Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith is a famous Australian, well known in civil aviation history for his courageous endeavours in flight. He broken many flight records for long distance and time travelled and he was also a war hero in World War 1. He has been referred to as being “known to millions of Australians as “Smithy” … he was one of Australia’s true twentieth-century legends”. In honour of his place amongst the world’s famous pioneers his image is featured on Australia’s $20 note, Sydney airport is named after him, there is a memorial to Kingsford Smith, Taylor and Ulm at the Anderson Park, also in Sydney and his plane “Southern Cross” is on view at Brisbane Airport. Kingsford Smith wrote ‘The Old Bus’ (1932) and he and Ulm were co-authors of ‘Story of 'Southern Cross' Trans-Pacific Flight’ (1928). His also wrote a book about his own life ‘My Flying Life’ which was published after his death in 1937. and the story of his life was filmed in Australia in 1946. A BRIEF HISTORY OF SIR CHARLES EDWARD KINGSFORD SMITH (1897 – 1935) … Kingsford Smith was born 9th February 1897 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. His parents were William Charles Smith and Catherine Mary, nee Kingsford. His mother’s maiden name of “Kingsford” was added to the family name when they spent time in Canada from around 1903 to 1907, after which they returned to Sydney, Australia. In 1915 Kingsford Smith enlisted in Australian Imperial Force. He served in 4th Signal Troop, 2nd Division Signal Company at Gallipoli Peninsular as a ‘sapper’ or combat engineer and later in Egypt and in France as a dispatch rider. In 1916 Kingsford Smith was transferred to the Australian Flying Corps as a sergeant. He was discharged after training in England and commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps. He was appointed fling officer and soon joined the 23rd Squadron in France. He brought down four machines in his first month there and also did invaluable work attacking enemy targets. He was wounded and shot down and later awarded the Military Cross ‘for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty’. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1918 and served as a Flying Instructor with the R.F.C. Kingsford Smith was not allowed to participate in the 1919 England to Australia air race because of assumed lack of navigational experience. He and his pilot friend Cyril Maddocks formed a business and flew joy-flights in both England and America. In America he did some stunt flying with a Flying Circus. Kingsford Smith returned to Australia in 1921 and found employment as a pilot. He soon realised the value of air transport in such a vast country. He formed a partnership with pilot Keith Anderson in 1924 and they purchased two Bristol Tourer biplanes. Their business broadened to include Charles Ulm and became the Interstate Flying services in Sydney. Together they performed important ‘demonstration’ flights including a flight around Australia in 10 days and 5 hours using very limited navigational equipment. Kingsford Smith immediately started to search for support to do a trans-Pacific flight. This support came from the New South Wales government, Sidney Myer and G. Allan Hancock, an American oil magnate. On 31st May 1928 Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm and two American crewmen, Harry Lyan and Jim Warner, took off from Oakland, California and flew to Brisbane via Hawaii and Suva. This historic flight took 83 hours and 38 minutes. Their Fokker plane had three engines and was named the “Southern Cross”. This amazing achievement resulted in huge financial subscriptions. Kingsford Smith was awarded the Air Force Cross and appointed as honorary squadron leader, Royal Australian Air Force. Kingsford Smith flew his Southern Cross plane from Point Cook in Victoria to Perth nonstop. Then in September – October 1928, with Charles Ulm and an Australian crew, he piloted the Southern Cross from Sidney to Christchurch New Zealand. This flight showed that was possible for regular passenger and mail services across the Tasman Sea. Kingsford Smith flew his plane to England to an order for four aircraft, planning to use them for an inter-capital air service in Australia. Sadly on 1st April 1929 he was forced to land, having lost radio contact with the ground and having run into bad weather over north – west Australia. Keith Anderson and Robert Hitchcock both perished before the search party reached them. Once official enquiries were completed the flight to England continued in June and was completed in record time of 12 days and 18 hours. In January 1930 Kingsford Smith piloted the “Southern Cloud”, one of the new Avro Ten planes, on the first flight of his airline, the Australian National Airways, from Sydney to Melbourne. The “Southern Cross” was overhauled in Holland by the Fokker Aircraft Co. and in June 1930 Kingsford Smith achieved an east-west crossing of the Atlantic from Ireland to Newfoundland in 31.5 hours. Kingsford Smith returned to England and took delivery of an Avro Avian biplane that he named the “Southern Cross Junior” and flew solo from England to Darwin, Australia. This record breaking flight took less than 10 days. He beat four other planes that had left England before him and he was 5.5 days faster than Hinkler. Sadly Kingsford Smith’s “Southern Cloud” was lost during a flight from Sydney to Melbourne in 1931 with no surviving crew or passengers; in 1958 the wreckage was discovered in the Snowy Mountains. Later that year Kingsford Smith flew his “Southern Cloud” from Australia to Timor, collecting mail from a damaged Imperial Airways plane in Timor. Other flights followed. Kingsford Smith was knighted in 1932 for his services in Aviation. He returned to selling joy flights then established the Kingsford Smith Air Service, a flying training school in Sydney. In 1933 Kingsford Smith flew the amazing record flight in “Miss Southern Cross” – a Percival Gull - from London to Wyndham in Western Australia in just over ten days. The Australian Commonwealth then gave Kingsford Smith a large grant and he was also appointed as aviation consultant to Vacuum Oil Co. Another flying record was made when Kingsford Smith and Sir P.G. Taylor flow “Lady Southern Cross” from Brisbane to San Francisco in order to sell her there; the west-east-trans-Pacific flight made aviation history. They returned to Australia to make an attempt at the trans-Tasman flight but their attempt failed due to engine failure; they managed to get back to Sydney safely, minus most of their cargo. Kingsford Smith had his unsold “Lady Southern Cross” shipped back to England, from where he and J. T. Pethybridge in the “Lady Southern Cross” attempted another record breaking flight from England The Old Bus Author: Charles Kingsford Smith Publisher: Distibuted by Herald Feature Service Date; 1932Label on spine cover with typed text RA 629.1309 KIN flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, the old bus, charles kingsford smith

The Oakey Army Aviation Centre is a training facility formed in October 1943 at Oakey, Queensland. It was built with the purpose of providing a maintenance facility: the units would erect, repair and insect aircrafts and engines. At the end of the war in 1945, the depot was used to store surplus aircraft. In early 1946, the RAAF Station Oakey was disbanded and categorised ‘to be retained but not maintained’. Since then, the RAAF Station Oakey facilities have been used few times for some minor activities. Although there are no information relating to the owner or usage of the cup; it holds historic significance for its direct link with the Australian Army Aviation Centre in Oakey and its involvement in World War II; and more generally for its link to the Australian Army.Large white cup with a handle; decorated with a blue ink symbol (displaying a crown and below it, a bird handling two swords) and blue ink inscriptions (from the Army Aviation Centre Oakey). Inscription on top: 'Frank McNamara VC Club' Inscription at the bottom of the symbol: 'Vigilance' Inscription circling the symbol: 'Army Aviation Centre Oakey'

The Samuel Browne belt is named after Sir Samuel James Browne VC. In 1858, Browne lost his left arm in battle (as a result of a sword cut) and as the dress regulations of his regiment required officers to wear their waist belts under their tunics, Browne found this ungainly and devised an external belt supported on the left-hand (sword) side by a shoulder strap. The belt had two shoulder straps when a holster was worn. In the Australian Army, a brown leather version is worn on ceremonial occasions by officers and Warrant Officers Class One of all corps, except those who wear silver dress embellishments (Armoured, Aviation and Nursing Corps). These members wear a black Sam Browne belt. Wide brown pattern stitched brown leather belt with adustable shoulder strap, brass buckle and brass loop fittings (4 at the top and 2 at the bottom) attached to the belt by stitched leather straps.Nonesam browne, belt, clothing

164 pages, softcover with colour illustrations.non-fictionThe first comprehensive study of the life and work of Ray Honisett [1931-2019], one of the most significant illustrators of his generation and the doyen of Australian aviation art.ray honisett, gavin fry

This letter, the first air mail letter sent to Warrnambool, was written by the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sir David Valentine Hennessy and carried by the aviator, Basil Watson on the first flight to Warrnambool January 24th 1917. The letter was delivered to the Mayor of Warrnambool, Cr Webb.There were several other letters delivered at the same time but this is the important official one. Basil Watson was a pioneer aviator who 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. Watson flew from Point Cook to Warrnambool in one hour 55 minutes, an Australian cross-country flying record at the time. In Warrnambool Watson amazed the crowd with his dare-devil aerial acrobatics, looping the loop 14 times over the Warrnambool Racecourse. Basil Watson died when he crashed his plane into the sea near Point Cook, just two months after he landed in Warrnambool. This letter is of the utmost significance being the first air mail letter delivered to Warrnambool. It is an important memento of the first aeroplane flight into Warrnambool by the pioneer aviator Basil Watson. This is a cream-coloured sheet of paper folded in two to make four pages. It has handwriting in black ink on two pages. The writing is a little faded. The first page has the logo of the Melbourne Town Hall. The pages are partly torn at the folds. ‘Town Hall, Melbourne, 21/1/17. Lord Mayor’s Room, Dear Mr Mayor, I have much pleasure in sending you greetings by aeroplane piloted by my friend’s son, Mr Basil Watson. I hope when the cruel war is over and victory crowns our efforts, we all in the C’wealth will be able to fly from one state to the other. With best wishes for the New Year, …….. (signature indecipherable), D.V. Hennessy. His Worship the Mayor of Warrnambool.’pioneer aviation in the western district, basil watson, history of warrnambool

P J McGinness is a significant figure in Australian aviation historyPrinted Biography in wooden frame

The National Bicycle Game is an Australian-made and designed board game for 2, 3 or 4 players made by The National Game Company of Ballarat and Melbourne between 1930 and 1950. The earliest board games date from the mid-18th century and were printed on copper or steel plates and coloured by hand. By 1839 lithography was first used, making it possible for publishers to produce larger quantities of all types of toys. By the 1890s the games were mounted on to a folded board. Popular subjects were of an historical or geographical nature, as well as transport including motoring, aviation and railways and various sports. The board game 'A Motor Ride' ,made by The National Game Company, was possibly the first large-scale manufacturer of locally-designed board games in Australia. The firm was established in Ballarat, Victoria, at the beginning of the twentieth century by W. Owen. Other board games made by National include the 'Victory-United Nations" game, 'Fairyland', 'Yacht Race', 'Golf Game', 'Bicycle Game', Steeple Chase', 'Our Great Game' about football, 'Courtship and Marriage', 'Around the Commonwealth by Aeroplane', and 'Dugouts and Trenches' as well as the more traditional games such as Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, and Noughts and Crosses. This game board has been well-used. The game is significant because it uses scenarios familiar to Australian children in the first half of the twentieth century. This game board reflects the experience of being a child in the twentieth century. Toys were how children were socialised and taught. Most toys mimic the adult world, and looking at them can tell us something about how the world has changed. A folding game board for The national Bicycle Game for 2,3 or 4 players. It has a yellow spiral track on which the player progresses at the throw of the die, starting at the clubhouse until reaching home. In the background are pictures of rural scenes.board-games recreation cycling national-game-company

In October 2011 the Ballieu Government announced funding cuts to public and private technical training organisations as a cost saving measure. The government reduced funding for seven subject areas including business and clerical, finance and hospitality, totaling $300 million across the state. During a visit to Ballarat on 15 June 2012 Premier Ted Ballieu was met by hundreds of protestors angry at the TAFE cuts. It was expected that the Ballarat TAFE sector would be cut by $20million (or 40%), and up to 60 TAFE programs would be cut. A report in 'The Australian' on 01 June 2012 projected the TAFE cuts would result in the loss of almost 2000 jobs across the state. 'If the projections are correct, Victorian college redundancies would dwarf those in manufacturing and aviation, matching the worst predictions of job losses across Australia's entire banking sector.' Ballarat's National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and the Ballarat Trades and Labor Council (BTLC) are following up their earlier protest campaigns with a monster meeting to be held at Ballarat Trades Hall, Camp Street on Sunday 8 July. The monster meetings will take place in close proximity to Bakery Hill where over 10,000 diggers protested against an the gold license system in 1854. .1) A brown and black Monster Meeting poster based on the Eureka Monster Meeting poster. The post uses text similar to the 1854 Eureka Poster to advertise a meeting to fight TAFE cuts as announced by the Victorian Government led by Premier Ted Ballieu. .2) A white hand flier with red text calling on the people of Ballarat to attend a meeting at Ballarat Trades Hall to fight TAFE cuts. Both items are authorised by Jeremy Smith NTEU UB branch President and Brett Edgington BTLC President.university of ballarat, national tertiary education union, jeremy smith, monster meeting, brett edgington, ballarat trades and labour council, tafe, trades hall, ballarat trades hall, eureka, eureka stockade, union

Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith (1897-1935) is one of Australia's most known Australia’s fliers. Born in 1897 at Hamilton, Qld. He spent his early life in Sydney enlisting in the AIF in 1915. He served at Gallipoli before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in 1916. He was shot down and wounded in the foot in 1917. In 1929, Kingsford-Smith flew from Australia to England in the record-breaking time of 12 days, 18 hours. The following year he completed an east–west crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in 31 hours, followed by a record-breaking solo flight from England to Darwin in 10 days. He was knighted for services to aviation in 1932. He made the first west–east trans-Pacific flight in 1934. In 1932 was selling joy-flights at ten shillings a trip. Most of his flights, including the joy flights, were made in the three-engine Fokker plane known as the 'Southern Cross', now preserved in a special display area at Brisbane Airport. In late 1935 Kingsford Smith took off on the second leg of a flight from England to Australia with John ‘JT’ Pethybridge. The plane and pilots were never seen again, believed to have crashed into the sea at night somewhere off the coast of Burma. White ticket stub with black ink. It includes a photographic portrait of Charles Kingsford-Smith, and a drawing of the Southern Cross aeroplane. Gift of the Chatham-Holmes family.Printed on ticket 'Souvenir Flight in 'Southern Cross' piloted by C.E. Kingsford-Smith. No refund will be made on this ticket unless BOTH these"chatham, chatham family collection, kingsford-smith, charles kingsford-smith, smithy, southern cross, aeroplane, flight, joy ride, entertainment, airport, charles kingsford smith

Five copies of The School Newspaper. .1) No. 659, 01 August 1956 .2) No. 660, 01 September 1956 .3) No. 651, 01 March 1957 .4) No. 652, 01 April 1957 sheep, wool, melbourne olympics, swimming, frank beaurepaire, murray rose, airways in australia, bali, shoes, anzacs, paper, aviation, southern cross, furniture, antarctica, school, education, school newspaper

Vol. 1., No 10, 67 page magazine including articles - Aviation Developes New Guinea Gold Fields, Radio on the High Seas, Radio and the Weather, Aircraft Building in Australia, Along the Short Waves, Secrets of the Talkies, The Growth of Radio in Aviation, Progress in Aviatin, Some New Radio Patents, Complete List of Australian Call Signs. Includes images and advertisements, Rod McGregor, Richard Berry, Wireless operator, Zepplins, De Havilland Tiger Moth, Avro aeroplane, Spartan Light Plane, Mrs S.C. Elliott-Lynn.radio, aeroplane, avro, tiger moth

Booklet. ALEC H CHISHOLM COLLECTION. Seven roneoed foolscap pages, stapled in a grey cover, of an address by Sir Hudson Fysh to The Royal Victorian Aero Club in Melbourne on 12 July 1963. He recounts some early development of flying in Australia. Catalogue sticker ''2247 FYS'' on front cover. Also on front cover, handwritten in ink ''Regards ! Hudson Fysh''Hudson Fyshbooks, collections, aviation, alec h chisholm collection, sir hudson fysh, royal victorian aero club, aviation

Signed and and dated 31.10.1934 copy of Book - Solo Flight by Jean Batten / Book- Hard covered blue cover with black printing / paper dust cover showing Jean Batten and pictures of Australia and England .Solo flight contains newspaper cuttings of her flights and facsimile of her log written while in the air, published in Australia by Jackson & O'Sullivan Ltd, first published October 1934.Jean Battenbooks, biography, jean batten, lydia chancellor collection, collection, jean batten / solo flight by jean batten, flight, aeroplane, aviation, female, pilot, jean batten

Book. ALEC H CHISHOLM COLLECTION. 155 page hardcover book by A. Grenfell Price telling the story of Ross and Keith Smith's flight from Cairo to Calcutta and then England to Australia, 1918 - 1919. Based on the original and unpublished papers of Ross and Keith Smith. Illustrated with 39 B& W photos and 4 maps. Published in 1969 by Angus & Robertson, and printed in Great Britain by Morrison and Gibb Ltd. Catalogue sticker ''2194 PRI'' on spine. Handwritten in biro on flyleaf ''To my good friend Alec Chisholm Tom Lewis Dec '71''. SBN 207 95167 5. Copyright (c) A. Grenfell Price, 1969.A. Grenfell Pricebooks, collections, aviation, alec h chisholm collection, keith smith, ross smith, a.grenfell price, travel, aviation

Colour photograph of the plaque on the memorial erected to the Duigan brothers first aeroplane flight. Plaque reads: 'This pylon commemorates the first flight of an aeroplane built and flown by an Australian about one mile east of this spot on 16th July 1910. John Robertson Duigan first flew the aeroplane which he and his brother Reginald built on their father`s property "Spring Plains". Unveiled by Air Marshal Sir Richard Williams KBE CB DSO 28th May 1960 Photograph taken on a BHS tour, possibly 1990's.aviation, civilian, duigan brothers

Colour photograph of the bluestone memorial erected to celebrate the first flight of an aeroplane by the Duigan brothers, Mia Mia/Baynton area The memorial has an aeroplane propeller attached at the top. . The first flight on an Australian made aeroplane was made by John Robertson Duigan on 16th July 1910, on the family property 'Spring Plains' Mia Mia. Photo taken during a BHS tour, possibly 1990's.aviation, civilian, duigan brothers

postcard: Written on front ' Xmas greeting from the Australian Flying Squadron' ' O H Coulson' Picture of biplane flying in sky in centre, wings and colour patch of squadron top LH corner. On back of card written in blue ink ' on active service' Card is addressed to Mr. Basil G. Watson, ' Foilacleugh' St. Kilda Street Elsternwick, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. On LH side ' Egypt 1916/17, wishing you all the best for the coming season a happy Xmas and a Bright New Year, from your forgotten Pal, ' Nicco' , 1916/17.aviation, civilian, o.h. coulson postcard, basil watson collection, australian flying squadron, egypt

Coleridge, Michael Members of 5 Platoon, B Company, 7th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (7RAR), just north of the village of Phuoc Hai, beside the road leading to Dat Do. United States Army Iroquois helicopters are landing to take them back to Nui Dat after completion of Operation Ulmarra, the cordon and search by 7RAR of the village of Phuoc Hai. Operation Ulmarra was part of Operation Atherton, conducted by 2RAR/NZ (ANZAC) (the ANZAC Battalion comprising 2nd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR) and a component from the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment) and7 RAR. Left to right Private Peter Capp (kneeling), Pte Bob Fennell (crouching, facing camera), Corporal Bob Darcy (left of Fennell), Pte Neal Hasted (centre, front), Pte Ian Jury (cnetre, back, holding rifle), Pte Colin Barnett (front, right), Lance Corporal Stan Whitford (left of Barnett), the helicopter marshal at right is Pte John Raymond Gould. The United States Army Iroquois UH-1D helicopter is operated by 2 Platoon, 162nd Assault Helicopter Company, 11th Combat Aviation Battalion. (having achieved almost the status of an icon, this image was chosen for, and is etched on, the Vietnam Memorial on Anzac Parade, Canberra ACT, dedicated in October 1992)operation ulmarra, operation atherton, 7 rar, iroquois, dat do, phuoc hai, 2nd battalion royal australian regiment, 2 rar/nz, pte peter capp, pte bob fennell, cpl bob darcy, pte neal hasted, pte ian jury, pte colin barnett, l/cpl stan whitford, pte john raymond gould, 162nd assault helicopter company

Graham Carey was Port's most noted aviator. Advertised on this sourvenir as 'the oldest Airman in the World', he was 62 when he took part in this event.Photograph of souvenir card from Coronation Motor Show, May 1937, showing R. Graham CAREY and his bi-plane ('Carey's Chaffcutter') landed on his aerodrome on the Bend. 'The Oldest Plane in Australia - Flown at Port Melbourne on Coronation Day May 12th 1937'. West Melbourne gasworks in left distance, buildings in Ingles Street.royal visits and occasions, transport - aviation and aerodrome, celebrations fetes and exhibitions, r graham carey

From a box of photographs in Nancy U'REN's papers used during research for her thesis, The Early Growth and Development of Sandridge (1976) and/or her book with Noel TURNBULL, A History of Port Melbourne (1983). The Wackett Trainer was designed in Australia and manufactured at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation factory on Fisherman's Bend.Black and white photograph from the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation showing the Wackett Trainer airplane in flight.commonwealth aircraft corporation, wackett trainer, transport - aviation and aerodrome, nancy u'ren nee morris

This unique aircraft was conceived in 1943 as a two seat trainer. A very large part of the design work can be attributed to Jock Barratt and Harold Bradley. The general layout adopted is similar to the Kite I and Kite II single seat sailplanes of Martin Warner and Allan Campbell. Having regard to this heritage, the glider was originally named Kite III but renamed Pelican 2, perhaps because it was the second two seat training glider built by the Waikerie Gliding Club – the first being the Pelican, a reconfigured Pratt Utility glider. Pelican 2 was first flown in 1952 and regularly since then, at least until about 1992. The Pelican 2’s performance was found to be very good for sailplanes of its era and was often used for more advanced flying in addition to training new pilots. Very few changes have been made to the Pelican 2 over the years. The undercarriage was modified after its initial testing to improve the placement of the wheels. The trailing edge of the rudder (originally straight) was rounded adding to the surface area. The twin shoulder tow line bridles were replaced with a belly hook when aviation design rules declared shoulder bridles dangerous and a nose hook has since been added to allow for aero-towing. A unique home grown sailplane design associated with Australian gliding pioneers Wooden 2 seat glider sailplane with fabric covering. Distinctive features include the pod and boom fuselage with side by side seating for pilot and a second person. The canopy of perspex supported by aluminum framing opens with port and starboard segments separately folding upwards and forward. The instrument panel includes altimeter, airspeed indicator, slip indicator and variometers. In addition to the usual controls, there is a trim operated by a small wheel mounted centrally, at head height, on the bulkhead at the rear of the cockpit. Incorporated in the skid under the fuselage pod are two wheels (one approximately midships and the other at the rear end). It has a three piece cantilever wing of approximately nearly 17 metres. The ailerons run almost full length of the outer wing segments. A Gottingen 426 section has been used changing to M6 at the tips. Outer wing segments are joined to the centre section to give about 300 mm of dihedral at the tips. The glider is equipped with airbrakes. The colour scheme consists of orange fuselage with black nose and skid. The tailplane / elevator and rudder are painted white. The wing is predominantly white with an orange leading edge. Registration VH-GFY On each side of rudder – “Pelican II” in black lettering on a rectangle of silver On each side of fuselage pod the letters ‘FY’ On each side of the fuselage, below the edge of the cockpit opening – “WAIKERIE” in black paint. australian gliding, glider, sailplane, kite, pelican, waikerie gliding club, jock barratt, harold bradley, martin warner, allan campbell

The Slingsby T53 glider was designed by J. Sellars in the 1960s as an easily maintained two seat trainer suitable for RAF Air Training Corp use and for sale in the USA and Australian markets where wooden gliders were becoming less popular. The Slingsby T53 prototype first flew in 1967. The T53B version has a conventional fixed tailplane with elevator instead of the all-moving tailplane of the original type. The “B” version also has ailerons of narrower chord and lacks wing flaps. Further changes were made to the fin (extended above the tailplane) for the final “C” version. Production of the T53 at Slingsby was disrupted by a fire at the factory in 1968. As a consequence the contract to supply 40 of the type to the RAF was cancelled and only a relatively small number (possibly 27) were made by Slingsby before the project was discontinued. The rights were later sold to Yorkshire Sailplanes. It designated the glider as the YS53 Sovereign – only a few were produced (possibly 3). The Australian Gliding Museum’s example is a type “B” model. It bears serial number 1686 and was manufactured in 1967. It was registered in Australia as VH-GUB in name of Boonah Gliding Club, Boonah, which is about 90 kilometres south west of Brisbane in Queensland. Locally it was called “the Bomber”! This exhibit is a representative example of the Slingsby T53 sailplane type. It is a rarity in Australia.All metal twin seat glider / sailplane, painted white with red tips and markings.“Slingsby T53B” on each side of fuselage below cockpit opening; Registration VH-GUB on each side of fuselage at rear.australian gliding, glider, sailplane, slingsby, t53, sellars, boonah gliding club, slocombe, boyle