MOBA2 is a 15 metre sailplane designed by Gary Sunderland, who was an aeronautical engineer working for the Department of Civil Aviation (Australia) and a member of the Victorian Motorless Flight Group (VMFG). The design gave effect to ideas that he developed circa 1970 for an aircraft that he could build himself. He entered a 13 metre wingspan version of his MOBA design (MOBA2B) in an Australian Gliding sailplane design competition that was announced in 1970. The competition called for sailplane designs with a maximum wingspan of 13 metres that could be built by amateurs in a small workshop with limited tools and facilities. In 1973, Gary’s MOBA was judged by the competition panel as equal best with the other outstanding submission, which were chosen from a field of 19 entrants. However, after gathering further information and deliberation by the competition panel neither of the two outstanding designs were chosen as the winner. Notwithstanding the outcome, in 1974 Gary proceeded built his glider to the original 15 metre design. The wing was equipped with camber changing flaps that were permitted under special standard class rules for the 1974 world championships. Changes were made along the way in the light of construction experience and the completed glider was given the designation MOBA2C. The glider first flew on 12 December 1979. It was never flown in standard class competition as by the time the glider was built the special 1974 rules were revoked and wing flaps were no longer permitted in that class. However, Gary flew MOBA2C in the Australian national gliding competitions held at Benalla in the summer of 1979 / 1980 competing in the open class. After adjustment to the aileron gearing during initial trials MOBA2C was found to fly well and in competition produced performances believed to be better than contemporary standard class sailplanes but not as good as the open class machines. The glider was later modified in a number of respects including amongst other things the installation of spoilers located just forward of the wing flaps and by increasing the chord marginally at the wing root. With these changes the glider type was given the designation MOBA2D. The last recorded flights occurred in February 1996 at which time MOBA2 had flown an aggregate of 401 hours and 59 minutes during its 297 launches. Its operational life was brought to an end due to expansion of the foam in the wings causing distortion of the wing surface.The MOBA2 is a notable home built 1970s sailplane design that featured a number of innovative elements including composite construction without the need for expensive jigs, nose cone canopy and asymmetrical placement of control column.Composite single seat glider / sailplane finished in bright yellowRegistration "GVI" on fuselage; Kangaroo, Australian Flag and VMFG decals on vertical stabiliseraustralian gliding, glider, sailplane, moba2b, moba2c, sunderland, moba2d, victorian motorless flight group, vmfg

VH-UQM (Miss Currie) was the second commercial plane to operate out of Western Junction (after Miss Flinders), the first owned by the Holyman Brothers, which eventually become ANA etc. And we think it was one of the first planes destroyed in WW2, when it was lost in the hangar fire in Broken Hill just after war was declared. It was believed to have been sabotaged by Italian or German workers at Broken Hill at the time. It also was part of the early Flying Doctor service in NSW. Item currently held in Archives Australian National Aviation Museum (ANAM) September 2021

Photos of a trip to an Aircraft Museum, including Legatees George Woodward and George Standish. With about 12 Legatees and some wives it is assumed to be a day trip to the museum. On the shape of the building it looks like the National Vietnam Veterans Museum on Philip Island, or perhaps the Australian National Aviation Museum, in Moorabbin. Also present were L/ John Sullivan, L/ Joe Morton and his wife Mary Morton. The captions included: "Legatee Joe Morton, joined by his wife, Mary. Legatee Morton gave his RAAF overcoat and jacket to the Museum." "The Catalina fan club was out in force Legatees George Woodward and George Standish." They were in a folio of photos from 1988 to 1990 (see also 01042 to 01049).A record of a Legatees on an outing together which shows their comradeship and desire to socialise together.Colour photo x 13 of Legatees visiting an aircraft museum.White paper labels with black type provided captions for the photos.legatee event, comradeship

This artefact originates from a petroleum company which operated in Victoria from 1933 until 1945. The Alba Petroleum Company of Australia Pty. Ltd. was established by P. J. Adams and A.G. Wales. They had distribution facilities in the industrial estate of Newport in Victoria and also marketed to South Australia and Tasmania. Their advertising during World War 11 emphasised the need to keep petrol profits in Australia. They claimed to have the largest independent bulk storage unit in Australia. They pioneered the use of tar alcohol which was blended with "standard motor spirit to produce a super fuel. They were marketers of ALBA Super, the Aviation Quality Spirit containing Australian produced alcohol, ALBA motor spirit, ALBA power kerosene and ALBALITE lighting kerosene. In 1945 after the war ended, ALBA was incorporated with the Australian Motorists Petrol Company, which in turn, became AMPOL Petroleum Ltd in 1949.This artefact is representative of an Australian innovative company and a product which was widely used on a local, state and national level for industrial and domestic applications.A cylindrical steel/metal can for petrol storage and transfer. It has the brand name of the company ALBA embossed into the lid.On lid: " ALBA"alba petroleum company, ampol, petroleum companies australia

Taken in 1944 in Bonegilla, Victoria by Captain E.C. Johnston, this photograph depicts soldiers of the 1st Australian Corps Signals training battalion releasing carrier pigeons from a portable loft for their daily exercise.The 1st Australian Corps Signals was a branch of the Australian Imperial Airforce that was active during World War Two. One of the tasked carried out by 1st Australian Corps Signals was to send messages through the use of carrier pigeons. Carrier pigeons were most commonly used by the Allied Forces to send messages from the front line trenches or advancing units. Edgar Charles Johnston (1896-1988) was an aviator and public servant. In WW1 he served with the Australian Imperial Force, and later joined the Royal Flying Corps. For his service in the Royal Flying Corps he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, which assisted him in becoming the assistant director-general in 1939 of the Commonwealth Department of Aviation. During World War II he was heavily engaged in the department’s activities in support of the war effort.Black and white square reproduced photograph on rectangular archival paperObverse: Bonegilla Victoria 1944-05-03/ Carrier Pigeons being released for their daily exercise/ from a portable loft of the 1st Signals training Battalion/ Photograph made 3 May 1944, by E.C. Johnston/ copied from CD Image supplied from/ Australian War Memorial collection/ Copyright/ Use of this image for the/ Robert O'Hara Burke Memorial Museum, Beechworth/ enhanced to remove moir effect/ Reverse: 7993.2/military album, beechworth, burke museum, military, world war 2, ww2, australian army, bonegilla, pigeons, edgar charles johnston

About the author: Born in Melbourne, David Crotty has worked in museums since 1984. He has a long-standing interest in aviation history and has worked as a curator with the Australian War Memorial and the RAAF Museum. He is currently (2010) a curator in the History and Technology Department of Museum Victoria. Story of John Robertson Duigan and his flying creer, from his early years as a Melbourne school boy to his heroic activities as a pilot on the Western Front in World War One. He was the first Australian to fly a powered Australian-made aeroplane in Australia.Front cover: Top - Duigan's aeroplane in flight, Spring Plains Station, Mia Mia, Victoria, in 1911. Below - John Duigan at the controls of his aircraft at Spring Plains Station, Mia Mia, Victoria, in 1911.

This trophy was awarded in 1933 as a championship cup by the South Western District Rifle Clubs Union. Rifle Clubs have been operating in Warrnambool since 1860 and in 1904 the South Western District Rifle Clubs Union was formed. The donor of the trophy, James Fairbairn (1897-1940) was a pastoralist, aviator and politician. He served with the Royal Flying Corps in World War One and was injured and captured by the Germans. When he returned to Australia he acquired Mount Elephant Station near Derrinallum, Victoria and continued his interest in flying, becoming an expert on aviation. In politics he was firstly the member for Warrnambool in the Victorian Legislative Assembly and then held the Federal House of Representatives seat of Flinders. He was the Minister for Civil Aviation and in 1939 became the Minister for Air. He was killed in an aircraft accident in Canberra in 1940.This trophy is of considerable interest because it is a 20th century memento of the rifle clubs in the Warrnambool district and because of its association with James Fairbairn, a notable Western District personality in the first half of the 20th century. This is a silver-coloured metal bowl soldered on to a supporting stem on a circular base. There are two handles on each side of the bowl. The top of the bowl is covered with wire mesh with the original idea that the bowl could hold flowers (hence the name ‘rose bowl’). The bowl is inscribed on one side. The item is very tarnished.‘Paramount Plate Regd. EPNS Quality Plate Warranted Hand Soldered’ ‘Championship Cup No 12. South Western District Rifle Clubs Union’ ‘Presented by J. V. Fairbairn, Esq. M.L.A. 1933’ warrnambool rifle club, south western district rifle clubs union

The Hollywood film stars pasted on to one side of this paper are of no historical interest to our Society. The four paper items attached to the other side relate to the pioneer aviator, Basil Watson. He flew the first aeroplane to come to Warrnambool in January 1917. Watson flew from Point Cook to Warrnambool in one hour 55 minutes, an Australian cross-country flying record at the time. He had built his own aeroplane which was 18 feet long with a wing span of 26 feet and it had a 7 cylinder 50 H.P. rotary Gnome engine. In Warrnambool he amazed the crowds with his dare-devil aerial acrobatics, looping the loop 14 times over the Warrnambool Racecourse. Watson also brought several letters with him, making him the bearer of the first aerial mail to Warrnambool. Sadly Basil Watson died when his plane crashed at Point Cook in March 1917, just two months after his record-breaking flight to Warrnambool. The Warrnambool and District Historical Society has in its collection the small galvanized bucket seat which came from Watson’s plane and the original first air letter written by the Mayor of Melbourne to the Mayor of Warrnambool. These four items are of considerable historical interest as they are souvenirs issued at the time of Basil Watson’s aviation exploits in the early 1900s and Watson is of great importance in the aviation history of Warrnambool.This is a piece of paper (possibly from a scrapbook) with one torn edge. Pasted on to the paper on one side are newspaper photographs of early Hollywood female film stars. On the other side are four items relating to the pioneer aviator, Basil Watson – an airmail post card, a newspaper black and white photograph, a souvenir black and white photograph and a card with an illustration of an early aeroplane (pictured upside down). ‘The Aerial Postman Basil Watson’ ‘Official Souvenir Australian Aerial Mail’ basil watson, pioneer aviator, aviation in warrnambool’s history, history of warrnambool

Painting of Aircraft 1914 Geoffrey Lea, Aviation artist from the North of England, specialised in Aviation oil paintings. Geoff lea has been painting for over 35 years and his aviation art has featured in many aviation books and a number of sought after aviation art prints. Geoff now resides in Australia,Print "War Dance" Watercolour R.A.A.F. 3 Sqn. Bf110 Alemein Nov.20 1914War Dance by Geoff Leabf110 3squadron raaf

This building is still intact at the Nhill Aerodrome. Some of the infrastructure is also in place or can be evidenced by its foundations.The Aeradio building was built on the present aerodrome in 1937. This was one of only sixteen buildings of this type built across Australia and it housed radio communications and guidance equipment. The building and its equipment were part of a comprehensive system of radio towers, signalling and meteorology equipment aimed at providing safer navigation for aircraft travelling throughout Australia. The facility closed in the 1960sThis photo is significant due to it having been taken soon after the building was constructed. It is the earliest known photograph taken on an open to the public day before the receiver aerials were erected.The Aeradio building was built on the present (2012) aerodrome in 1937 or 1938. This was one of only fifteen buildings of this type built across Australia and it housed radio communications and guidance equipment. The building and its equipment were part of a comprehensive system of radio towers lights and signalling equipment aimed at providing safer navigation for aircraft travelling throughout Australia. The facility closed in the 1960sphoto, aeradio, early, civil aviation, dca, dept of civil aviation

This system overcome the problem of errors in verbal transmission and recording of information These units were serviced by the PMG (Post Master General) These were the type used in the Aeradio building. Grey colour, Teletype machine with key board and original teletype paper tape roll installed.(front) Siemens Australia (back) Fernschrieber Fs Sk 2186/1 240Vteletype, telex, information

The BC-639A is a ground based AM VHF receiver covering the nominal frequency range of 100 -156 m/cs. The set was built for the U.S. Army Air Force in WW2 as part of a communication system to communicate with aircraft. A system of similar intent was built in Australia during WW2 by Radio Corporation of Victoria (ASTOR), with the addition of FM facilities. This system used the ARl7 receiver and ATl7 transmitter. Many of the sets had been modified after the war by the then Dept of Civil Aviation for use as monitoring receivers.This type was used at the AeradioThe BC-639A is a ground based AM VHF receiver covering the nominal frequency range of 100 -156 m/cs. The set was built for the U.S. Army Air Force in WW2 as part of a communication system to communicate with aircraft. Dark grey US Military colourradio receiver, bc 639, bc 639a, 639, aeradio

Uniform belonged to Clarence Blood This uniform was worn by Clarence Blood in his service in northern Australia. Clarence was a trainee at the AA&GS Nhill Uniform coat and trousers with Safari Pith Helmut, British karki colouruniform, khaki, helmut, pith helmut

This clothing was worn by Merv while flying as navigator in B24 bombers from northern Australia in 1945Cotton khaki colour overall style flying suit with four large buttons and map pouch. Black leather flying boots with lamb skin lining and leather strap and buckle at top. Leather flying helmet and goggles.

Hard back 200 pages with colour paintings and sketches, black and white photographs.raaf pilot experiences flying out of operational bases of europe and the pacific.

Blue background with sketches of military aircraft on covernon-fictiona comprehensive reference work on all australian military aircraft