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- Move to Williamtown - 4th Sept
Saturday, September 4, 2021
Good morning Members,
Today is significant for the RCA. Attached is a copy of our media release in today’s edition of the Newcastle Herald.
A couple of salient facts to accompany this release:
- In 2019 RCA met with several senior council staff to discuss progression of our move to Rathmines. An emphasis at the meeting was a ‘must achieve timeline’, based on the increasing inadequacy of the current work site. At the time the RAAF 2021 centenary was also firmly in our sights – what a fantastic opportunity to announce a presence of a dedicated heritage centre at Rathmines.
- In October 2020, I addressed a scheduled Council meeting with the Councillors and advised that while Plan A (Rathmines) was our goal, due to little or no progress, we were investigating a Plan B. Plan B would facilitate the completion of the restoration at a suitable facility and permit the display of the RCAs important collection of memorabilia.
- Subsequent correspondence from Council confirmed our fear that Plan A – a Rathmines Catalina Heritage Centre housing the memorabilia and Catalina would not have Council support.
As a result, Plan B - the relocation of the memorabilia and Catalina to the RAAF Williamtown Heritage Centre has now been activated.
Shortly a newsletter will be issued providing more detail and over the weekend answers to expected questions will be posted in the Latest News section on our RCA website: https://www.rathmines-catalina.com
Bill Anderson - President, RCA
Media Release:
- The Rathmines Catalina Memorial Park Association (RCMPA) wish to announce that we have negotiated a new home for our Catalina under restoration, affectionately known as ‘Our Girl’.
- Negotiations to gain approval to site and house ‘Our Girl’ at Rathmines were not progressing at a pace, or direction that would meet RCMPA’s timeframe to complete the restoration and provide a suitable facility in which to display her.
- As a result, we intend to relocate ‘Our Girl’ from Kilaben Bay to the RAAF Williamtown Aviation Heritage Centre, where she will form part of the display. We wish to thank Air Force for their support in providing this outcome.
- The relocation will not happen for some time. There is a pre-existing unrelated project underway to upgrade the RAAF Williamtown Aviation Heritage Centre. Therefore, the ‘Our Girl’ move is planned to occur once the upgrading of existing facilities at the Williamtown centre are completed.
- The support of RCMPA members and the wider community for ‘Our Girl’ and associated memorabilia to be located in the Newcastle area is evident. There is a real desire for recognition of the significance of RAAF Base Rathmines and the debt owed to the personnel who served there throughout WW2.
- We are pleased that as a result of this agreement with Air Force, ‘Our Girl’ will remain in Newcastle. We consider this to be a wonderful outcome for the Association and the dedicated volunteers completing the restoration.
- The Association wishes to thank Mayor Fraser for her support and LMCC for their involvement in the project.
- RCMPA wish to sincerely thank its members, benefactors and the large number of supporters in the wider community for their ongoing support for this endeavour. Together we look forward to a bright and exciting future.