AMOSA Board

AMOSA Foundation Board supports the military management of the Museum to collect, preserve, conserve, maintain and promote South Australia’s military heritage within the context of Australia’s military history, for the benefit of future generations. 

The Foundation’s aim is to create and foster interest in the Australian Army’s heritage by interacting with schools, offering tours and teaching materials, maintaining and improving our displays, and enhancing community awareness of the Museum.

The Board supports the Museum to:

• continue to present imaginative, innovative interactive displays and programs which will develop and improve our relationship with the Australian Defence Force, schools and government;
• bring South Australia’s military heritage to life;
• entertain visitors to our Museum;
• maintain and develop the collection to best practice standards;
• foster quality research, education, training and visitor services.

Catering

The Museum Catering Group supports events held by the Museum and tour groups, who may request morning tea or lunch. Museum events could require anything from finger food for a book launch, a three-course meal for the annual History Week lunch or a thank you barbecue for volunteers.

If your tour group would like to book a morning tea or lunch after your Museum Tour, please contact Nick Meredith on 0438 875 900 or < email us > with some details of your desires.

Please note that COVID restrictions, or availabilities, may affect our capacity to support events at certain times.

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Photos below show our wonderful volunteers preparing for catered functions.

Preparing for a History Week lunch

A fun BBQ for our Volunteers

Conservation & Restoration

Conservation and Restoration Section conserve, restore and preserve large and small artefacts. Not only do these volunteers restore weapons, metal objects and vehicles on display, they also assist to construct the Museum displays.

Metal tyre is cut and welded to retighten the spoke to its original tension.

This gun was used in both World Wars

Curatorial

This team manages the displays within the Museum galleries and is familiar with the internal layout and display parameters available to them.

Their main objectives are to plan, research, manage and co-ordinate the Museum’s displays, education programs, merchandising and marketing activities under the overall supervision of the units military staff and in accordance with the Army’s intent for the unit.

Subject experts from each of the Museum’s sections regularly attend Curatorial Committee meetings, which are co-chaired by the Curator, to discuss new displays or upgrading or renovating current displays.

The curatorial team also receives, assesses and makes decisions on artefacts received from members of the public, organisations, governments and the military as to whether they are significant enough to add to the Collection.

Volunteers prepare a section of the Museum for a new display

One of the displays in the Army Museum of South Australia

Another of the displays in the Army Museum of South Australia

Edged Weapons

Edged Weapons is the section responsible for the maintenance, auditing, restoration and preservation of items such as swords, sabres, daggers, bayonets, dirks and even Samurai Swords. Their work is often on display within the Museum's Special Exhibitions Gallery.

Restoring old sword for display in Museum

Medals and Heraldry

The volunteers in this section collect, collate, maintain and catalogue the Museum's extensive collection of medals, badges and heraldry.

They also provide advice to the public and researchers on the provenance and value of medals, badges and heraldry. The Museum also has a limited capacity to cork mount, and refresh with new ribbon, medal groups belonging to members of the community. A small charge applies for this work.

Kevin inspects a display

Volunteers conduct a Stocktake

Marketing & PR

The aim of the Marketing Section is to promote and publicise the Museum with a view to enlightening the general public about South Australia's proud military history.

The Marketing section also produces pamphlets and information sheets depicting Museum displays and artefacts; administers the Museum website, Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram; organises and maintains merchandise for sale in the Museum Shop. 

The Museum Shop is now on-line to enable you to view our Merchandise, and place an order, in the comfort of your own home. Merchandise ordered within Australia will be delivered by Australian Post, free of charge. Overseas orders however, will invite a postage fee which will be advised when orders are received.

To view our merchandise click on 'Shop' on the top banner.

Project Management

This section is not usually manned, but can be populated with select volunteers when a particular task is being dealt with.

These volunteers can be from any part of the unit, the composition usually being determined by the nature of the task being undertaken. Recent examples include the planning team for the Open Day, newsletter production teams, marketing teams and ongoing projects such as weapons remediation and management of the Collection.

Even tanks need a dusting now and then

Research and Education

The Research and Education Section receive Army service records, Army training booklets, historical documents and photographs relating to the South Australian military. They undertake research into military history for individuals, researchers, service organisations and educational institutions.

They also maintain an extensive military library and are undertaking a wide-ranging project to scan all of the Collection’s photographs and documents.

To assist your own research, our document, How and where to research a person's individual Military Service Record, can be accessed under Useful Downloads. The document details information on locating an individual Military Service Record, unit histories, various campaigns and other military history records within Australia and the United Kingdom.

Visitors can attend the Museum’s Research Centre to access assistance when researching a family member or additional information about military research.

This section also manages the Museum's Schools Education Program.

The Research and Education Section is located in the building adjacent to the Museum, known as Building 136, or the Paul Longstaff Research and Education Centre.

Volunteers work hard to keep records up to date

Sunday Guides

This is a group of volunteers, most of whom only attend the Museum on Sundays, to act as guides in support of Museum visitation.

They provide advice to visitors in relation to the exhibits and displays and are Customer Service Officers rather than military history experts; their role is to make each visit as enjoyable an experience as possible.

They also collect admission fees and manage the Museum Shop. Some of this group of volunteers also support the Museum during weekday working activities and also on special occasions, such as Anzac or Remembrance Day.

Uniforms & Textiles

The Uniforms and Textiles Section undertakes storage, conservation and preservation of all textiles, banners, flags, insignia badges and also buttons and clothing items.

They also assist in display projects where the role of mannequins is sometimes very important.

When uniform items are accepted into the collection the uniforms are vacuumed and checked for vermin infestation, then sealed in plastic bags and placed in a freezer for a week. Volunteers regularly check the Museum displays for damage, infestation or fading.

This section has a very important role in the preparation of displays within the galleries and in support of the unit’s developing external display capability.

All hands on deck to dress Clarrie in his correct uniform

Volunteers go to any lengths to ensure authenticity

Even to tying their shoelaces