June 1, 2008
Rose Bay flying boat base
This is an interesting site: http://www.airwaysmuseum.com/
And it has jogged my memory a bit with regard to Rose Bay Flying Boat Base, at Rose Bay (of course) in Sydney. I can remember visiting the base in the 60s and 70s, when Ansett ran 2 Short S25 Sandringhams (one a converted Sunderland) on trips to Lord Howe Island. Being young at the time and a bit short of cash I was hesitant to actually fly in the darn things (regrettably) but I watched them land and take off and sitting beached on wheels outside the hangar. I should have at least gone on a charter to Lake Macquarie, to the old RAAF base Rathmines, but I didn’t. Oh well.
There’s not much left at Rose Bay – but enough to get a feel for it. There’s actually a bit more at Rathmines. Worth scouting around.
