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Discover one of New Zealand’s best kept aviation secrets! Join us as we tour the Ashburton Aviation Museum, see rare aircraft up close, hear the stories behind the collection, and find out what’s next from volunteers keeping history alive.
The Ashburton Aviation Museum, is a hidden gem of New Zealand’s aviation heritage. Join us for an interview with Owen Moore, Treasurer of the Museum Trust, as he shares how the museum began (50 years ago!), how it operates today, and what exciting plans lie ahead. We get inside stories of fundraising, restoration, community involvement and a rare chance to get hands-on with historic aircraft.
The museum holds one of the country’s most remarkable collections, including military jets like the only Harrier GR3 Jump-jet in the Southern Hemisphere, a Skyhawk, a Canberra cockpit, a Vampire and many early trainers and civilian aircraft.
We also hear about the exhibits that rarely get seen, those stored away or waiting for new hangar space, like a Fletcher, a Cessna Agwagon, and more. These are the sleeper treasures behind the hangars. Part of the charm is being able to walk under aircraft, climb into cockpits, and see them not as perfect static displays, but as machines with history. Owen describes how the 'no ropes' policy and encouragement to touch and explore connect people—especially ex-Air Force personnel—with their memories. This hands-on experience is a central ethos.
We also look at the museum’s development timeline: from the meeting in the early 1970's when local enthusiasts met in a library, the purchase of their first Harvard in 1978 on very tight funds, through to hangar building, getting aircraft like the Southern DC3 (ZK-AMY), the Skyhawk, displays, workshops, and now planning another large hangar plus function and community space.
There is a strong volunteer base, local fundraising (lots of raffles, market stalls, etc.), educational programmes for schools, and a real sense of community ownership.
If you're travelling through South Island NZ, this video makes the case: Ashburton Aviation Museum is well worth the detour — especially for aviation history fans, warbird enthusiasts, model builders, students, ex-service people, families, and anyone curious about how local heritage can be preserved and made accessible.
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