A fight for history: The battle to save the Caboolture Warplane Museum

By Sheree Hoddinett 

For more than three decades, the Caboolture Warplane Museum has been a quiet custodian of Queensland’s aviation history.  

Its modest hangar, tucked away at the Caboolture Airfield, has housed rare wartime aircraft, volunteer-led tours and one of the only opportunities in Australia for visitors to climb into, and even fly in, genuine warbirds. But now, its future hangs in the balance. 

A few months ago, the museum’s long-time landlord advised the operators of the museum that the hangar had to be sold. While he had kept the rent “manageable” for the not-for-profit museum, the new hangar owner has been unable to do the same. 

“He’s not the bad guy here,” Caboolture Warplane Museum president Ross Parker said. “It was a business decision and the rent increase is simply unaffordable for us. So the bottom line is, if we can’t afford it, then we have to move out and there is nowhere for us to go.  

“The new owner has generously given us until all the way until March to get our act together and get some support, but we can’t just limp along hoping someone will rescue us. We have to act now.” 

What’s at risk is not just another small museum, but, according to Mr Parker, possibly the only flying warbird museum in Australia. Mr Parker wears two hats: president of the museum and owner-operator of Warplanes Pty Ltd. His two-vintage aircraft, a World War II RAAF Wirraway and a former U.S. Navy T-28B, are fully airworthy and form the backbone of the museum’s unique offering. They perform ceremonial flypasts, aerobatic displays and air shows across Queensland. Visitors can also book adventure flights in them. 

“I don’t know of any other museum in the country where people can walk in, see a genuine warbird and then go flying in it,” Parker said. “It’s incredibly special.” 

But despite that significance, it seems many locals still don’t realise the museum exists. Promotion has always been limited, a combination of budget constraints and modest volunteer numbers. Yet in 30 years, hundreds of people have strapped themselves into Mr Parker’s aircraft for the flight of a lifetime, and many more have toured the museum, benefiting from its rare, story-driven approach. 

“All our volunteers are trained tour guides,” Mr Parker explained. “They don’t just point at displays, they tell stories. You can see visitors learning, connecting, having those ‘wow, I didn’t know that’ moments.” 

There are stories of Queensland’s wartime airfields, of battles fought overseas, of aircraft engineering brilliance and of local heroes, like Garry Cooper, a highly decorated Vietnam War pilot now living on Bribie Island. His display, complete with U.S. commendations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Force Cross, often stops visitors in their tracks. 

But without urgent financial support, those stories, and the aircraft that bring them to life, may no longer have a home. 

Mr Parker has already approached all levels of government, “federal, state, and local, anyone who would listen”, outlining several practical solutions. Federal Member for Longman Terry Young, who is also the museum’s patron, has been lobbying strongly. Mr Parker said state representatives are also aware of the situation but progress had stalled. And time is running out. 

“We’ve probably got only a couple of weeks before we have to make a decision,” Mr Parker said in late November. “We have Christmas, the holidays… If we have to close, it takes months to shut down properly. Government regulations dictate how we dispose of assets. It’s not simple.” 

What they need is strikingly small compared to the scale of preservation at stake. Mr Parker said two years would give them time to pursue a long-term solution: potentially purchasing another hangar when one next becomes available. After all, the museum has never received government funding in its 30-year history, it is entirely volunteer-run. 

The personal toll of its potential closure weighs heavily on him. 

“I’ve been flying for 50 years,” he said. “This museum… it’s part of me.” 

Mr Parker’s aviation career spans the Air Force VIP squadron flying royalty and prime ministers to a 30-year tenure as a senior Cathay Pacific captain. But his heart belongs to historic aviation. In 1993, he and a group of warbird-loving pilots founded the Caboolture Warplane Museum. Most have since moved on, but Mr Parker stayed, becoming president and helping transform the museum into a flying institution. 

“If the museum can’t be saved, I’ll be heartbroken,” he said. “My business will continue, but Queenslanders will lose a place where they can connect with their aviation history. A place where stories come alive.  “When visitors sit in one of my aircraft, with the engine rumbling and the history in their head… they’re not just on a flight. They’re in another time. That’s what we’ll lose.” 

That is why, despite the clock ticking and the uncertainty ahead, Mr Parker remains determined. 

“We’re not giving up. Not yet,” he said. “This museum deserves to survive.” 

Federal Member for Longman, Terry Young is passionate about preserving a piece of our local history. 

“Home to iconic warplanes like the North American T-6 Texan and Gipsy Moth, with adventure flights available in some aircraft, the museum is more than static displays; it is a living tribute to Australia’s aviation pioneers and the spirit of ANZAC,” Mr Young said. “Thousands have learned about legendary figures, including Queensland’s first Aboriginal fighter pilot, Leonard Waters, and enjoyed restoration projects like the Gipsy Moth, lovingly returned to its original condition after years in storage.​ “The loss of this museum would mean losing vital stories, educational experiences, and the opportunity for Australians, young and old, to connect with their proud aviation past.​” 

So, how can you help? 

Mr Young is asking the public to sign a petition to Save the Warplane Museum, available at  

www.terryyoung.com.au/saving-the-caboolture-warplane-museum/  

“Let’s ensure this historic treasure continues to soar, honouring the sacrifices and ingenuity of Australian aviators for generations to come,” Mr Young said. 

The Caboolture Warplane Museum is located at Hangar 101/157 McNaught Road, Caboolture. 

At the time The Local News went to print, the outcome of a meeting being held on December 6 to decide the future of the Caboolture Warplane Museum, was unknown.