Avro Anson Museum – Ballarat Heritage Week

Over 40 years of collecting, has enabled Alan Penhall to piece together an almost complete 1939’s Avro Anson Mk1 aircraft.

Established as a Wireless and Air Gunners school in 1940, under the Empire Air Training Scheme, aircrews honed their skills on the Anson prior to being transferred to operational bases.

Following the disbandment of the RAAF base, all of the 110 or so operational Ansons were sold as scrap.

Today, in the former RAAF gymnasium, of this largely intact WW2 airbase at Ballarat Airport, a fascinating collection of aviation memorabilia is on display.

The Anson Museum is open 1 – 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 17th and 18th May, for the Ballarat Heritage Weekend, and has been operating since 1999.

Alan Penhall’s “Faithful Annie”, Avro Anson is on display at Ballarat Aerodrome. The Anson was developed during the mid 1930’s from the earlier Avro 652 airliner.

A gold coin allows entrance into the museum, which is contained within the original 1940’s gymnasium. The building being an example of the Allied Works Council, pre-constructed wartime architecture, with the direct influence of American engineers and the United States Army Air Corps.