Community & Business
3 December, 2024
Weapons targeted in museum break-in
A CACHE of historic weaponry has been stolen from the popular Tolga Museum in what appears to be a targeted break and enter.
Museum organiser Rob Fuller said the thieves “looked like they knew what they were doing” as they had forced open the timber doors on the display cabinets without breaking any glass and took very specific items.
Volunteers arrived at the museum on Sunday 24 November to find the main door forced open and display cabinet doors broken.
“Those cabinets were built from hardwood, but they forced them open, and didn’t even break the glass. They knew what they wanted.”
Rob said the items taken were from the “high end” collection of the museum, and included an antique 303
rifle and a Japanese rifle, both of which have been disengaged, two samurai swords which were “very dangerous”, a number of bayonets and coins as well as other weapons from World War 2.
A Mareeba policeman attended on Sunday to review the damage and dust for fingerprints, but none were found, Rob said. The museum does not have security cameras.
“Were a not-for-profit organisation,” Rob said.
“We have put in for a grant to improve the building.”
Similarly, insurance on specific items was too expensive and there was no real way to assess replacement value.
For now, museum volunteers at the site were cleaning up and removing damaged cabinets.
“Everyone’s pretty dejected,” Rob said.
He estimated the museum would be closed for at least a week or up to several weeks, depending on how quickly they could replace damaged cabinets.
A statement from Queensland Police Service said the break in, some time between Saturday afternoon, 23 November, and Sunday morning, 24 November, was under investigation and anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has any information that could assist investigations, is urged to contact police.
