Visitors to the Mount Isa Underground Hospital could have been forgiven for thinking they had stumbled on to the set of a Second World War movie on Monday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Museum is itself a historic artifact of that war so today it had the most appropriate of visitors bringing three war vehicles including an army ambulance, all 80 years old or more and all the genuine article.
Army ambulance owner Tracy Vadjnal, from Newcastle NSW, said they were part of a much larger group who take part in a long distance drive from Alice Springs to Darwin called "Back to the Track".
Meant to coincide for the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific day in 2020, it was delayed a year due to COVID and some five weeks ago Mr Vadjnal joined a group of military vehicle collectors who converged on Alice Springs to make the wartime journey and travel along the track to Darwin to commemorate the end of the Second World War in the Pacific.
Mr Vadjnal got out of New South Wales just before lockdowns and crossed the Plenty Hwy to Alice.
"That cost us a few tyres," he said.
"Then we spent two weeks from Alice zigzagging the old military airports up to Darwin.
"Now we are on the way home."
Mr Vadjnal brought two vehicles a 1942 ambulance and a 1941 truck, among 45 old army vehicles he keeps at home in one of the biggest private collections in the country,
"I bought the ambulance about 10 years ago in England," he said.
He was keen to check out the history of the Stuart and Barkly Hwys which were built during the war and it's a leisurely journey.
"We sit on about 72kph and they around 25 litres to the 100. We went over the genuine old roads and old bridges," he said.
"Now we're looking forward to checking out the hospital here."
READ ALSO: Qld approaches COVID zero
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
Bookmark https://www.northweststar.com.au/
Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on Google News
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
