WELCOME TO THE CABOOLTURE WARPLANE & FLIGHT HERITAGE MUSEUM
Queensland’s only flying warbird museum… where you can still fly in a warplane!
The Caboolture Warplane Museum is not just a collection of static displays but also dynamic displays with dynamic activities. Most of the warplanes on display actually fly.
The Museum currently houses the North American T-6 Texan, a Winjeel and Gipsy Moth. The Wirraway and T-28B Trojan are hangared nearby on the airfield by Warplanes Pty Ltd and are readily available for Adventure Flights and other static display events run by the Museum. These exhibits of Australian aviation heritage are also available for commemorative flypasts on ANZAC Day and other occasions.
Our mission and vision
To promote the history of military and civil aviation to the wider community.
Our Museum is dedicated to preserving and publicly displaying artefacts from Australian Aviation History with particular reference to WW2 and Vietnam.
Our vision is that we honour our pioneering and heroic aviators and educate new generations on the developments in machinery and technology that has brought them to the world they know today.
Society is better informed when it better understands the past.
The Members of the Museum seek, through their displays and activities, not only to illustrate the military and industrial contributions made by Australians in their quest for peace, but the spirit of a nation that prevailed at that time.
Most importantly, it recognises, respects, honours and perpetuates the spirit of ANZAC and the sacrifices made by so many Australian men and women during the war, so that future generations may never forget.
OUR COMMUNITY At our museum, we don’t just house artefacts and memorabilia; we nurture a thriving community—a community bonded by an unwavering passion for aviation, a thirst for history, and an enduring commitment to preserving the legacy of those who served. Together, we stand as custodians of a rich heritage.
QLD’S ONLY OPERATIONAL WARPLANE MUSEUM We are proud to be Queensland’s only operational warplane museum, where you can still fly in a warplane. The museum houses a captivating collection of exhibits, guaranteeing over an hour of interesting learning for visitors of all ages: uniforms, Bren Gun Carrier, Bofors gun, operating searchlight, Taylor Mono plane, F111 crew module and a full sized Iroquois helicopter, the timeline of technology from radial to jet engines is on display, WW1 and WW11 memorabilia, a theatrette where visitors can relax and watch a movie or a documentary. Visitors can sit in the pilot’s seat of a UH-1 Huey Iroquois helicopter for photo opportunities. We are the owners of a private collection donated by the family of Ralph Murray. Ralph Murray’s passion in life was aviation and he handcrafted hundreds of scale models of WW1 aircraft models from balsa wood. He started at age 15 and continued until he passed away at age 75. The museum houses the nose section of a DC47 Dakota that flew Sir Winston Churchill and King George VI.
AIRCRAFT ON THE HANGAR FLOOR Currently three operational aircraft are on display on the hangar floor. A Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Winjeel. The Winjeel is a 1948 basic trainer for the RAAF to replace the Tiger Moth. A North American T-6 SNJ-4 Texan and a vintage WW1 Gipsy Moth. There’s more to the story of the vintage Gipsy Moth that flew nine days from England to Australia in 1931.
WOMEN IN AVIATION A recent addition is a gallery wall of the heroic aviatrixes, from the 1930s to the 1980s; WAAAF pilots, Night Witches, WASP girls, ATTA girls, Emelia Earhart, Amy Johnson, Nancy Bird Walton, Lores Bonney, recognisable by the street in Clayfield named after her, Bonney Avenue, and many many others who lived through an iconic time in history.
AUSTRALIA IN THE PACIFIC CAMPAIGN An addition to our theatrette gallery is a well documented portrayal of the Pacific battles with key aircraft represented. Each story and aircraft will give the visitor a depth of understanding and knowledge. Battles from 1942 – 1945 include the Bombing of Darwin, Guadalcanal, Coral Sea, Midway, Pearl Harbor, Leyte Gulf, Okinawa. This is a walk through history with a good deal of underlying research provided by a University Student volunteer.
GARRY COOPER, VIETNAM Flight Lieutenant Garry Cooper was an incredibly talented Australian pilot who was seconded to the US Army 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam in 1968. He was deployed in the highly dangerous task of being a forward Air Controller which entailed flying largely unarmoured small aircraft such as the Birddog at extremely low altitudes over enemy lines whilst radioing incredibly accurate positions for bombers, artillery, and helicopter gunships to direct their weapons at. Garry lives locally and has provided a good deal of memorabilia to the museum. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Force Cross and in 2025 will be inducted into the United States Air Force Hall of Fame. There’s more to his extraordinary story to admire.
