PBY-5A Catalina for Rathmines

Press Release dated 25th April, 2013.

CATALINA FLYING BOAT BOUND FOR RATHMINES

A long-held dream to have an historic Catalina Flying Boat permanently displayed on the site of the World War II air base at Rathmines is a step closer to fruition following the purchase of a disused aircraft by the Rathmines Catalina Memorial Park Trust.

The Trust sourced the rare Catalina PBY-5A aircraft in Puerto Rico after a seven-year search. The purchase was confirmed this week and the aircraft is expected to arrive later this year, after being dismantled and shipped to Australia. 

The Catalina will become one of the key attractions of a hangar-style museum planned for the heritage-listed lakeside memorial park at Rathmines. It is intended to be the museum’s centrepiece static exhibit, complementing the operational Catalina VH-CAT.

VH-CAT, a PBY-6A Catalina brought to Australia from Portugal in 2008, is owned by a private consortium, Catalina Flying Memorial Ltd, and is currently being restored to flying condition in Sydney.

Rathmines Catalina Memorial Park Trust Registrar Penny Furner said the purchase of the Catalina PBY-5A was a real coup.

“This is very exciting – Catalinas are very hard to come by and this is one of the models that flew out of Rathmines during the war,” she said.

“It will make a marvellous static display for our proposed museum and will boost our efforts to secure government support for the project. We want to build a fitting home for VH-CAT and the PBY-5A so anyone interested in wartime history or aviation can come and see these wonderful old aircraft first-hand.”

The PBY-5A Catalina was paid for with money raised by the Trust through donations and community events such as the annual Rathmines Catalina Festival.

The former RAAF site at Rathmines has a colourful history. It was the largest seaplane base in the southern hemisphere during World War II and was of vital strategic importance to the Allied war effort.

Two representative’s are currently in Puerto Rico arranging the preparation of the Flying Boat for transport to Australia.

end release 

'Our Girl' in San Juan

Rathmines Catalina Memorial Park.