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Post by phil on Mar 31, 2007 8:04:02 GMT 12
I'm afraid that writing to the museum is clearly a waste of time, since they have obviously made up their minds, and even the local mayors got no joy out of their meeting.
I think you may find that you need to go higher than the CDF and CAF, I had hopes that the CAF, especially being an ex Ohakea Base Commander, would veto the decision but appears not.
Your next bet is with the politicians.
I will try to get to the museum today and take some photos, but right now it is pouring down. Hopefully later on this afternoon it might clear enough to make it worthwhile.
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Post by 30sqnatc on Mar 31, 2007 21:56:46 GMT 12
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Post by paddy on Apr 2, 2007 9:11:23 GMT 12
Hi All, Thanks RNZAF. Every trip I do back home I go to the Ohakea Museum, both to visit my past and to show my children what Daddy used to do. I also point out 75 and 14 Sqn hangars as that is where Daddy used to work.
I have no need or funds to travel to Wigram so I suppose this is the end of any family knowledge of my proud service in the RNZAF.
Yours in sadness
Paddy
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Post by skyhawkdon on Apr 2, 2007 10:30:37 GMT 12
Just to reiterate - the decision to close the Ohakea Museum has been made by the RNZAF Museum Trust Board, not the RNZAF. I doubt you will find a single person in the RNZAF who agrees with it. Despite what has been used as justification for closing the museum (the new helicopter hangar and operating area), these plans are not confirmed or approved. It will be years before any construction starts... so there is no justification for it closing now.
None of the current Museum owned exhibits at Ohakea will be disposed of (however there is a major question mark over what they actually "own" as it is my understanding that most of the collection actually belongs to the Base and the various trades who built and loaned them to the Museum - as such they should be retained at Ohakea). The RNZAF Museum owned items will either be loaned to other museums or stored at Wigram.
As Phil says writing to anyone in the RNZAF Museum organisation is a waste of time - go straight to the top - the politicians and CDF and CAS, pointing out the wider embarrassment this decision is having on the NZDF and RNZAF as a whole. I'm sure CAS is one of the RNZAF Museum Trust Board members? The TV media also need to be invited to run the story - it has already had good local print media coverage.
I can understand some people's concerns about any displays going to Nowra, but I can assure them that the FAA Museum is a very worthy recipient of any items. 2 Sqn may have been an RNZAF unit but the closeness of the relationship with the RAN and Nowra was a very special one. I guess unless you were there and experienced it first hand, it would be hard to understand to an outsider, but be assured that Nowra and the RAN will always be a very special place for those of us who had the pleasure of working there. I will never forget the emotional farewell the RAN gave 2 Sqn on 8/9 December 2001. It meant more to me than the subsequent disbandment parade and speeches at Ohakea a few days later. I guess the difference was the RAN and Australia actually appreciated the unique role our Skyhawks performed - unlike the deadbeat politicians in NZ (and I have to say the majority of the NZ public who really didn't give a toss!).
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 2, 2007 23:37:11 GMT 12
Rangitikei council seeks allies in fight for museum 02.04.2007 By COLIN ROWATT RANGITIKEI District Council has pressed the button to launch a salvo of missives targeting people it hopes will help win the battle to save the Ohakea Air Force museum from closure. The council has in its sights Prime Minister Helen Clark, her Defence Minister Phil Goff, Rangitikei MP Simon Power and the chief of the RNZAF Air Vice Marshall Graham Lintott. The letter-writing campaign was unanimously approved by the council on Thursday after Rangitikei, Manawatu and Palmerston North civic leaders failed to persuade Air Force Museum Trust Board chief executive, Therese Angelo, to reverse the closure decision earlier this week. A little over a week ago Mrs Angelo announced the board’s intention to close the museum on April 15 and shift the majority of its treasures to the national Air Force museum at Wigram, near Christchurch. The lack of consultation or consideration of alternatives has irked the Rangitikei District Council and its neighbours. Although the museum is located within the Manawatu district Rangitikei has had a long, close and friendly relationship with the Ohakea Air Force base. As well as being a plea for help the Rangitikei council’s letters will “express regret” at the museum trust board’s decision but also offer to “accommodate” the museum on Rangitikei land if that is best option to keep the facility operational. While some councillors were wary about the potential cost of such an offer, the majority were persuaded by the argument put up by Cr Cliff Heath that the council should be actively seeking to retain the museum “somewhere adjacent to Ohakea” “We have got quite a few bits of land around Bulls that we could drop it on. And we can worry about the cost of that when it happens. But this will put them (the museum trust board) to the test in some measure,” he said. SOURCE www.wanganuichronicle.co.nz/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3728340&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection=
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Post by flyjoe180 on Apr 4, 2007 8:57:43 GMT 12
Rangitikei District Council wants to find an alternative site for the Ohakea Museum - but before that can happen the museum's trust board needs to overturn a recent decision to close the museum by April 15. At a council meeting last week, councillors voted to find a suitable location adjacent to the air base or in Bulls.
Bulls ward councillor Jill Strugnell said during a meeting with trust exectuive director Therese Angelo last week, which was also attended by Manawatu mayor Ian McKelvie and Palmerston North mayor Heather Tanguay it became apparent the decision to close the museum was done with a lack of consultation and in haste.
"The option to crate up the collection to send it to Wigram is just a way to destroy the museum," she said. Wigram is the home base of the RNZAF Museum collections.
Hunterville ward councillor Cliff Heath said the museum could be relocated to a section of the 200ha farm next to the base.
After the meeting Cr Strugnell said she believed the board overseeing the museum had probably never realised the closure announcement would cause the uproar it has.
"Since this news was out the reaction has grown from those who built it up and those who remember it," she said.
Cr Strugnell's late husband Peter was a member of the RAF and later the RNZAF.
She said he devoted a big part of his life to promoting and building up the museum.
He was the curator until the museum was relocated to its present site, having formerly been in the centre of the base.
"When the present curator rang me and told me (about the closure) it was a shock. I thought 'this can't be happening'.
"Next was 'what am I going to do to try to stop it'?"
"I think there's always been a jealousy with respect to Ohakea Museum by members of the trust board," she said.
Cr Strugnell said the recommendation to close the museum was "adopted too quickly, without thought to the consequences". www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/eveningstandard/4014987a20381.html
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Post by flyjoe180 on Apr 4, 2007 9:02:15 GMT 12
And from the Manawatu Standard: www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/eveningstandard/4015059a20379.htmlThe executive director of Ohakea's museum trust board won't speculate on whether the board will overturn its decision to close the museum in the light of the public outcry.
Therese Angelo said she has reported back to the board about a meeting last week with local mayors, "and that's all I can do".
Feilding resident and Manawatu- Wanganui Friends of the RNZAF Museum spokesman Chris Torr said last week he was shocked when he found out the museum would be closing. He spent 25 years with the Air Force and was stationed at Ohakea Base three times.
"It looks like the museum has no friends on the trust board or those planning the redevelopment of Ohakea Base either.
"This is a huge step from what I believed to be happening to develop the museum."
Donations of artifacts, material, along with in-kind donations worth up to $500,000 and actual donations of at least $250,000 were made with the move of the museum from the centre of the base to its present location in the early 1990s.
The Friends of the Museum group has been waiting for an indication their help was needed, but it never came.
"My understanding is the Friends Group has been actively discouraged by the Museum Trust."
Mr Torr said anyone opposed to the closure of the museum should contact the trustees. Also the Wanganui Chronicle: www.wanganuichronicle.co.nz/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3728340&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection=Rangitikei council seeks allies in fight for museum
02.04.2007 By COLIN ROWATT RANGITIKEI District Council has pressed the button to launch a salvo of missives targeting people it hopes will help win the battle to save the Ohakea Air Force museum from closure.
The council has in its sights Prime Minister Helen Clark, her Defence Minister Phil Goff, Rangitikei MP Simon Power and the chief of the RNZAF Air Vice Marshall Graham Lintott.
The letter-writing campaign was unanimously approved by the council on Thursday after Rangitikei, Manawatu and Palmerston North civic leaders failed to persuade Air Force Museum Trust Board chief executive, Therese Angelo, to reverse the closure decision earlier this week.
A little over a week ago Mrs Angelo announced the board’s intention to close the museum on April 15 and shift the majority of its treasures to the national Air Force museum at Wigram, near Christchurch. The lack of consultation or consideration of alternatives has irked the Rangitikei District Council and its neighbours.
Although the museum is located within the Manawatu district Rangitikei has had a long, close and friendly relationship with the Ohakea Air Force base.
As well as being a plea for help the Rangitikei council’s letters will “express regret” at the museum trust board’s decision but also offer to “accommodate” the museum on Rangitikei land if that is best option to keep the facility operational.
While some councillors were wary about the potential cost of such an offer, the majority were persuaded by the argument put up by Cr Cliff Heath that the council should be actively seeking to retain the museum “somewhere adjacent to Ohakea”
“We have got quite a few bits of land around Bulls that we could drop it on. And we can worry about the cost of that when it happens. But this will put them (the museum trust board) to the test in some measure,” he said.So it seems the press are on to this and the public are aware, and that has got to be a good start.
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Post by phil on Apr 4, 2007 12:37:37 GMT 12
It will be interesting to see how the museum trust responds to the offer to shift the museum to Rangitikei council land. It does rather cancel out their reasoning ragarding the land being required fot Takitini.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Apr 4, 2007 15:26:47 GMT 12
"Cr Strugnell's late husband Peter was a member of the RAF and later the RNZAF.
She said he devoted a big part of his life to promoting and building up the museum.
He was the curator until the museum was relocated to its present site, having formerly been in the centre of the base."
I didn't make the family connection initially when I read the first article mentioning a "Cr Strugnell". Now I can see why she is so upset - and rightfully so! Poor old Peter must be turning in his grave...
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Post by skyhawkdon on Apr 10, 2007 15:28:28 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 10, 2007 19:28:37 GMT 12
An interesting point made to me by a member of the RNZAF Museum team whom I know well and who I was chattign with at Omaka was this concept the Ohakea people have that the Board of the RNZAF are 'Christchurch' or 'Wigram'. He says that the board members are spread throughout the country with members in Wellington and Wanganui (ie not far from Ohakea), and that there is only one other member apart from Mrs Angelo who'd based in Christchurch and he's only a token member as he's a Chch City Councillor. So, he reckons, this theory that it was all Christchurch vs Ohakea is a little warped. In light of that, I tend to agree and have to think there's much more to this whole affair than the media and public are getting told.
Even if they shift the museum to Rangitikei council land, will it make the money it needs to? It doesn't now apparently. And I envisage future councils hiking rentals, etc. Just a thought.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Apr 11, 2007 15:24:50 GMT 12
It would be interesting to know how many of the RNZAF Museum Trust Board members have actually visited the Ohakea Museum in the last few years, if ever!. I suspect the later in a few cases.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 11, 2007 18:45:19 GMT 12
I just had a thought, why not move the museum to Woodbourne and combine it with the GTW? Already there they have a collection of historical aircraft (four Devons, two Strikemasters, Boeing 727, Sioux, Iroqouis (?), etc. When the Skyhawk and other exhibitys are moved there, it'd make a much better museum than the existing one. Plus it'd promote the modern day RNZAF as well as the past. The GTW is on a major highway, and not much more than 20 minutes from State Highway One. It is on an operational RNZAF and civil airfield which has a very good airport, and is ten minutes drive from Omaka, another major tourist attraction so people could do the museum crawl. It's in a far more tourist friendly and attractive part of the country than Ohakea. Punters could see the exhibits in use as RNZAF trainees actually work on them. The museum could also combine as a training facility for the recruits and officer cadets like Wigram used to. And when the Government finally closes Woodbourne it'd ensure a small patch of the base remains RNZAF, just like at Wigram. Sitting back with grin and puting tin hat on now...
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Glen T
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 85
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Post by Glen T on Apr 11, 2007 21:02:23 GMT 12
Newsflash out this afternoon: Museum given a one month reprieve in order to allow local groups to offer alternatives to the closure. Statement by Mrs Angelo was posted on the NZDF Intranet news listings this afternoon. Museum staff were told about 330pm. Tomorrow a 757 leaves Ohakea for Afghanistan with next bunch of Army/AirForce/Navy people. Someone mentioned Mr Goff wiil be there to farewell the troops. Given that Mr Goff had been swamped with postal references to the museum closure, I hope that he makes a point of visiting the museum to get the truth for himself !!!
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Post by beagle on Apr 11, 2007 21:15:32 GMT 12
Well hopefully she will see reason within this one month period and hope the locals can organise something to help this great cause. Another way would be to get Mr Goff to come along to a famous Armourers Happy Hour. Pretty sure he would walk away with the understanding how important this issue is, then again after being to some, would he be able to walk away.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Apr 12, 2007 8:58:54 GMT 12
Thats good news. I like Dave's idea of resituating the museum at Woodbourne, would make a fine educational centre for recruits as well as the public, and GTW can help to maintain the airframes.
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Post by Radialicious on Apr 12, 2007 21:39:37 GMT 12
It shits me that the government and NZDF appears to turn its back on the plight of this museum. It is a fact that the equivalent of the ENTIRE NZ defence force budget is spent by social welfare every EIGHT days. The money needed to provide a home for this museum is sooooooooooo little when compared to other (more relevant?!? ) govt. spending. Deep down the RNZAF and Ohakea in particular are still hurting from the ACF disbandment and I am surprised that they are letting this happen. Its almost like they are giving in.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 12, 2007 22:18:51 GMT 12
Very true Al. The money needed is a drop in the bucket, and yet would contribute to the preservation of tourism, culture and heritage - three things that this Government claim to be big on.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 12, 2007 22:19:52 GMT 12
www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4023855a6003.htmlOhakea Museum trust backs offBy MERVYN DYKES - Manawatu Standard | Thursday, 12 April 2007 Ohakea's Air Force Museum has won a reprieve just three days from the April 15 deadline for its enforced closure by the Wigram-based Air Force Museum Trust. The news came in a cautiously worded statement released by board chairman Peter Adamson yesterday. "The board has agreed to delay the closure until May 13 so that alternative local initiatives and ways in which the board can support these initiatives can be discussed," he said. "The trust board acknowledges that its decision to close its facility at Ohakea has been particularly disappointing to those who were instrumental in its establishment, the staff who currently work there and to the community in general. "Board members have carefully considered the representations made by local authorities and sympathise with the sentiments expressed." Mr Adamson promised that the commemorative gardens at Ohakea would not be affected by the museum closure and would continue to be maintained by the RNZAF and be available to all those who wish to visit. On March 27 regional mayors and representatives of the forcefully disbanded Friends of the Ohakea Museum group met Air Force Museum director Therese Angelo to discuss the future of the museum. Mrs Angelo promised to report back to those at the meeting once she had put their concerns to members of the trust board. Supporters of the museum had earlier described the pending closure as a betrayal of community organisations and individuals who had contributed at least $500,000, plus countless hours of volunteer work and thousands of potential exhibits to its cause. Others criticised the decision being made without public consultation and so close to Anzac day. Ohakea Museum manager, Paul Gibson, said yesterday that he had been asked by the trust board not to comment on the announcement. However, he said the threat of closure had produced a spike in museum attendance with as many visitors in the first two weeks of April as he would have expected for the entire month. There were 985 visitors in March 2006 and the same number in the first 11 days of April this year. Just about all of the visitors had wanted to talk to museum staff about the trust board's plan to close the museum and none were in favour of it, he said. Some of the discussions were conducted "at a very emotional level". Palmerston North Mayor Heather Tanguay described the reprieve as "very good news." "It was what we asked for," she said. "I'm very glad and appreciative that the trust board has chosen to consult with the community." Manawatu District Mayor Ian McKelvie also hailed the news and said that the threat of closure had "upset an amazing number of people". However, a less polite response came from Chris Torr, a former RNZAF wing commander who served as the liaison officer to the museum when it moved to its present site in 1993. "The trust board is still telling some porkies," he said. Earlier the trust had said the museum's site was needed for the RNZAF's new NH90 helicopters that would replace the ageing Iroquois fleet. "The NH90s are not due now until 2010," Mr Torr said. "That delivery is not concrete in any shape or form. I have never seen any major acquisition run to schedule." Given this, there was no imperative to take over the site before the end of the year.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 12, 2007 22:24:51 GMT 12
www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/eveningstandard/4022747a20381.htmlPlans afoot for new centre By LAURA RICHARDS - Rangitikei Mail | Thursday, 12 April 2007 A "planning meeting" thought to be for a Ohakea Air Force base visitor centre, has been called for tomorrow. Manawatu-Wanganui Friends of the RNZAF Museum spokesman Chris Torr said he received a called last week inviting him to a meeting with the Chief of Air Force, Air Vice- Marshal Graham Lintott. When Mr Torr asked what it was about he was told it was a visitor centre planning meeting. He said in past conversations with museum executive director Therese Angelo, he was led to believe there would be some form of visitor centre at Ohakea and the museum would be incorporated. "That's why it was such a surprise to hear about the closure of the museum," he said. Mr Torr said he was also told at one point that the Air Force had no money for a visitor centre, so he is keen to see what is proposed tomorrow. Mr Torr said he is unaware who else is invited to the meeting but he made a few calls last week including one to Manawatu Mayor Ian McKelvie. Mr Torr is hoping the news will be positive. "If they announce the building of the visitor centre, that will be positive. If they say 'yes' but no time commitment is made, that is negative," Mr Torr said. The Ohakea museum is scheduled to close on Sunday.
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