Receivers representative Anthony Connelly said a contract had yet to be signed.
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The Cairns Post understands BSC is the party that receivers McGrathNicol is negotiating with. It currently employs about 75 people and has continued to operate during the receivership period. The pending sale gives certainty to the future of one of the largest marine refit and repair services in Cairns.Ĭairns Slipways was established in the early 1970s to refit mainly defence and commercial vessels and diversified during the 1980s to cater to the luxury yacht market. Brisbane Ship Constructions are part of the BSC Marine Group which was established in 1994. Roger Marks, Queensland Airfields WW2: 50 years on, Brisbane, 1994.Brisbane shipbuilding company Brisbane Shipping Constructions are tipped to take ownership of Cairns Slipways. Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane, 2009. WWII: NQ: A cultural heritage overview of significant places in the defence of north Queensland during World War II. Diary of WWII North Queensland, Nielsen Publishing, Gordonvale, 1993. I Didn’t Know That: Cairns and districts Tully to Cape York, 1939–1946, Service personnel and civilians, Boolarong Press, Brisbane, 1995. However, flying boats have long since disappeared from Trinity Inlet. Flying boat duties in Cairns were taken up by RAAF No.41 Squadron with Martin Mariner aircraft.Ī post-war review of airfield requirements in January 1946 indicated the Cairns flying boat base was to continue as a RAAF responsibility. In September No.20 Squadron moved from Cairns to Darwin, ending Cairns association with the Catalinas. In July 1944 No.11 Squadron moved from Cairns to Rathmines, the major RAAF Catalina base on Lake Macquarie near Newcastle, separating the two squadrons after serving together for almost four years.
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The bomb dump was located on a cane farm at Sawmill Pocket near Edmonton. They also carried 6000 lbs of bombs, or two 1600 lb parachute mines, or two 2000 lb torpedos. Catalinas taking off on missions were usually loaded to capacity with fuel in the wing. RAAF crash boats were on the ready day or night to attend to the many emergencies arising from the continuous activity that went on in Trinity Inlet and Smiths Creek. Cairns flying boat maintenance base was equipped with various types of water craft such as crash boats, bomb barges and fuel barges. Maintenance and refuelling facilities were developed on the mangrove shoreline of Admiralty Island, close to the main flying boat anchorages on Trinity Inlet and Smiths Creek. In the first four months of operations from Cairns, No.11 and 20 Squadrons between them, flew a total of 20,152 hours and dropped a total of 480 tons of bombs. For nine months the Catalinas left base in time to reach the approaches to the patrol area about dusk, usually landing at Port Moresby or Milne Bay in the morning to refuel for the flight back to Cairns. These were nightly patrols to blockade Japanese shipping movements from the north into the Buna, Salamaua, Lae and Finschaffen districts.
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HistoryĬairns-based Catalinas commenced their nightly operations known as the 'Milk Run' early in November 1942. Today most of these installations have rusted away or been consumed by mangroves, but surviving evidence includes several barges, an area of prefabricated steel wharf, and a concrete slipway. This enabled damaged aircraft coming in from the Coral Sea to run straight onto the slipway on landing. In 1944 a permanent flying boat slipway of reinforced concrete was constructed on the seaward side of Admiralty Island facing the incoming tide. The port of Bowen served as a base for about six months until both squadrons moved north to establish their main maintenance and refuelling base at Cairns. Japanese bombing of Port Moresby in February 1942 meant that a safer anchorage was required for RAAF No.11 and 20 Squadron Catalina flying boats operating from there.