From the Great War to the Brisbane floods
Sarri Painters resurrect the Mephisto Tank
One of the many locations affected by the disastrous floods of 2011 was the Queensland Museum, and this damage extended to one of it’s most iconic exhibits. It was quickly realised that major restoration work would be necessary on the Mephisto Tank, a unique piece of Great War history. Sarri Painters was approached to help restore the Mephisto Tank and with the centenary of the founding of the ANZACS due in 2015, there was an eagerness to complete the restoration in time for this commemoration.
In WW1, Tank warfare was both new and often unsuccessful, and only 20 of the A7V, the first German military tanks, were ever built. Alone, Mephisto now survives as stark and astonishing reminder of an age that has long slipped away. This tank has journeyed half way across the world since it’s capture in a location called Monument Wood on 14th July 1918, by men of the 26th Battalion. The Battalion was formed at Enoggera Barracks in April 1915 and the majority, were proud Queenslanders. After transportation to Australia, Mephisto finally found a permanent home at the Queensland Museum.
