VH-ACH  Aeronca 50-C Chief                                         (c/n  C1618)

                           

                                  Seen here whilst new at Essendon in 1939  The aircraft designation stood for "50 hp  Continental"
                                  The Aeronca was owned for a time by Captain F.E. Finlay who was an ex-RFC (WW I) officer.
                                  (Possibly the gentleman at the tail?).   Merv Cobcroft of Queensland advises:
                                       In 1940 the Queensland Patriotic Fund staged a massive “Miss World” type competition
                                       with “beauty queen” entrants sponsored by numerous organizations and businesses. Amy
                                       Huggins was “Miss Post Office”. She went on to win the competition by being the “Miss”
                                       to raise the greatest amount for the war effort and was so crowned Miss AIF (Aust Imperial
                                       Force).   Post offices up and down Queensland got behind her effort. One of things she did
                                       was to sell her signature on philatelic covers issued to mark the opening of Brisbane’s Story
                                       Bridge.   Finlay flew her around the state in -ACH, suitably named  “Amy Huggins”.
                                       There is also a newspaper report of him proposing to raise money by selling joy flights. 
                             .   VH-ACH was still around until 1974 when it was withdrawn from use.  Its subsequent fate is
                                 unknown.