What happens during closure?

The Sir John Monash Centre recently closed to the public for its annual maintenance. This is an important time in the life of the Centre to ensure visitors are provided with the best experience possible in the year ahead. Here’s a sneak peek of what happened behind the Centre’s big timber doors during this period.

A lot happened in the two weeks we were closed! An array of specialists and service providers, including plumbers, cleaners, heating engineers and even glaziers, were able to work freely throughout the site. They were busy maintaining equipment, including the geothermal HVAC system, cleaning artefacts, and repairing screens and installations.

Their behind-the-scenes work is crucial in the delivery of services at the Sir John Monash Centre.

Replacing one of the floor screens of the tactical display.

The SJMC foyer during maintenance closure — During maintenance, the foyer, usually busy with visitors, is filled with technical tools, appliances and furniture.

One of the biggest challenges this year was replacing the floor screens which display an interactive battle map, a major feature of the Centre’s exhibition. These screens, protected by five sheets of glass weighing more than 300 kg each, required the intervention of skilled personnel, as well as a crane and more than 650 kg of counterweights!

The closure was also an opportunity for the team to undertake training and plan for the coming year.

To learn more about the New Zealand involvement in the First World War, the team also headed out to visit the New Zealand Liberation Museum – Te Arawhata, located in Le Quesnoy, in northern France, and learnt the incredible story of the liberation of the fortified town of Le Quesnoy by the New Zealand Division on 4 November 1918.

The SJMC Team and the New Zealand Liberation Museum - Te Arawhata’s Director standing next to ‘the Giant'. — The SJMC Team and the New Zealand Liberation Museum - Te Arawhata’s Director standing next to ‘the Giant’, a statue of a New Zealand soldier, and one of the core elements of the museum’s exhibition.

The Centre reopened on 10 February and we look forward to welcoming you back. You can book your visit now.