Narre Warren North militaria enthusiast John Belfield will part with his beloved equipment on Sunday when an auction is held at his Belgrave
By Rebecca Fraser
A NARRE Warren North war enthusiast will be forced to part with his life’s work on Sunday, when his historic collection of army tanks goes under the hammer just two days before Anzac Day.
The sale will end 74-year-old John Belfield’s seven-year struggle to find a new home for his beloved war memorabilia.
He now fears the historic collection will be split up and spread across the world.
Mr Belfied and his wife Pam opened the Melbourne Tank Museum on Belgrave Hallam Road in Narre Warren North more than 10 years ago.
But advancing years and a related health scare have persuaded the pair to part with their war treasure and move on.
The museum is home to more than 70 military vehicles and artillery pieces from World War I through to the Vietnam War.
Mr Belfield said he would continue to tinker in his shed and was still keen to hold a museum open day once a year.
Mr Belfield worked for 26 years as a recovery mechanic in the army reserve and said he had always had a strong interest in the technical side of war.
He said he was bitterly disappointment that he could not find a new home for his war trove and feared that a key part of Australia’s military history could be lost.
“I guess you could say I grew up with war machines.
“I was not interested in the political side or terrible waste of human life; I was always interested in the technical side as I am a hands-on technical person,” he said.
Mr Belfield said he hoped Australian buyers would snap up most of his treasures and the Moveable Heritage Act would stop the rarer items from going overseas.
“We decided to try and find a new home seven years ago and our first priority was to find a home anywhere in Australia so the collection could stay together.
“We tried the State and Federal Government and private enterprise and we even hired a full time agent.
“We had four locations but they fell through,” he said.
Mr Belfield said he and his wife had made no money out of the museum and were instead out of pocket.
The centre attracts about 3000 visitors a year and Mr Belfield said they had been unable to obtain any subsidies from the Government during their 12 years of operation.
He said the war paraphernalia, which includes searchlights, bugles, gas masks and uniforms, were vital educational tools that should be preserved for future generations.
“It is an important part of Australia’s military history and our national heritage and a tangible part of the Anzac tradition.
“I would really like to see the collection sold in one piece but I do not know if this will happen,” he said.
The couple, who have been married for 52 years, hope to raise about $1 million from the auction.
Despite the impending auction, Mr Belfield said he could not bring himself to part with an M3 A1 Stuart tank that was used along the historic Kokoda trail.
He said he hoped the tank could be relocated to the Puckapunyal Army base and preserved forever.
