AUSTRALIAN AUSTERS 

Prior to relaxation of Australian Government currency restrictions on US Dollars in the late 1950s, few current production American light aircraft were imported.  Until then, British-built Austers dominated the single engined cabin touring aircraft market and many hundreds of new Austers were shipped to Australia, in addition to numerous private purchases of second-handAusters from a variety of countries.


Auster J5B Autocar VH-WBA at Adelaide-Parafield SA on 31 March 1964, at the finish of the 4 day Ansett Air Race from
Brisbane. This red and white Auster was the winner, flown solo by owner Kevin Bassett, a farmer from Benalla Victoria. Two
years earlier Mr. Bassett had purchased it at Sarawak, Borneo and flown it to Australia. Ex VR-WAA, VR-UDO, VR-SDO.

Auster J-1B Aiglet VH-ABS visiting Parafield SA in October 1965, while based at Alice Springs NT.  Although the fuselage has
had some repainting in the standard silver finish, the original factory name Auster Aiglet remains on the tail.

Auster Mk.3 VH-BCG (ex RAAF A11-40) at Parafield in April 1962, in the hangar of Aviation Services (SA) Ltd, the Auster agents
for South Australia. In that era their hangar was always filled with Austers, Tiger Moths and other older types, with the smell of dope,
oil and well-worn leather seats.  Retired Tiger wings and damaged fuselages were stacked along the walls and in the rafters.
Not a Cessna to be seen.

Another early photo in the magical Aviation Services hangar at Parafield: Auster J-1 Autocrat VH-WMM in May 1962, still in
factory paint scheme of silver with green trim and Auster Autocrat on the tail.



Auster J-1B Aiglet VH-KAB at Parafield 31 March 1964 at the end of the Ansett Air Race from Brisbane. This entrant had flown
all the way from Perth WA to Brisbane to compete.

Another Auster J-1B Aiglet in the Ansett Air Race was VH-SAB owned by Versace Sawmilling Co of Brisbane.

The raised roof and cabin of the Auster Autocar series is apparent in this view of J-5G Cirrus Autocar VH-BTA which visited an
airshow at Swan Hill, Victoria in March 1965. Its owner had painted it light blue and white, with name Derlilli.

Another Auster J-5G Cirrus Autocar VH-FAM seen arriving at an airshow at Horsham, Vic in March 1965. This was earlier
owned by the Department of Civil Aviation as VH-CAM, one of three Austers used by DCA Regional offices.



Auster J-5B Autocar VH-KBT at Whyalla SA in May 1965.

Auster J-5 Adventurer VH-MSP at Blythe SA in October 1963.  The cowling design identifies this later model Autocrat, which
was sold in good numbers in Australia by Auster agents Kingsford Smith Aviation Service at Bankstown, Sydney. To avoid
confusion with the many Autocats already in the country, Kingsford Smith marketed the J-5 here with the name Adventurer.

Auster J-1N Alpha VH-COL at Warracknabeal, Victoria in April 1967, with a parachutist descending above. The Alpha had a
DH Gipsy Major engine, Autocrat fuselage but enlarged tailplane to compensate for the increased nose length.

Auster Mk.5 VH-ARX (ex RAF TW498) at Camden NSW in September 1968.  It retains its original Lycoming O-290 engine
and the rear cabin military AOP glasshouse.

Another former military model, Auster Mk.3 VH-MHT (ex RAAF A11-49) seen at Armidale NSW in July 1967. Its rear cabin
glasshouse has been partially covered by fabric to form a rear window.



Auster J-1 Autocrat VH-AEW at Tamworth NSW in September 1968.  This was previously VH-PAB, G-AJPY.

Auster J-1B Aiglet VH-KAJ was caught refuelling at Bourke, in far western NSW in September 1968.  Many outback pastoral
properties in the Bourke district owned Austers in the 1950s, during boom times for the Australian wool trade.
Finishing with a very smart Auster J-5G Cirrus Autocar VH-KEV, rolled out from its hangar for a photograph in July 1967 on
Wiawera Station at remote Olary SA, near Broken Hill.  The metal wheel spats were quite unusual in the 1960s.

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