DHC Beavers at Rose Bay.

[corsair67]

I was up in Sydney over the weekend, and managed to get a chance to take the ferry across to Rose Bay to get a few shots of Sydney Seaplanes' and SeaWings Beavers (and a Cessna Caravan!) there.

Can anyone confirm if VH-SWB (s/n:1557) is an ex-Kiwi Beaver?

[Dave Homewood]

Fantastic photos Craig. I have always thought that the Beaver loks at its absolute best on floats, it is in its natural habitat. It reminds me of one of my favourite TV shows when i was a kid, called Danger Bay, which starred a floatplane Beaver in the supporting cast. Does anyone else recall that series? It was about a single Dad marine biologist, his son and daughter, and his girlfried who was a Beaver pilot, set in a beautiful Canadian lake town.

[FlyNavy]

Great photo Craig, seeing the flying boats in the 1950s there was a special family outing. Does "Leave it to Beaver" qualify as a favourite TV series Dave? ;D

[corsair67]

......seeing the flying boats in the 1950s there was a special family outing

I can imagine how great those Solents and Sandrighams looked taking off and landing in Rose Bay - pity is that I'll never get to see anything on that scale.

The thing that amazed me was how well the Beavers, yachts ferries and speedboats all worked in together as there didn't seem to be any distinctly marked zones for the Beavers to operate from - well, not that I could make out anyway.

[FlyNavy]

With the big clippers there was a speed boat - what went around shooing others away - not sure if the flying boats did a low flyby to warn off any recalcitrants. In another thread I think there is an old map showing the bay is off limits at certain times most likely. The afternoon nor-easter in Sydney Harbour would be reliable at relevant times of the year so the landing takeoff direction could be predicted for most events except when stiff westerlies or southerly busters were ablowin'.

[FlyNavy]

What is nice is that we would have gone there by tram before they disappeared from Sydney streets mostly by 1957. Tram to Wynyard (maybe via Central - Railway Square) then tram to Rose Bay down the great sweeping boulevarde to the park with the flyboaties.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Sydney#Watson.27s_Bay_Line

Watson's Bay Line
"This line started with a loop at the corner of Erskine and Day Sts near Wynyard Station then proceeded south down Day St, turning left into King St. It then proceeded down King St, crossing four other busy lines (George, Pitt, Castlereagh and Elizabeth St). It then passed through Queen's Square at St James Station, then swung right into College St, heading south past St Mary's Cathedral, then turning left into Boomerang St. The line then swung left into William St and proceeded down William St to King's Cross, before heading into Bayswater Rd. The line then ran east along Bayswater Rd, then into New South Head Rd at Rushcutters Bay. The depot serving the line was at this point, on the north side of the road. The line then followed the course of New South Head Rd through Double Bay, Rose Bay and Vaucluse. A single track then passed through narrow rock cuttings, low cliffs and rugged back-drops, twisting and turning its way down to the terminus at Watson's Bay. The line reached Edgecliff in 1894, and Watson's Bay in 1909.[5] In 1949, the line from Rose Bay to Watson's Bay closed, but reopened in 1950 due to public protest. In 1950, the line down King St to Erskine St closed and a new terminus constructed at Queens Square. The remainder of the line closed in 1960."

The single line to Watson's Bay was similar to the track going to Balmoral Beach. It was almost like a Luna Park fun ride. ;D

[planeimages]

I see a Cessna 208 Caravan hiding in there, too, Craig. Nice shots.

[kiwi172]

Confirming that VH-SWB c/n 1557 is indeed ex ZK-CKD. With Fieldair from 28-01-1965 until withdrawn in 1986. Rebuilt 1991/1992 by Gisborne Aero Maintenance and Frank Wright of Tauranga. Note the extended cabin & extra window & three blade prop. It then served on the West Coast out of Hokitika with Wilderness Air from Feb 1993. It ferried from Kerikeri in May 1996 to Bankstown to have the floats fitted.

[corsair67]

Cheers for that information, kiwi172. Quite a varied life she's had then.

I was asking because a bloke I spoke to while I was at Rose Bay said that he was sure that "the grey and white one comes from your homeland".

[kiwibeavers]

Check out my webpage here re VH-SWB

www.kiwibeavers.com/CKD.html

[corsair67]

Thanks kiwibeavers! Great site you've created, by the way.

If I used my grey matter a little bit more, then I would have remembered to check your site out for the answer in the first place!