NOWRA is a military town – plain and simple.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
And while we might not acknowledge it very often, HMAS Albatross and Creswell and the Parachute Training School all play vital roles within our community.
The removal of the historic Iroquois 894 from the post at the Shoalhaven Tourist Information Centre on Friday for refurbishment is great news.
It was a huge operation carried out by volunteers from the Fleet Air Arm Museum and local company Quality Cranes, with an 80-tonne crane.
And yes, of course, it ran to military precision.
The care taken by the volunteers and workers was just like a proud new father handling his baby for the first time.
Greg Morris and Ian Warren, who actually worked on the Iroquois while still in the navy, made obvious their love and admiration for the aircraft.
The helo has become an iconic part of the Nowra landscape since September 1998 when it was placed on a pole on the southern side of the Nowra bridge just like its predecessor the Sea Venom jet, which for many years lived atop the pole on the corner of Kalandar and Kinghorne streets.
It pointed down Albatross Road towards the naval base and was one of the most recognisable things that everyone associated with the township of Nowra.
Time hasn’t been kind to the old war bird, with a number of patches of corrosion set to face the team at the museum as they take on the big job of restoring it.
It is probably a bigger job than they anticipated but under the watchful eye of FAA Museum manager Terry Hetherington it is sure to be back up on the pole brighter and better than ever.
This local icon will soon be back in its rightful place greeting all the visitors to our great city.