City of Sydney Historical Association
COSHA

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  • A forward program of our monthly events
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  • Information on other History Events in NSW

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Upcoming Events

City of Sydney Historical Association (COSHA)

Formed in 2000 with the aim of increasing awareness and appreciation of the history of the City of Sydney, COSHA aims to make our history more accessible.
COSHA regularly organises guided walks, lectures and tours of historic sites and buildings.

 

 

SEPTEMBER 2021 - Cancelled

Unfortunately this event is CANCELLED due to COVID restrictions. We will try and reschedule it later in the year.

"The mighty Sunderland Flying Boat - in War and Peace"

Speaker: Denis Smith

 

In 1939 10 Squadron went to England to collect nine brand new Sunderland flying boats and to fly them back to Australia. War broke out just as they arrived in England so Australia loaned the nine flying boats and all their crews to RAF Coastal command. They spent the whole war chasing and sinking U Boats in the South Atlantic. Dennis will show actual film footage of the crew arriving in England flying Sunderlands and sinking Uboats.

In peace time flying boats operated from Rose Bay. A trans-Tasman flying boat service began in April 1940 which at its peak, saw a fleet of four Sandringhams servicing the route and making the seven hour crossing to Auckland. Services to Lord Howe Island, Fiji and Tahiti were introduced using Sandringhams, Hythes, Solents, Sunderlands and Catalinas. The final commercial flight from Rose Bay, an Ansett service to Lord Howe Island, left on 10th September 1974, closing a brief but important chapter in Australia's aviation history. The site of the Rose Bay flying boat terminal is today used by a company offering joy rides in a float plane.