Our History
A treasure trove of aviation history waiting to be explored
Discover the Ashburton Aviation Museum, nestled in the heart of picturesque Mid-Canterbury, this hidden gem boasts one of the largest collections of Aircraft in the country.
It all started in 1974
On 29 October 1974 a group of local aviation enthusiasts initiated a meeting at the Ashburton Library to consider the possibility of forming a historic aviation society.
Nine men joined together over tea and biscuits and decided to give it a go.
The following month they gained their first charge: a Bofors AA gun donated by Burnett’s Motors
The RNZAF put its Harvards up for tender. Inspired by the chance to have a serious museum exhibit, the group put in a $2500 bid, and on 25 May 1978 was informed that, subject to payment within a month, it now owned North American Harvard Mk 2a, c/n 88-9269, RNZAF code NZ1012.
Jubilation was tempered however, by the fact that their trust had exactly $153.14 in the bank.
But the people of Ashburton rallied in support, and in 24 days they raised the money.
Construction of the hangar at the Ashburton airfield began and the fundraising efforts ramped up!
The Harvard made its contribution at various public events, while members made their contributions through running market stalls and raffles — one at the Tinwald Tavern ran every Saturday night for 12 years yielding $20,000. Cutting firewood, carting hay, donating the profits from paddocks of crops, selling Christmas hampers, helicopter rides and public sponsorship for each of the 2000 concrete blocks needed for the hangar, and hiring their Bofors to Walt Disney studios for a movie at Queenstown.
Most of the construction labour was voluntary, with many local firms offering services at discount rates.
Burnett’s Motors made sure its old Bofors had a roof over its muzzle by donating the use of a crane to hoist the hangar’s steel trusses into place.
In April 1991 the first museum display hangar opens, debt free.
The museum finally had a place to display its growing collection of aircraft.
In fact the collection was already so big, that when the adjacent building (a scenic flight operations base) came up for sale soon afterward, the team cast covetous eyes on its plane-sized workshop and upstairs office space. The asking price seemed off their screen, but a new fundraising campaign was launched, grants money secured, and finally a mortgage committed to.
The building was acquired in 1994 and paid off in 2000. As well as the museum’s workshop facility for aircraft restorations, this hangar is now home to what must be one of the best aviation libraries in the country, with thousands of books donated or bequeathed by members. Alongside this, the greater part of the second story well meets the needs of records and archives etcetera.
The Ashburton Aviation Museum Building Committee develops concept plans and moves to secure funding for the organisation’s most ambitious project yet … The construction of a new “Superhangar” adjacent to existing facilities. Designed to house the museums expanding collection of airframes and to include provisions for the housing of the not for profit Southern DC3 Trust’s operational aircraft, ZK-AMY which will form an integral part of the museum experience when not away working. The DC3 is being operated indefinitely as a ‘heritage airliner’ for the benefit of all New Zealanders and is ultimately being placed in the stewardship of the Ashburton Aviation Museum.
When ZK-AMY’s operational life ended the Southern DC3 Trust was wound-up and the aircraft gifted in perpetuity to the Ashburton Aviation Museum.
The Superhangar was opened with a gala event to celebrate both the new building and the acquisition of the ex Airforce Skyhawk NZ6204.
Visitors of note attended the event including The Hon Mr Wayne Map, Minister of Defence.
Mr Eric Drewitt offers his collection of books and memorabilia that he had acquired over his lifetime to the museum. He also offeres to help with the construction of the replica Control Tower. The tower was built to be as near as possible a exact replica of the tower that stood on the airfield when the airfield was a training field, training around 1300 pilots to fly Tiger Moths.
The original Fire Shed from the airfield was found on a property just across Morris Road. After negotiations with Sister Ann the shed was jacked up, put on a house moving truck and moved back across the airfield by Mid Canterbury Building Removals. Museum members installed the piles, reclad the building and replaced the roof. A Marmon Herrington Fire engine was sourced from Ferrymead and now lives in the Fire Shed.
Ashburton Airfield:
Our Museum is located fittingly, on the Ashburton Airfield. This field holds historic aviation value in its own right, as this is where more than 1100 brave young men were by way of the Elementary Flight Training Scheme taught to fly before heading overseas to pilot bombers, fighters and maritime aircraft during WW2. The tie-down rings where the 50 Tiger Moths were parked between training sessions are still secured in the sealed tarmac laid-down for that purpose.
The broad expanse of the airfield itself was an extremely busy place, with the large number of trainees being taught their basic flying skills in just the two years the base was operational. Flight training persisted through 24 hours of the day. Supplementary to the flying activities were the support facilities, including maintenance hangars and all that was required to accommodate and support the 2000 or more military personnel needed for a flight training facility of this magnitude.
Adjacent to the aviation museum precinct there is what remains of a true wartime Kittyhawk hangar, one of seven such buildings extant through the period between 1940 and the 1960s when the Public Works Dept. dismantled most of what was left of the buildings and facilities having been the overall base through those heady days of EFTS. There had been dozens of huts, large and small, a hospital, lecture rooms and offices of varying sorts. There was a large concrete swimming pool that doubled as water storage for fire-fighting – or was it the other way round?
Objectives:
The Ashburton Aviation Museum now stands proud. There is a steady flow of visitors coming to enjoy the facility with many spreading the word, thus broadening the visitor catchment. The Museum Management is keen to show the facility as a community asset and to this end, the buildings, together or separately, can be hired for community functions and to date many seminars, weddings and funerals, formal balls and trade displays have been held within.
The Society acknowledges the support given past and present by the local community and sees itself qualifying this support by not only presenting a worthwhile historical aviation collection but as a function centre and attraction for aeronautically or historically inclined visitors to fly or drive to for some wholesome recreation.
