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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 14, 2008 9:47:21 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 14, 2008 9:49:02 GMT 12
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Post by skyhawkdon on Mar 14, 2008 14:13:19 GMT 12
Bugger - I'm too late to give her my pink elephant photos! ;D
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Post by flyjoe180 on Mar 14, 2008 22:27:45 GMT 12
Looks like Bee Dawson has done a good job. Don, the omission of your pink elephant might yet make the Hobsonville archive. Reading that pdf link above, it says Bee has chronicled Hobsonville's history from it's establishment to eventual amalgamation with Whenuapai to form RNZAF Base Auckland on 1September 1965. I read that as the book stopping at 1965. So the pink elephant may yet make the pages of a glossy history book  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 17, 2008 13:59:17 GMT 12
Yes, stopping at 1965 as I guess it was no longer a seaplane base then. It would be nice if she followed it up with the rest of the history, such as N. 3 Squadron, the Wasps, 3 Movements, 1TTS, SAS, etc there. Plus it's civil roles like the yachts and films.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Mar 17, 2008 18:14:12 GMT 12
Yes, there would be a lot of interest in that I am sure. I did a few ATC courses there as a cadet in the late 80's/early 90's and remember it as a quiet but busy base. There was something about the seeds from those palm treess too, they were worth a lot of money I think.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 19, 2008 10:14:53 GMT 12
Really? I never heard about the seeds. I do know that my old Flight Commander when I was at Whenuapai, and i cannot for the life of me recall his name - Beags do you know? He was a young skinny gingery guy, real funny, Pilot Officer or Flying Officer, this was 1990. Anyway he got drunk in the O's Mess and climbed one of the palm trees, fell out and broke his leg. He spen the next few months in a cast at work! Bloody funny. He and some other young foolish officers also bungee jumped with just rope off the Greenhithe Bridge! He used to tell us some cracking stories about what they got up to living in the Hobby O's Mess.
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Post by phil82 on Mar 19, 2008 12:11:05 GMT 12
Really? I never heard about the seeds. I do know that my old Flight Commander when I was at Whenuapai, and i cannot for the life of me recall his name - Beags do you know? He was a young skinny gingery guy, real funny, Pilot Officer or Flying Officer, this was 1990. Anyway he got drunk in the O's Mess and climbed one of the palm trees, fell out and broke his leg. He spen the next few months in a cast at work! Bloody funny. He and some other young foolish officers also bungee jumped with just rope off the Greenhithe Bridge! He used to tell us some cracking stories about what they got up to living in the Hobby O's Mess. All lies Dave! Officers at all times behaved with the utmost decorum. I'm living proof that we sometimes became 'tired and confused' whereas you lot were simply drunk! |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 30, 2008 20:07:08 GMT 12
You can hear an interview with author Bee Dawson on Radio New Zealand National's excellent show Sounds Historical with Jim Sullivan here: www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/soundshistorical/20080316Click the second audio link and zoom the slider along you media player to 26 minutes 20 seconds, and have a listen. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 30, 2008 20:51:40 GMT 12
And did you note in the interview's outro that Jim Sullivan stated that Bee's next book will be the history of RNZAF Station Wigram. Now that will be good.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Apr 15, 2008 15:17:38 GMT 12
I thought this article may be of interest in this thread, as it signals the end of the former base as we know it. Hobsonville could see construction work commence by the end of the year on a proposed development at the former airfield, including state and affordable housing. www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/sundaystartimes/auckland/4479619a6497.html |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 15, 2008 23:53:03 GMT 12
Thanks for depressing me Joe.
I took a look at the book quickly in abookshop this morning but have not bought a copy as of yet. There's loads of great photos.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Apr 16, 2008 10:39:12 GMT 12
Sorry Dave. Maybe we can organise a protest group and march up and down Hobsonville with banners and bits of white paper and demand that our rights be recognised and the expansion of construction companies ceased. Or we will take them to the Aviation Tribunal Claims court.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 16, 2008 11:47:19 GMT 12
It's annoying they are ruining Hobsonville by building new state houses whilst at the same time selling off state houses! Total gits.
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