At a Gala function in Parkes on Saturday night for the 2008 Inland NSW Tourism Awards, Temora Aviation Museum was announced as the winner of two categories and received an Award of Distinction for a third category.
We went into the night knowing we were a finalist in three categories and came out as the Winner of Best Tourist Attraction and Best in Heritage and Cultural Tourism. We also received an Award of Distinction in the Festival and Events Category which recognizes the success of the Museum Flying Days.

The Regional Tourism Organisations of New England North West, Central NSW, Riverina Tourism and Outback Tourism conduct the Inland NSW Tourism Awards. The Awards are an opportunity for tourism operators of attractions and businesses to gain an insight into their business, the industry, achieve recognition for their success and promote tourism within their region.
To attain the position of finalist in the awards, the Museum was required to prepare a detailed submission for Business Excellence for each category. The submissions outlined areas within the Museum such as the overview/history, its product, facilities, business plans, marketing, commitment to environmental sustainability and areas of business innovation within the Museum.
Museum Chief Executive Kenny Love said: “We are very excited to win this award. To be judged alongside of many other high quality events and tourist attractions around the State and come out a winner is a fantastic achievement. Temora Aviation Museum is a dynamic organisation and we will use the experience and reputation we have earned to look to the future with continuous improvements to our facilities, operations and flying days.”

The Museum, which was opened to the public in 2000, is honoured with this recognition from its peers in the tourism industry. Established to collect and maintain in airworthy condition, historical military aircraft types flown by or in conjunction with Australian Military Forces, the Museum and Temora have become the destination for thousands of tourists. The benefits this creates for Temora and the Riverina Region has played a significant role in helping to weather the tough economic times created by drought.

CANBERRA ANNUAL INSPECTION

The Canberra has finished its annual inspection which was undertaken over five weeks, finishing just in time to join in the July Flying Weekend’s action. The Museum Engineers overhauled a number of components on the aircraft, such as the flap actuators and the ejection seat. The final tests that were carried out prior to the Flying Weekend included checking the operations of the retractable wheels located under the wings and the fuselage, as well as performing an engine clean which involved the insertion of ground walnut shells into the engine to remove built up dirt and corrosion.

During the annual inspection, the main wheels and brakes were modified to a latter specification. This involved the fitting of 21” diameter main wheels and larger brakes which incorporated a Maxiret anti-lock braking system. This will increase the safety margins for the operation of this grand old lady of the sky.

A very big THANKYOU to the Museum’s Aircraft Engineers were able to get the Canberra operational and safe in time for the July Flying Weekend.

Visit our photo Gallery page to view images of the Canberra’s annual inspection. You will also find images of the July 2008 Flying Weekend.