Waterbirds

Sydney's first international airport was not at Mascot, where Kingsford-Smith International stands today. It was actually at Rosebay, on Sydney Harbour. This was where majestic flying boats arrived and departed, maintaining an enormously lengthy, and sometimes tenuous, link between Sydney and the rest of the world. The Museum of Sydney has an exhibition on the flying boat base and operations until the 14th September 2008. The exhibition itself is quite small, probably a reflection on how little regard Sydney has held for its heritage over the years. I attended a slideshow and lecture by Captain John McCluskey, who flew Sandringham flying boats for Ansett for many years after WW2. The service finally ceased operations in 1974, although floatplanes operate on Sydney Harbour to this day.