VH-BKQ  Short S.25 Hythe             (c/n  SB.3553)

                               

                                    This rare shot of two Trans Oceanic Airways Hythes anchored on the Clarence River at Grafton,
                                    NSW comes from the files of the Clarence River Historical Society, via Bruce Kennewell.
                                    VH-BKQ in the foreground was a former RAF Sunderland III serialed ML731 which was
                                    seconded to the RAAF becoming A25-2.   In 1947 it, along with four others were sold to
                                    B.Monkton.   They were then acquired by P.G. Taylor to form the nucleus of his Trans Oceanic
                                    Airways which provided service from Sydney to Port Moresby via (officially) Brisbane and
                                    Townsville, although clearly the aircraft also put in at Grafton. The first service was operated
                                    in October 1950 with VH-BKQ under the command of Capt. P.H. Mathieson.   -BKQ was
                                    withdrawn from service in 1954.  For historians interested in other aspects of the Grafton area,
                                    visit the Society's site at:               http://www.clarencehistory.org.au/