presentation to Jean Grinton with photo framed.

    Presentation to Jean Grinton with a framed photo of her Father Jack. Aylene Kirkwood, Peter Ball, Corrine Perkin.

  • The old kitchen turned into an office.

    The old Kitchen on the side of the SMI is turned into a multi use room then a RSL Office.

  • The old Kitchen turned into an Office.

    A second view of the old Kitchen transformed.

  • Volunteers recieving their10 year certificates.

    Museum Volunteers recieving their 10 year Certificates of Appreciation. Frank Taylor, Gus Pettersen, Hugh Mason, Ron Hamley, Jack Clarke, 2013.

  • Vietnam excursion the Catholic Senior College.

    Excursion to Catholic Senior College 2013. Vietnam Veterans, Frank Chambers, Bill Clark, Peter Ball, Maurie Betts, John Young, Georg Wood, Geoff Murray, the teacher is Wayne Blakely.

  • The office ceiling ready for repairs.

    Part of early renovations 2011/12 was the refurbisment of the Office back to its original state. A false ceiling was removed to reveal how the original walls looked like.

  • 38th Bn Colours ready for displaying.

    One of two of the 38th Battalion AIF Colours ready to be moved inside by the Ceremonial Party 31st July 2015.

  • 38th Bn Colours ready for displaying.

    The second 38th Battalion Colour ready to move inside.

  • The 38th Colours after ceremonial receival.

    The Colours placed inside and accepted by Peter Ball SMIMM, Ron Monro 38th Batt Association, Joe Jones Passchendaele Barracks Trust. Lt Col Tom Beidermann leading the ceremonial team.

  • Catholic Junior college excursion to SMIMM

    Catholic College Junortoun excursion to the Museum 2011. The Teacher is Kym Levett, student is trying on a weighted Vietnam Kit.

  • The five longest serving SMIMM volunteers.

    Museum Xmas breakup 2015, the five longest serving Volunteers from 1998, Jack Fay, Frank Taylor, Norm Smart, Peter Ball, Tom Iser.

  • Announcement of $1.5.Mil grant for the SMIMM.

    20.7.2016. The announcement of a $1.5 million Grant for the re development of the SMIMM, Peter Ball, Maree Edwards, Richd Wynne, Paul Penno.

  • Major renovations to the SMI Building.

    The Museum closed in September 2016 for the renovations. this photo taken in February 2018.

  • Re opening of the SMIMM in 2018.

    15.11.2018, same day the SMI was opened in 1921. BDRSL President Peter Swandale and the Mayor Cr Margaret O'Rourke cutting the ribbon at the re opening of the SMIMM.

  • SMIMM volunteers relax after re opening.

    Museum Staff and Volunteers relax after the opening 15.11.2018, Luke Barkmeyer, Angela Hemley, Bill Clark, Judith Long, Liz Ireland, Ray McNamara.

  • SMIMM volunteers relax after a big year 2019.

    19.12.2019. Museum Volunteers and Staff relax after a big year with nibbles and drinks.

  • The SMI building turns 100 years 2021.

    15.11.2021. The SMI is 100 years old and cutting of the cake on the Portico of the SMI.

  • SMIMM volunteers at the AMaGA , Vic collections in 2022.

    4.10.2022. At the AMaGA, Victorian Collections Award night. The Museum was runner up in the Cataloguing Military section. Peter Ball, Peter Swandale, Pam Keown, Pat Ibbotson.

  • 38th Battalion exhibition in Passive House.

    June 2023. 38th Battalion exhibition in the new Passive House put together by the Volunteers.

  • Exhibition "Faces of Peace" wins award 2024.

    2024. Victorian Community History Awards for Digital Story telling "Faces of Peace" put together by our Curator Lena.

  • Folder, a brief history of the SMIMM Bendigo.
  • Early days in the Museum Billiard room.
  • Early days in the Main Hall SMIMM
  • The 67th Bn Colours ready for display.
  • SMIMM volunteers at the Shrine re Opening of Camera on the Somme.
  • Presentation to Jean Grinton with photo framed.
  • The old kitchen turned into an office.
  • The old Kitchen turned into an Office.
  • Volunteers recieving their10 year certificates.
  • Vietnam excursion the Catholic Senior College.
  • The office ceiling ready for repairs.
  • 38th Bn Colours ready for displaying.
  • 38th Bn Colours ready for displaying.
  • The 38th Colours after ceremonial receival.
  • Catholic Junior college excursion to SMIMM
  • The five longest serving SMIMM volunteers.
  • Announcement of $1.5.Mil grant for the SMIMM.
  • Major renovations to the SMI Building.
  • Re opening of the SMIMM in 2018.
  • SMIMM volunteers relax after re opening.
  • SMIMM volunteers relax after a big year 2019.
  • The SMI building turns 100 years 2021.
  • SMIMM volunteers at the AMaGA , Vic collections in 2022.
  • 38th Battalion exhibition in Passive House.
  • Exhibition "Faces of Peace" wins award 2024.

Historical information

The main reason for this brief history of the Soldiers Memorial Institute Military Museum (now Bendigo Military Museum) came about due to the cataloguing of the Soldiers Memorial Institute Building and the Bendigo RSL history as a section of the Cataloguing of the Museum collection. The Bendigo RSL has held occupancy of the SMI building since it was opened in 1921. The how and why the SMI became a Museum was not really documented as such in the minutes/records of the Bendigo RSL pre 1998 when the Museum opened to the Public. Any records were mainly “one Liners”.

The coverage begins in 1993 with the Billiard room being turned into a “Drop in Centre” for RSL Members and a small Memorabilia display. The main theme is from 1997 to 2021 inclusive to cover 25 years and the 100th birthday of the SMI Building. Those years cover the build up from minimum to maximum, the first paid staff, renovations minor and major with closure, the first paid Curator and more paid staff, the big re opening and then the crash of Covid and losing the Curator and Staff, coming out of into uncertainty. The following 3 years 2022 - 2024 give a glimpse of that uncertainty but slowly gaining a Curator again. Post script is a a dot point brief of the main items.

Part 1 - 1993 - Feb 1998. The early years.
Part 2 - 1998 - 2002. Opening up and learning.
Part 3 - 2003 - 2008. Sub Committee formed and moving forward.
Part 4 - 2009 - 2014. Camera on the Somme, renovations and planning begins.
Part 5 - 2015 - 2018. Changes begin, re development, closure and re opening.
Part 6 - 2019 - 2021. A big year and the Covid crash.
Part 7 - 2022 - 2024. Uncertainty and moving forward.
Part 8 - Awards.
Part 9 - Post script 2025 - 2026.............
Appendices
Volunteers Honour Roll (Those that have passed on) ……….
Photos are a small selection of over 1,100 images.
This history is for the Volunteers for without them there would not have been a Museum.

Physical description

Folder, 4 Binder A4 blue covers with plastic inserts, text is typed in red & black No 1 - 67 pages, 9 Parts plus a Postscript. 52 pages of photos up to 6 per page, 12 pages plans, sketches, 6 Museum newsletters from a total of 84, 6 pages of awards to Museum Volunteers, Museum Volunteers Honour roll, those who have passed on. These are added in where appropriate to the story.

Inscriptions & markings

“Compiled and written by Peter Ball”

Subjects

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