Robert Dougherty, Letters in the mail: Thales seeks political support in defence museum dispute, Defence Connect, 28 January 2025
French defence contractor Thales has written to local politicians and officials in NSW to ask for their support in regard to the stalled restoration of the historic Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum.
Thales Australia, a subsidiary of French defence technology conglomerate Thales Group, is already embroiled in a heated dispute with the museum’s current committee to save the culturally significant military site in Lithgow, NSW.
On 25 August last year, the site sustained significant damage requiring immediate repair after three men broke into the museum and stole 27 historically important handguns (deactivated), including Desert Storm and World War II commemorative pistols.
The individuals were later charged and at least 19 pistols recovered by Drug and Firearms Squad detectives, with assistance from Chifley and South Coast Police districts working under Strike Force Ajo.
Thales Australia chief executive officer Jeff Connolly, in official letters written to local politicians and officials during early January this year (and provided to Defence Connect), said the memos were sent to “address a number of issues raised in the public domain by the museum’s board regarding the future of the museum”.
“Thales Australia, as the owner and proprietor of the Lithgow Small Arms Facility, has proudly hosted the Lithgow Small Arms Museum since 1998 – at no charge to the museum – through lease arrangements that have existed for over two decades,” he said.
“In 1999, Thales Australia donated the firearms collection to the museum by way of a deed of gift … Thales Australia communicated to the museum in November 2024 its willingness to commit to long-term lease arrangement for nominal rent, which will ensure the museum’s enduring presence at the site.
“We have not yet heard back from the museum on our offer of a long-term lease. We are aware that the museum board would like Thales Australia to either gift or sell the site to the museum.
“The Lithgow Small Arms Factory is a critical national security asset and an operational defence industrial facility. Thales Australia must ensure the facility remains able to meet Australia’s strategic needs, including the ability to surge in the future if required by government.
“This means we cannot sell parts of the facility as they may be required for development in the future, noting especially the Commonwealth’s view that Australia is facing a deteriorating security environment, in which the previously assumed 10-year warning time for regional conflict is no longer valid.”
The Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum is considered historically important because of its expansive collection of Australian and international production firearms, defence industry prototypes and experimental models of rifles, pistols and heavier military equipment.
