Welcome to 9 Squadron - Exhibition Design

In 2021 I was asked by Lake Macquarie City to help develop a unique military history exhibition at the Rathmines Heritage Centre, detailing the story of the local airbase and the remarkable catapult-launched aircraft that it stationed.

Working closely with Lake Macquarie City’s Community History Leader we developed an exhibition that led visitors through the rich history of 9 Squadron and the Rathmines airbase in a form that fit the limited space available, was reconfigurable throughout the year as the space was used for various functions, and ultimately left no impact on the heritage building.

Knowing the exhibition would serve as a focal point during days of remembrance we developed a memorial wall that allowed visitors to bring (or construct) their own poppies to place next to the names of the members of 9 Squadron who lost their lives.

To accompany the exhibition we also developed a series of classroom worksheets to cater to children across all school stages in learning about the squadron and it’s missions during WWII, asking them to engage with the primary and secondary sources in the exhibition to discover the answers themselves, and get stuck in with practical and fun crafting exercises.