YESTERDAY marked the 80th anniversary of the Uiver plane making an emergency landing in Albury during the London to Melbourne air race.
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So it seemed an ideal occasion for Albury Council to release the Uiver memorial plane from its ownership to members of the Uiver Memorial Museum Group, the community-based organisation taking charge of its restoration.
The group’s chairman Pieter Mol says the long-term goal is to have a fully restored plane as the centrepiece of a museum within a decade.
It is an ambitious plan but one that seems to have strong community support as the group seeks a large enough building to house the plane while that restoration takes place.
Albury Council is supporting the plan with its provision of a $300,000 interest-free loan to assist the restoration.
Their financial report is recognition of the community group’s credentials and its serious approach to restoring and displaying the plane in future.
This weekend will see a series of events to mark the 80th anniversary in fine style, including a visit from the Dutch ambassador and a function tonight with the pilot of Qantas flight QF32, Richard de Crespigny as guest speaker.