This aircraft was built by Short Bros at Rochester, Kent as a Sunderland Mk III - 1943

Delivered to the R.A.F. at Wig Bay, Scotland as 'ML734' - October 18, 1943

Transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force and prepared at Mount Batten for delivery to Australia

Departed Mount Batten on the ferry flight to SAustralia - March 01, 1944

Deilivery route: Mount Batten - Gibralter - West Africa - Brasil - Caribbean - San Francisco - Honolulu -

Pacific Islands - Sydney

Entered onto the Australian Military Aircraft Register as A26-5 - ?

Allocated to 40 Squadron R.A.A.F. at Townsville - April 26, 1944

It operated using the radio callsign 'VHCOE' whilst in service

Received by 40 Squadron at Townsville - July 02, 1944

It wass damaged when struck by the freighter S. S. Marella at Townsville - July 10, 1944

It was damaged - losing over 1 metre of wing when stuck by Sunderland A26-1 at Port Morseby - August 29, 1944

Withdrawn from service and stored at Rathmines - March 12, 1946

Advertised for sale - June 12, 1946

Sold to B. W. Monkton - October 14, 1946

Ferried Rathmines - Rose Bay, Sydney - December 16, 1946

Converted to Sunderland (Hythe) standard with seating for 22 passengers

Entered onto Australian Aircraft Register as VH-AKP (CofR 1434) - October 24, 1947

Certificate of Airworthiness issued (CofA 1350) - October 24, 1947

Registered to Trans Oceanic Airways Ltd, Sydney

The aircraft was named 'Australis'

Operated its first T.O.A. commercial service as a charter flight from Sydney - New Hebrides - October 24, 1947

The aircraft was renamed 'Antilles' - January 21, 1948

It was renamed 'Tahiti Star' - 1949

Withdrawn from use for conversion to 36 seats - December 17, 1949 to December 05, 1950

Operated its inal T.O.A. scheduled flight to the Pacific Islands - January 01, 1951

Operated the final T.O.A. service on Sydney (Rose Bay) - Grafton route - June 17, 1952

T.O.A. was placed in liquidation - July 01, 1952

All operations ceased except for limited service on Sydney - Lord Howe Island route - maintained by VH-AKP

Leased to Barrier Reef Airways / Ansett Flying Boat Services - August 16 / 18, 1952

Leased to Ansett Flying Boat Services - November 01 to December 27, 1952

Operated the final T.O.A. service Sydney - Lord Howe Island - Sydney - April 15, 1953

Sold to Ansett Flying Boat Services - May 20, 1953

Ansett also acquired the Sydney - Lord Howe route licence and the Rose Bay Flying Boat facilities from T.O.A.

Registered to Ansett Flying Boat Services - May 25, 1953

It was operated in the T.O.A. livery with Ansett Flying Boat Services titles in red

Utilised to maintain schedules until a replacement aircraft for VH-BRD entered service

Operated its final revenue service - March 12, 1954

Officially withdrawn from use and stored at Sydney (Rose Bay) - March 24, 1954

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - May 09, 1954

The aircraft had flown 5,919 hours

Scrapped at Sydney (Rose Bay) for spares - October 1955

VH-AKP. Trans Oceanic Airways - 'Australis' in the standard livery at Hobart, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-108.)

VH-AKP. Ansett Flying Boat Services - 'Tahiti Star' in the standard livery at Lord Howe Island, January 1954.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-186.)

VH-AKP. Ansett Flying Boat Services - 'Tahiti Star' in the standard livery at Lord Howe Island, January 1954.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-675.)

VH-AKP. Ansett Flying Boat Services - 'Tahiti Star' in the standard livery at Lord Howe Island, January 1954.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-188.)

VH-AKP. Ansett Flying Boat Services - 'Tahiti Star' in the standard livery at Lord Howe Island, January 1954.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-676.)