Rathmines Catalina Festival
Submitted by culturehunter-info on 26 September 2012 - 5:42am
When:
3 November 2012
Times:
10 AM to 3.00 PM Location
Address:
Rathmines Park
Dorrington Road
Rathmines, NSW
Cost:
Entry to the Festival is $5 for adults, children under 12 are free.
Website:
http://www.catalinafestival.com.au Plans are underway for the biggest ever Rathmines Catalina Festival on 3 November 2012 at Rathmines Park. The event serves to commemorate the significance of the former RAAF Base during WWII and pay respect to those who served at the Base and lost their lives through the war effort.
The Festival continues to support the establishment of a Hangar/Museum at the site that will display artifacts and memorabilia from the Base including a fully restored Catalina.
The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) plans to fly its fully restored Consolidated PBY Amphibious Catalina (Registration VH-PBZ) from Albion Park to the 2012 Rathmines Catalina Festival. HARS plan to alight the Catalina on Lake Macquarie at approximately 10:30am, and then taxi up the ramp onto the hard stand at the former RAAF base.
HARS will open the Cat to the public for inspection at the Festival. The aircraft will depart from Lake Macquarie at approximately 3pm for its return flight to Albion Park.
Another special feature at this year’s event is the RAAF Balloon. It will be brought onto the site, tethered and inflated (weather permitting). Fighter World has an authentic Beaufighter cockpit section, beautifully restored by the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society at Albion Park. The Beaufighter cockpit will be the centerpiece of the Fighter World display at this year's Catalina Festival.
Approximately 10 light amphibious seaplanes will alight on the lake, and park on the hard stand at the Festival. These will include Lake Buccaneers, Super Petrels, and Seareays. De Havillland Tiger Moths from Luskintyre plan to flypast the Festival as a salute to the former RAAF base. Paul Bennet will fly an aerobatic display in his Pitts Special aircraft. Paul also operates a CAC Wirraway, and Grumman Avenger, and has previously attended the Festival with these aircraft.
As well as aviation displays there will be food and quality market stalls, 2 stages with live entertainment, an exhibition by Wangi Art Group and amusement rides for the kids. Face painters, camel and pony rides will keep the children entertained for hours.
Lake Macquarie City Council has just completed the new children’s playground at the park which includes a flying fox and similar amusements already found at Speers Point Variety Park.
Entertainment will include Kirsty Larkin, Steve Condon, Ground Zero, Skye Point, Blackalls Charity Band, Westlakes Concert Band and Sing Australia. Maitland Pipe Band, the Marching Koalas, Novotones and Found (a women’s a cappella group) will keep the crowds entertained around the event.
Other displays include Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), a not-for-profit team of aviation professionals providing air transport in places of deepest human need - remote places where flying is not a luxury, but a lifeline.
Defence Force Recruiting will also be on site to provide advice and guidance to those thinking of a career in the military. The Toronto Men’s Shed, Rover Scouts and Morisset Rotary will also help on the day and vintage and classic car/motorcycle clubs will have many vehicles on display for enthusiasts. WWII Military vehicles will be on exhibition, and for the first time, the Vintage Farm Machinery group will be attending with a vast array of motors and equipment.
Rathmines Catalina Memorial Park Trust will display RAAF memorabilia from the base and a magnificent hand crafted diorama depicting the former Base along with models of Catalinas. Heritage Flight Gear Displays will demonstrate many authentic WWII uniforms.
Student artworks from Rathmines, Wangi and Arcadia Vale Public School will be exhibited in Rathmines Hall. The senior students will be present a drawing of the Base as it is now.
The day has something for everyone.
CONTACT:
facebook; Rathmines Catalina Festival
Event coordinator - Nicole Charlesworth - 4975 5593 / 0409 902 043
Location
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