Construction completed at Long Beach, California - September 1, 1938

Built as a Douglas DC-3-232A with Wright Cyclone engines

Purchased new by Australian National Airways for $A 64,800

Transported to Australia by ship - S.S. Clydebank - arriving Port Melbourne - October 17, 1938

This was the third DC-3 to be imported into Australia

Assembled at Essendon Airport and first flown (Capt P.T.L. Taylor) - October 29, 1938

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ABR - October 31, 1938

Registered to Australian National Airways Pty Ltd

Aircraft was named 'Kanana' (quiet)

Originally configured to seat 21 passengers (7 windows) later converted to 28 passengers (8 windows)

Operated its first A.N.A. service - October 31, 1938

Chartered by the Australian Commonwealth Government for use by the R.A.A.F. - September 10, 1939

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - September 11, 1939

Impressed as A30-3 and issued to No 8 Squadron, Canberra - September 15, 1939

It was operated in full camouflage markings

Returned to A.N.A. - May 1940

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ABR - May 17, 1940

Damaged during forced landing at Forrest, W.A. when both engines failed on take-off - February 1, 1942

Involved in a wheels-up landing at Mascot Airport, Sydney - September 30, 1943

Damaged on take-off from Mildura when engine failed & undercarriage collapsed - December 13, 1947

Extensively damaged in forced landing 6 km south of Browning following engine fire - October 4, 1948

Was operating daily Melbourne-Deniliquin-Griffith-Narrandera-Wagga Wagga-Sydney service

Aircraft dismantled on site and trucked to Melbourne for rebuilding - pilot Capt A. Hubbard was sacked

Registered to Ansett-ANA - June 10, 1961

Repainted into Airlines of South Australia livery at Essendon Airport - October 14, 1961

Registered to Airlines of South Australia - December 14, 1961

Operated its final A.S.A. service - Adelaide-Kingscote-Adelaide - (Capt J. O'Hagen) - March 13, 1971

It had flown 67,224 hours to date

Ferried Adelaide-Melbourne for storage - March 15, 1971

Returned to service following loss of Friendship VH-FNE in hangar fire - April 1, 1971

Operated its final A.S.A. service - charter flight - Adelaide-Bathurst-Griffith-Adelaide - October 3 / 4, 1971

Ferried to Melbourne for storage - October 5, 1971

Returned to service with Ansett Airlines of Australia - December 1971 to October 13, 1975

Operated its last scheduled Ansett service - December 27, 1972

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - October 13, 1975

Placed in storage inside Hangar 151 at Melbourne's Essendon Airport

Transported by road to Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport - August 30, 1981

Placed on display outside maintenance facility in full Ansett 'delta' livery

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ABR - September 20, 1988

Registered to Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd

Utilised for special flight only - September 24, 1988

Repainted in A.N.A. livery & later Ansett Airways livery

Used for occasional special ad-hoc charter flights and visits to airshows

Had flown 67,950 hours as of August 3, 1996

VH-ABR. Australian National Airways - in the white-top livery at Essendon Airport, April 1956.

(Image 0250-181. B. Colledge Photograph)

VH-ABR. Ansett-A.N.A. - in basic A.N.A. white-top livery at Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(Image 0250-535. R. N. Smith Collection via Ansett)

VH-ABR. Ansett-A.N.A. - in A.N.A.'s white-top livery with 'Skyliner' tail at Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(Image 0250-534. R. N. Smith Collection via Ansett)

VH-ABR. Airlines of South Australia in the full livery at Adelaide Airport, December 1969.

(Image 0250-515. R. N. Smith Collection)

VH-ABR. Airlines of South Australia in the full livery at Swan Hill Airport, June 1970.

(Image 0250-254. B. Dannecker Collection)

VH-ABR. Ansett Airlines of Australia in the 'delta' livery at Essendon Airport, January 1972.

(Image 0250-514. R. N. Smith Collection)

VH-ABR. Ansett Airlines of Australia in the 'delta' livery, date & location unknown.

(Image 0250-510. R. N. Smith Collection)

VH-ABR. Ansett Airlines of Australia in the 'delta' livery at Essendon Airport, December 1972.

(Image 0250-255. B. Dannecker Collection)

VH-ABR. Ansett Airlines of Australia in the 'delta' livery stored at Essendon Airport, July 1981.

(Image 0250-883. G. Bennett Photograph)

VH-ABR. Ansett Airlines of Australia in the 'delta' livery stored at Essendon Airport, July 1981.

(Image 0250-882. G. Bennett Photograph)

VH-ABR. Ansett Airlines of Australia in the 'delta' livery stored at Essendon Airport, July 1981.

(Image 0250-881. G. Bennett Photograph)

VH-ABR. Ansett Airlines of Australia in the 'delta' livery stored at Tullamarine Airport, October 1981.

(Image 0250-884. G. Bennett Photograph)

VH-ABR. Ansett Airlines of Australia in the 'delta' livery at Tullamarine Airport, January 1984.

(Image 0250-003. R. N. Smith Photograph)

VH-ABR. Ansett in original Australian National Airways livery at Tullamarine Airport, March 1985.

(Image 0250-507. R. N. Smith Collection)

VH-ABR. Ansett in original Australian National Airways livery at Tullamarine Airport, March 1985.

(Image 0250-509. R. N. Smith Collection)

VH-ABR. Ansett in original Australian National Airways livery at Tullamarine Airport, September 1988.

(Image 0250-508. R. N. Smith Collection)

VH-ABR. Ansett in original Australian National Airways livery at Tullamarine Airport.

(Image 0250-002. P. J. Gates Collection)

VH-ABR. Ansett in a near original Ansett Airways livery at Sydney's Bankstown Airport, February 1996.

(Image 0250-511. R. N. Smith Collection)

VH-ABR. Ansett in the original Ansett Airways livery at Brisbane Airport, September 1997.

(Image 0250-513. P. J. Gates Photograph)

VH-ABR. Ansett in the original Ansett Airways livery at Brisbane Airport, September 1997.

(Image 0250-512. P. J. Gates Photograph)