At the Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum expect the unexpected - the unusual, the quirky and eclectic amongst 4000 items of military and colonial memorabilia, which form displays of exceptional quality. The museum provides a testament to not only those heroes who fought in distant lands to ensure our way of life and prosperity, but also those courageous and determined people who pioneered and progressed the Maryborough area for almost two centuries. The exhibits include 3 Victoria Crosses, a Cross of Valour, many other significant medals, uniforms and period costumes as well as historic vehicles and scale models of ships and planes. For the art lover there is trench art, paintings, murals, wood sculpture and relief carving. Pianists entertain visitors with everything from old wartime favourites to jazz and recent popular music. All this as well as a 2000 book library, primarily of Australian and NZ military history, are housed in a magnificent heritage listed structure built in 1879. Research facilities, including photocopying, are available for family historians. The Museum is part of Maryborough's Portside district which runs from the Brolga Theatre along the Mary River to the Marina and extends out to parts of Kent, Bazaar and March Streets in the CBD. Maryborough's once thriving wharves are long gone, but in their place is an exceptional heritage precinct called Portside - with sensational parklands, museums, restaurants, art galleries, historic pubs, steam train rides and river cruises.