Light Horse & Field Artillery Museum Collection
Earlier this year I did a cultural heritage significance assessment of an absolutely fabulous collection hidden out in Nar Nar Goon in south-eastern Melbourne. It began life as a representation of Bernie Dingle's growing passion and education in all things ANZAC, beginning with his uncle's stories when Bernie himself was a little boy. He is now well and truly a grown man and in the intervening years has built an amazing collection that not only interprets the many facets of ANZAC experience over the last hundred years, especially in World War One, but it also has an unusual focus on animals in war. As a mostly now retired blacksmith, wheelwright and milk deliverer Bernie has worked with horses all his life and has a huge respect for the contribution domesticated animals make to human society, particularly in war, that is evident, and indeed palpable, in his museum.
You cannot help but be affected by this museum and so I was very happy to oblige when Channel Nine News rang to say they were doing a story on the Light Horse and Field Artillery Museum and could they interview me! (a bit nervous too, but it was fun). You can watch the clip here, but I urge you to visit the museum at 200 Bessie Creek Road, Nar Nar Goon.