New colours. Taken the day before Australia Day when the sun shone brilliantly - what a day indeed. On 31 December 2017, VH-NOO crashed into the Hawkesbury River. The pilot and five passengers were all killed.

Built for the RAF as JM715. "Beachcomber" served Ansett on the scheduled service from Rose Bay to Lord Howe Island.

Built as Sunderland III JM715 by Shorts at Rochester in 1943. Converted to Mark V. Sold by RAF in April 1947 to TEAL as ZK-AMH and later to Ansett as VH-BRC for the service from Rose Bay to Lord Howe Island. Now preserved at Southampton.

VH-BRC came to Australia in 1950 from New Zealand, where it was ZK-AMH. After long service, mainly on the Sydney-Lord Howe Island route, it was sold in the US as N158C in 1974. The hangar at Rose Bay dated back to the C Class Empire flying boats.

The aircraft used to pioneer a crossing of the South Pacific from Australia to Chile in 1951 under the command of Captain P.G.Taylor. The Boeing Canada built aircraft, a Catalina Mk.VI (ex RAF JX630), was stored after the flight, firstly at Rathmines flying boat base then from 1959 until the mid 1960s at Rose Bay. It has since been fully restored, reassembled and is displayed at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.

Outboard engines running and the rope secure, VH-BRF prepares to swing about so it can be hauled backwards into its berth.

Ex RNZAF NZ4108. Acquired by Ansett in 1963 and converted to passenger configuration. Sold as N158J in 1974.