Images Of War

The war in Vietnam was the first in which those serving often had cameras. We boast a vast collection of images taken by Australian servicemen that record their daily experiences and document the friendships they made in-country.

Our Denis Gibbons gallery is named for renowned photojournalist Denis Gibbons, whose images we feature. He trained as a soldier before spending five years in Vietnam, photographing the tours of nine Australian infantry battalions.

Chemicals in Vietnam

Over the course of the war, 15 different types of defoliants were used to destroy forest cover and kill food crops.

United States forces sprayed some 50 million liters of Agent Orange defoliant at up to 20 times the recommended concentration. While Australian Forces regularly pumped a potent mix of pesticides throughout their base at Nui Dat.

Veterans fought long and hard for recognition that a long list of cancers, diabetes, and Parkinson’s Disease can be associated with exposure to these chemicals.

The Main Gallery

Our museum is home to some imposing vehicles and heavy equipment — ‘the big stuff’. Notable among the aircraft are the Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter and Bell UH-1 ‘Huey’ utility helicopter, the nosecone of a massive Lockheed C-130 Hercules and a Canberra bomber in restoration. Road vehicles include a Centurion tank and an M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and field artillery including a 105mm L5 Pack Howitzer and a 105mm L2A2 Howitzer.