PHOTOGRAPH: QANTAS CATALINA PLAQUE, CRAWLEY

Colour photograph of Qantas Catalina flying boat memorial plaque, mounted on granite rock in JH Abrahams Park, Crawley. Cast bronze plaque, burnished bronze images, lettering and border on black background.
Memorial Reads:
'QUANTAS CATALINA MEMORIAL
DURING WORLD WAR II VITAL REFUELLING BASES WERE LOST ON THE EMPIRE ROUTE FROM AUSTRALIA TO ENGLAND VIA SINGAPORE.
TO KEEP COMMUNICATIONS OPEN FOR TWO YEARS COMMENCING ON 29 JUNE 1943, QUANTAS EMPIRE AIRWAYS OPERATED THE WORLD'S LONGEST REGULAR NON-STOP SERVICE - PERTH TO CEYLON SRI LANKA - A DISTANCE OF 3510 MILES (5532 KILOMETERS).
THE INITIAL SERVICES WERE OPERATED BY CATALINA FLYING BOATS WHICH FLEW INTO AND OUT OF PERTH FROM THIS POINT ON THE SWAN RIVER KNOWN AS THE FLIGHT OF THE DOUBLE SUNRISE. THESE MISSIONS WERE FLOWN IN COMPLETE RADIO SILENCE AND WITHOUT ANY RADIO NAVIGATION AIDS.
THE STORY OF THE INDIAN OCEAN SERVICES IS ONE OF TRIUMPH OVER ADVERSITY. AND THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF AVIATION ENDEAVOUR.'