Auction: Melbourne Tank Museum

[Hanno Spoelstra]

The Age: Tank lover ends a 50-year affair

Tank lover ends a 50-year affair
By Sasha Shtargot
October 24, 2005

A LITTLE toy tank was the beginning of John Belfield's lifetime obsession.

"I blame my mum for it all. When I was six she bought me that tank, so I was indoctrinated then," he says, smiling.

As a child growing up during World War II, Mr Belfield listened with fascination to talk about soldiers and battles. On his way to school he passed the air-raid trenches dug along St Kilda Road near the Victoria Barracks.

A ride in an army Bren gun carrier when he was nine cemented his passion for military vehicles and memorabilia.

Mr Belfield, a mechanical engineer, and his wife, Pat, have for 12 years run Australia's largest private army museum, the Melbourne Tank Museum, from their eight-hectare property at Narre Warren.

It is a labour of love that began 50 years ago when they picked up and restored a small military truck after visiting an army disposals depot.

Now the couple, both in their 70s and in poor health, want to sell their collection of 25 historical tanks and assorted military vehicles, artillery guns and other memorabilia.

Among their prized possessions are an M3 Stuart Tank, which saw service at the World War II battle of Buna in New Guinea, an English-made Matilda tank, which was also used by Australia in New Guinea, and a Saracen armoured personnel carrier.

Neither the Federal Government nor any state governments contacted by the Belfields has shown interest in buying the museum and they fear breaking up the $1.1 million collection and selling each item individually.

"We want a new permanent home for the museum, for someone to buy it as a complete collection," Mr Belfield said.

"What we have here is part of our national heritage, our military history, part of the Anzac tradition.

"If we have to auction the lot off, much of it could end up overseas."

Mr Belfield painstakingly restored each of the exhibits, spending years scouring scrap yards, farm yards and military surplus depots across the country.

After World War II, many tanks and other military vehicles were sold cheaply to farmers and used as tractors and bulldozers.

"A lot of what we found was rusty and smashed and we'd repair it," Mr Belfield said.

MUSEUM HIGHLIGHTS
- M3 Stuart tank
- Vietnam War Centurion battle tank
- General Grant tank
- Matilda tank
- Sentinel cruiser tank
- World War II radar van
- Centurion armoured recovery vehicle
- White half-track armoured vehicle
- Saracen armoured personnel carrier
- Military mobile kitchen