MacArthur Museum Brisbane in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Civilisation museum

MacArthur Museum Brisbane

Locality: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Phone: +61 7 3211 7052

Address: Level 8 MacArthur Chambers, 201 Edward Street 4000 Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Website: http://www.mmb.org.au

Likes: 707

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Landmark & historical place
• Landmark
• Civilisation museum

25.01.2022 Recently our Managing Director, John Wright was interviewed by Brisbane’s Living Heritage Network (BLHN) for a PODCAST regarding the Yamamoto control yoke in the Museum. You can now hear it on soundcloud.com/blhn/vengeance

24.01.2022 Australian troops New Guinea - pic AWM. https://www.ww2places.qld.gov.au/south-west-pacific-campaign

24.01.2022 Mr Teruo Murakami (the last surviving Japanese prisoner who escaped from Cowra prisoner-of-war-camp visited the museum recently with members of his family.

24.01.2022 A Significance Assessment has been undertaken by the Museum. For many years since the Athens Charter (1931) and the Venice Charter (1964) there have been international agreements on the treatment and conservation of historic sites and buildings and more recently this has branched into the assessment of collections. The aim has been to develop a standardised methodology to evaluate the significance of objects and collections as a whole. In 2009 the National Library of Australi...a produced a document on Significance Assessment 2.00 which has been generally recognised as standard for Australia, and is the model which MM-B is being assessed under. The Collection Management Group (CMG) has been working now for over two years to select 10 of our most significant items and undertake a detailed Significance Assessment of these items. Fiona, India, Maddison, Alex and John have been working on these internal assessments

22.01.2022 At the Annual General Meeting of The General Douglas MacArthur Brisbane Memorial Foundation Limited the following Directors resigned their appointments to the Board of the MacArthur Foundation. They are: Brigadier Peter Rule AM PSM RFD Retd Chairman of Directors; Lieutenant Colonel John Dwyer AM Retd Director & Foundation (Company) Secretary; Mr Geoff Thomas AO Director;... The Honourable Santo Santoro Director. The new Directors are: Major John Wright RFD Retd Mr Allan Pidgeon, Mr Andrew Butcher An enhanced Museum Management Team was also announced. They are: Assistant Manager, Community Engagement Mr Ron Rees; Assistant Manager, Administration Ms Carlyle King; Assistant Manager, Collection Management Ms Fiona Garnes; Foundation Secretary, Major Stuart Mackay. A luncheon was held for volunteers to say thank you to the retiring Directors and to welcome the new Directors. Deputy Chairman Colonel Phillip Gould Retd handed out the new name badges to the Management Team

22.01.2022 MacArthur Museum Brisane will be closed until further notice In the light of discussions with representatives from BCC, the Museum of Brisbane, and advice as to the impeding actions at Queensland and Commonwealth level, it has been decided to close the Museum from 3 pm on Sunday 22nd March until further notice. The guiding principle in all deliberations on this matter has been the health and welfare of our volunteers and visitors.

21.01.2022 Some members of the Telephone Collectors Society were our last guests at the Museum before we closed on Sunday. These members had a tour of the Museum and then held their monthly meeting around the planning table used by General MacArthur when he was based in Brisbane

21.01.2022 MacArthur Museum Brisbane s pleased to announce that it will be re-opening on Thursday 2nd July at 10am. Things will be somewhat different due to the impact of COVID-19. We are accepting Pre-Bookings only. Please visit our website mmb.org.au to arrange this booking and also see what we are doing about COVID-19

21.01.2022 MacArthur Museum Brisbane re-opened today after the Christmas and New Year break. We look forward to seeing our visitors.

18.01.2022 On 2nd September 74 years ago the formal surrender of the Japanese Forces took place aboard the US battleship USS Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay. General of the Army Douglas MacArthur signed as Supreme Commander of the Allied powers, Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz signed for the US and General Sir Thomas Blamey signed for Australia. This surrender was the first of many as Japanese forces, as local Japanese commanders surrendered throughout the Asia-Pacific area. The Allied war...ships in Tokyo Bay did not include aircraft carriers as these launch a massive fly past after the signing of the surrender. There was also some concern that radical nationalist in the Japanese armed forces would mount a last desperate suicide attack on the Allied fleet. The unarmoured aircraft carriers would have been a major loss in the event of an attack of this type. Ultimately these fears were unnecessary. Two other major surrenders took place in the weeks after the Tokyo surrender; to the Australians at Moratai ( General Sir Thomas Blamey) on 9th September, and to the British at Singapore on 12th September 1945 (Admiral Lord Louise Mountbatten) Yesterday the Coral Sea Commemorative Association and the American Legion hosted a small service in MacArthur Museum to mark the 74th Anniversary of the end of the Pacific war. MacArthur Museum is highlighting the surrender with a display on the Tokyo and Moratai surrenders over the next month. See more

18.01.2022 This is the refurbished office of General MacArthur.

17.01.2022 MacArthur Museum opened today and we had visitors who had booked on our webpage. Go to mmb.org.au

16.01.2022 Some volunteers and Foundation Board members were invited to the celebration of American Independence aboard to USS Ronald Reagan by Rear Admiral Karl Thomas, Commander, Battle Force SEVENTH Fleet and U.S, Ambassador Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr.

16.01.2022 Elizabeth Street Air Raid Shelters Elizabeth Street, Brisbane City, Brisbane https://thennnow.com.au/elizabeth-street-air-raid-shelters ---------- 1941 - Bris...bane City Council 2019 - Nick Verburgt ---------- #thennnow #thennnowcomau #timetravel #visitbrisbane #brisbane #teambne #viewsofbrisbane #brisbaneanyday #discoverbrisbane #brisbanecity #thisisbrisbane #thisisqueensland #loveyouqueensland Brisbane Brisbane City Brisbane City Council State Library of Queensland Visit Brisbane Vintage Queensland Lost Brisbane ABC Brisbane Australia Post CUA See more

15.01.2022 MacArthur Museum Brisbane will be closed on Sunday 26th January 2020.

14.01.2022 MacArthur Museum Brisbane will be open for Brisbane Open House on Saturday 12th October 2019 from 10.00am until 3.00pm with last entry at 2.30pm. We look forward to seeing many visitors on that day. On Sunday 13th October 2019 it will be a normal museum operation day with normal admission charges.

12.01.2022 The 7th and 8th May 1942 saw a truly historic naval battle fought in the Coral Sea to the north-east of Australia. The Japanese concept of operations was for a carrier battle group to enter the Coral Sea and surprise an Allied battle group based on the USS Lexington and Yorktown. The successful completion of this stage would enable an amphibious invasion to capture Port Moresby. This plan proposed by VADM Inoue was a substitute for an earlier Japanese Navy suggestion to invad...e Northern Australia, which was rejected out of hand by the Japanese Army. The preliminary skirmishing stages of the battle commenced on 4th May and by 7th May both sides had a general idea that enemy carriers were in close proximity. RADM Frank Fletcher detached a task force comprising HMAS Australia, HMAS Hobart and USS Chicago to block the invasion fleet of cruisers and troop transports heading towards Port Moresby, just in case the carrier battle turned to the Japanese advantage. This task force was commanded by an Australian born RADM John Crace RN. On the morning of 7th May both sides received inaccurate reports of the opposing fleet and launched air strikes. As a result minor elements of both sides were sunk ( the oiler USS Neosho and destroyer USS Sims of the USN and the light carrier Shoho of the IJN) Both side spent the afternoon searching for the main enemy force. At 14.30 Craces cruisers were attacked by 31 Japanese aircraft but skilfully avoid all bombs and torpedoes. Three USAAF B17s also attempted to sink Crace but fortunately with even less success. Just after sunset a Japanese strike force returning to their carriers attempted to land on US carriers in the confusion of attempted night landings. The day ended with Fletcher and Crace heading west and the Japanese carrier and invasion forces heading north. As US VADM Duckworth commented in 1972 "Without a doubt, May 7th 1942, vicinity Coral Sea, was the most confused battle area in world history". To be continued tomorrow as the battle reaches its climax.

10.01.2022 At 06.15 on 8th May 1942 the Japanese carriers in the Coral Sea launched a torpedo bomber strike against US carriers Yorktown and Lexington. Twenty minutes later the US carriers launched a strike against the Japanese carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku. By 08.22 both sides had found their targets. At 10.57 Yorktowns aircraft hit Shokaku with two 450kg bombs, but all torpedoes missed.. At 11.30 another 450kg dropped from a Lexington bomber hit Shokaku, but all 11 torpedoes missed. S...hokaku then was forced to withdraw from the battle. At 11.20 Lexington was hit by two torpedoes which apparently did little to reduce her fighting efficiency, nor did two subsequent bomb hits. One of these torpedoes ultimately was responsible of the loss of the ship as an undetected fuel leak filled a number of compartments until exploding with devastating results at 12.47 and again at 14.42 and 15.25. At 11.27 Yorktown was hit by a single 250kg bomb which penetrated deep into the ship and caused severe structural damage. By mid-afternoon both sides had effectively lost a fleet carrier and numerous aircraft. Both sides were concerned by their low fuel states and both commanders decided to withdraw. At 16.01 Yorktown and her escorts withdrew to the southwest. After the Lexington had been scuttled by the USS Phelps at 19.15 the remainder of the carrier group also withdrew. Low fuel and heavy aircraft losses caused the Japanese commander to also withdraw. At 15.00 the still operation carrier Zuikaku retired to Rabaul, while Shokaku headed to Japan for major repairs. RADM Crace,, who had not been informed of the withdrawal of the US forces, guarded the approach to Port Moresby until 01.00 on 10th May. Not hearing any further reports of a Japanese force heading towards Port Moresby, and running low on fuel, he departed for Australia. The battle was significant as the first battle in naval history in which the rival fleets had not seen each other. Both sides claimed victory with exaggerated claims of enemy ships sunk or damaged, and masses of enemy aircraft destroyed. The loss of the Lexington was a severe blow (25% of US carrier strength in the Pacific) but the two Japanese carriers were also not available for use at the Battle of Midway. Had both been at Midway it is likely that the US Fleet would have been overwhelmed.(IJN 6 carriers, USN 3 carriers) It has often been claimed that tactically the Japanese won the battle, but it was a pyrrhic victory. Strategically the Japanese had been stopped from achieving a major objective in isolating Australia from the USA, so in this sense the victory was theirs..

09.01.2022 On Thursday 12th December, MacArthur Museum Brisbane held their Christmas Breakup and presentation of Service Badges. The Lord Mayor, the Hon Adrian Schrinner addressed those present and handed out the badges. The Lord Mayor also signed our visitors book whilst seated in General MacArthurs office. Please do not comment on the photo of General MacArthur and the Australian troops in the background. This is the reverse side of the screen and you see the correct side on entering the Museum

09.01.2022 part of the museum

08.01.2022 MacArthur Museum Brisbane will be closed from Sunday 15th December and will re-open on Tuesday 14th January 2020 at 10.30am. Maintenance and thorough cleaning will take place during this period.

08.01.2022 Meet Don Fraser. Don was one of our visitors on Sunday 5th July and he told us he was a young lad in Brisbane during World War 2. He recalled seeing the US Military Police on guard outside Lennons Hotel and seeing all the soldiers in the city. Don and his family made a booking to see the museum. if you wish to book, please visit our web page www.mmb.org.au. Please advise your estimated time you will be arriving In the comment section.

07.01.2022 MacArthur's former office has received a major restoration of the timber panels around the walls.Before MacArthur used the room it was the Boardroom of the AMP Society. No expense was spared in making this room special when it was constructed, and the restoration has revealed the "magic" of the craftsmen who made it. Come along and see the restoration of this fascinating example of a long lost skill. MACARTHUR MUSEUM IS CURRENTLY ONLY OPEN TO THOSE WHO HAVE BOOKED ONLINE .

07.01.2022 we opened today and it was good to see our visitors. They had made their bookings on our web page www.mmb.org.au Here are a couple of videos taken today. One shows the changes to General MacArthurs office.

05.01.2022 ADMIRAL SIR JOHN GREGORY CRACE KBE,CBE,CB RN John ("Jack") Crace was born on 6th February 1887 at Gungahleen, NSW, (now Gungahlin in ACT). He attended The Kings School, Parramatta, NSW and schools in England. He joined the Royal Navy (RN) officer training in May 1902, as there were no facilities to train naval officers in Australia at that time. Despite serving his entire naval career in the Royal Navy he considered himself to be an Australian. He served with the RN squadron...Continue reading

05.01.2022 Lovely story Each time Americans dock in Brisbane, Aunty Peggy takes along gifts to give to the visiting service people. Theyre copies of special personal... mementos given to her by two US officers she greeted when the USS Griffin first arrived in Brisbane on April 15, 1942. The laminated copies of US Navy and Pearl Harbour match covers Aunty Peggy has gifted to people over the years are all over the world now. : Jessica Hinchliffe

02.01.2022 During first term, we had a number of year 10 Secondary School students visit the museum. The students watch a movie showing how Brisbane was during World War II, and then they are given talks by our volunteers. The talks are catered to fit the items that are being discussed in the class room. The students then have time to look at the displays as they have an assignment set by their teachers to complete on returning to school.

01.01.2022 Recently our Managing Director, John Wright was interviewed by Brisbanes Living Heritage Network (BLHN) for a PODCAST regarding the Yamamoto control yoke in the Museum. You can now hear it on soundcloud.com/blhn/vengeance

01.01.2022 Major General Jerry Singirok, former Commander of Papua New Guinea Defence Force, visited the museum today. He is signing our Visitors Book in the office of General MacArthur.

01.01.2022 Welcome to our new volunteer Mick McShane. Whilst Mick was looking at the Courier Mail "On This Day" for 16th August 1945,there is a photo of a young lad in Queen Street, Brisbane celebrating the end of the war. Mick thinks that he could be that young lad.