The Gurkha Museum Trust - Fifty Years Old and Poised for the Next

Fifty years ago, the world was a very different place. The Cold War focused the attention of the Western world, personal computers and social media were the stuff of science fiction, and much of the world’s population, including Nepal, had yet to experience substantial improvements in life expectancy and material well-being. Both Nepal and the UK experienced economic and political challenges in 1974. For the Brigade, most Gurkha units were based in Asia. Without doubt, there have been numerous global and national events that have shaped the Gurkhas’ history over the past half-a-century and your museum celebrates them.

GURKHA MUSEUM KO UDGHATAN

Tarikh 21 Jun 74 ko 1430 baje Field Marshal The Lord Harding of Petherton GCB CBE DSO MC saheble chhoto bhashan sahit subhechchha prakat garnu hundai Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Aldershot, UK ma bhaeko Gurkha Museum ko udghatan gari baksinu bhayo.

Above is the heading and the opening paragraph from the edition of Parbate that reported the opening of The Gurkha Museum in 1974. The Museum holds previous copies of the Brigade’s Parbate.

For the past fifty years, The Gurkha Museum has had the remit to protect, promote and preserve for future generations the Gurkhas’ military prowess, the evolution of units, the changes in uniform and tactics, the awarding of battle honours, and, arguably most importantly, the collating of personal stories. Before the creation of The Gurkha Museum, responsibility for preserving the history of Gurkha service fell to individual units. Following the Second World War and the subsequent reduction in the number of Gurkha units, there was a serious risk that the Brigade’s history would be lost. After much work and with great fanfare, The Gurkha Museum opened its doors in Church Crookham in 1974. Having outgrown the converted barracks, The Gurkha Museum relocated to Winchester in 1990.

“I’m an ex-Gurkha soldier working in The Gurkha Museum for 23 years and sometimes I feel like it’s my second home. In my experience, the working environment is excellent, team members are very friendly, helpful and supportive. I love my job because every day I come into contact with a variety of visitors including other veterans who share their experiences and memories with me.” Megh Rai, Gurkha veteran and Receptionist at The Gurkha Museum

“The Gurkhas are a unique fighting force and have served this country for over 200 years. The Gurkha Museum is also unique – a military museum unlike any other, for ours is not just the story of developments in weapons and uniforms, or of campaigns and battles, but of the evolution of that special, cross-cultural relationship. Based in Winchester but with collections of national significance, and with global reach and ambition, we are delighted to be celebrating our 50th birthday. We will mark this milestone with an exhibition that showcases not only our own development but also how the Brigade of Gurkhas has changed over that remarkable half century. As we look back, however, we will also take this opportunity to set out our plans for the future – an exciting future that will see us, transform over the next two years to a modern, engaging and accessible museum, best in class as befits its subject.

It is an exciting time for The Gurkha Museum Trust, and you are invited to be part of our reflections and aspirations.” Dr Daren Bowyer, Director/CEO of The Gurkha Museum Trust.

Plans for the next fifty years will be available for all visitors to the Museum to view both as part of the summer exhibition and online http://www.TheGurkhaMuseum.co.uk/Project-Kaida. Project Kaida is the name given to The Gurkha Museum Trust’s redevelopment that will ensure the Gurkhas’ heritage is protected, preserved and promoted for future generations.

The redevelopment of The Gurkha Museum involves the following components:
Reinterpretation, re-display and modernisation of the physical displays at the Museum in Winchester to make the Museum a must-visit attraction;
Refurbishment of the old library into a multi-purpose function room, library, and research/education centre to enable the Museum to become an international research and education hub on Gurkha heritage;
Outreach and education activity to take the Gurkha stories into the community in innovative and engaging ways;
Digitisation of the archive and related digital projects (e.g. oral history gathering) so the Gurkha story is accessible regardless of your geographic location.

To discover more about the future plans, visit www.TheGurkhaMuseum.co.uk/Project-Kaida: Towards the top of this webpage there is a six-minute film describing the redevelopment project and thanking members of the serving Brigade for their support.

The Gurkha Museum Trust
Former Peninsula Barracks, Romsey Road, Winchester, SO23 8TS

http://www.TheGurkhaMuseum.co.uk/Visit-Us

Admin@TheGurkhaMuseum.co.uk +44(0)1962 842832