When you have a child hyper-fixated on something, it’s hard to convince them to do an activity that has no hint of their obsession about it.
I’m finding if I want to motivate my plane-infatuated son to do anything, I have to include an element of aviation in the itinerary.
Once upon a time, he’d be excited about going to a market on a simple promise of a hot jam donut and a possibility of a new toy if he found something that tickled his fancy.
Now, the donut might have to be plane-shaped and he’d probably need proof in writing that a stall was selling model aircraft for him to consider getting enthusiastic enough about an hour-long drive to said market.
So when my mum and I wanted to go and check out the Tocumwal Foreshore Market recently, I had to up my persuasion stakes and throw in a visit to the Tocumwal airport for a bit of plane-spotting to encourage him to join us.
It worked, but with the market our first stop and no plane-shaped donuts in sight, it was hard to not feel his disinterest at our sides, which did make us feel a little rushed to get to our next stop.
I think the last time we visited Tocumwal or its airport was at the beginning of 2022 when the town’s air show was on, so we probably didn’t get a terribly accurate impression of what the airport typically looked like or how much activity was usually happening there.
When we pulled into the airport on a quiet Saturday — our views unobscured by air show marshals directing us through a car park abnormally swollen by hundreds of vehicles, no stunt planes above diverting our eyes, no roar of jet engines distracting us from our thought trains — my son (my youngest) was met with a pleasant surprise.
Before us sat a museum we never knew existed until then: The Tocumwal Aviation Museum.
It was like the cherry on top of his airport visit ice-cream.
So, of course, after a little skirt around the edges of the apron (don’t you dare call it a tarmac; I’ve been advised that’s what old people call it “for some reason”) to take some pics of a plane taxi-ing and some others parked, we ventured inside the museum.
Its website boasts: “The Tocumwal Aviation Museum is an engaging tourism attraction where you can discover the significant and secret wartime history and the heritage of a centenary of aviation here at Tocumwal.”
Of course, that means there’s a lot of reading.
My son is definitely more visual, so in a trade of personalities, he became the restless one (oh wait, maybe not so much a trade because I didn’t become young, dammit) and hurried through the foyer of words and photographs, and history and newspaper article reproductions, while Mum and I tried to speed read.
I had been concerned that might have been the extent of displays throughout the museum and he would be a little disappointed.
However, when he walked through the doorway into the giant display hangar, his eyes lit up.
It was filled with immaculately restored vintage planes.
Actual planes, not replicas or models. Real planes with real history.
While you could see all the planes from anywhere you stood in this space, we spent plenty of time inspecting each up close, taking photos and reading plaques (more slowly this time) to draw out the experience a little more.
Once my son had had his fill and taken enough pictures and videos to make a couple of fresh TikToks, we headed into the purpose-built theatre on site to watch and listen to the aviation history of the area (no longer a need to read!).
We learned that the first plane landed in Tocumwal in 1919 and the aerodrome was the largest in the Southern Hemisphere in 1942, as well as being the largest base ever operated by the Royal Australian Air Force.
It was quite fascinating to learn that such a tiny town on today’s maps was such a significant one for the history of aviation. Truly, what better place to house the museum than at that airport itself?
Whether you’re hyper-fixated on aircraft or not, there’s probably something at this museum that would pique your interest.
It’s open from 10am to 4pm, seven days a week, at the Tocumwal Historic Aerodrome.
Adults cost $15, kids $10, or families with two adults and up to three children can get in for $45.
There’s also an aviation-themed café on site called The ’Drome Café if you want to grab a bite while you’re there.