A place to understand the involvement of Australia in the Vietnam War.
The Vietnam War was fought between North and South Vietnam. The war lasted from 1955-1975, but Australia became involved in the war in 1962.
During the Vietnam War, over 60,000 Australian military members served, with 3000 wounded and 500 killed.
The Australian Task Force base was called Nui Dat, which, in Vietnamese, translates to ‘small hill.’ This became the new home for many Australian soldiers who were involved in the Vietnam War.
It became so much more than a military base for these soldiers who were serving here – it became their home. A major road cuts through Phuoc Tuy from the north to the south, where military houses were built.
In 1969, it became home to 5000 soldiers, where it would be their home for the duration of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War.
Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War ended in 1973.
Origins of the museum
In 1996, the museum began as a mobile museum, with John Methven and his wife travelling around Australia trailing their mobile museum. They trailed around the country in their Land Rover, trailing around a cart full of John’s artefacts and using this as a mobile museum.
The goal of their mobile museum was to find ex-vets who had turned to bush living.
Like museum missionaries, they reached out to as many ex-vets as they could to form a campaign that would aim for the correct recognition and better welfare for the veterans who were affected by the Vietnam War.
A pillar of recognition
After the war was over, many soldiers felt as though it was hard to reintegrate back into normal life, with most people not understanding the difficulties of readapting to regular life again.
The National Vietnam Veterans’ Museum stands as a pillar of recognition for these soldiers. It is a place where their services and experiences are remembered.
Collections in the museum
The museum has collected many personal artefacts, such as:
- Letters
- Cigarette lighters
- Uniforms
- Medals
- Dog tags
- Call-up notices
Visiting the museum
The museum was originally situated in San Remo, and it began in 1996. However, in March 2007, it moved to another site near the Phillip Island airport.
We recommend spending about 2 hours at the museum to see everything. The cost for adults is $18, whereas children get in for $10. Children under 5 get in for free.
The museum is open daily from 10 am-5 pm. There is a café on site which serves hot food and drinks, and is open from 10 am until 3 pm every day.
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