The development of Armidale’s Australian Transport Museum is currently facing an uncertain future in the wake of a rejected grant application.
The proposed museum first made headlines in 2019, when the ABC interviewed Lyndon Hardman, a car collector who would eventually become founding director of Australian Transport Museum Limited, about his newly acquired Aston Martin DB5.
“It will soon be on display in a small museum in the NSW Northern Tablelands town of Armidale,” the article states.
First established as a non-for-profit back in 2008, the development of the Museum’s business plan has been in the work for decades.
In July of 2022, Lyndon’s dream came a step closer to being fully realised when the Northern Regional Planning Panel (NRPP) approved the development of the museum.
Planning panels are independent bodies which provide advice to local councils and the state minister for planning regarding the viability of proposed infrastructure developments with high levels of regional significance.
After being approved by the NRPP, the museum’s board applied for a Regional Tourism Activation Grant from the NSW State government, but “were unsuccessful on that occasion” according to Secretary Eric North.
RTA Grants are typically applied for by local councils to fix major pieces of infrastructure, although businesses with a strong influence on local tourism may also apply.
Eligible projects can receive up to $20,000,000 in funding, which is well above the $7.2 million that the museum directors have projected construction to cost.
“At present we are applying for (another) grant under the Commonwealth Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program,” said Eric.
CRPPP grants offer significantly less funding, capping at $5 million, meaning the museum faces a hefty $2.2 million donation campaign should their application be successful.
The Business Case for the Australian Transport Museum is freely available for viewing on their website and details the advantages that such an attraction would bring to the local community according to the Museum Board.
“The museum will attract at least 18,000 visitors per year, injecting $3.5M annually of new expenditure and creating 22 new jobs in the Armidale economy” the case claims.
Over the course of construction, which is projected to last fifteen months, 24 temporary jobs will also be brought to the region.
“It will include a reference library, displays of 80-100 cars plus related exhibits of historical importance and interest and a tourist information centre. The cars currently located in Armidale cannot be viewed by the public and will be loaned to the museum for display by the local owners. Aviation exhibits of historical interest will also be displayed.”
The business case referred to the homogeneity of Armidale’s economy and suggested that a new museum could inject a new tourism-based stream of income into the city.
18.3% of Armidale’s employment is currently located within the education and training sector.
The museum is designed to house 80-100 vehicles as part of its exhibition, including several rare cars of historical and novelty-related significance.
Some vehicles of note include a 1968 Holden Monaro, a 1942 Ford Jeep (commonly observed driving around the battlefields of Europe during the Second World War) and a 1963 Aston Martin DB5, made famous by the Bond films.
Eric believes strongly in the success of the project, and that Armidale will benefit from the presence of the museum in the long run.
“We believe we have an excellent proposition which will greatly increase tourism in the area and benefit the town’s economy. It will also provide an opportunity for like-minded people to gather and to volunteer if they wish.”
The Transport Museum is projected to be built at an undisclosed date in the business park adjacent to Armidale airport.
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