MAYLANDS HISTORICAL AND PENINSULA ASSOCIATION

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The G-AUCL story

In the 1920s, Frank Colquhoun and the other two West Australia Airways apprentices at the Maylands Aerodrome received their flight training in Norman Brearley’s Avro 504J, G-AUCL. Norman Brearley and his brother Stan Brearley were their usual instructors.

The image of G-AUCL on the soggy Maylands Airfield appears on page 20 of Frank Colquhoun’s 2001 book ‘Cockpit and Spanner’. Despite the miles of field drains introduced into the area, pools of rainwater had remained common all over the Maylands airfield in winter.

Frank’s flying training never reached the ‘A’ licence stage, because in 1929 he was assigned to take over the WAA maintenance base in Broome.

From our Frank Colquhoun collection

Our Frank Colquhoun collection includes:

  • 1920s-1930s Album page with three image
    image 2. 1925. B&W photograph showing G-AUCL is captioned ‘Avro 504K at Maylands Airfield. Frank Poulten (front cockpit) Geo. Darnley (rear cockpit). The aircraft on which the 3 apprentices received flight training.
    Image 3. 1924/38. Avro 504K. G-AUCL. Maylands airfield. Dave Colquhoun alongside. Note the pools of rainwater, a common enough condition all over the ground during winter in those days and despite the miles of field drains introduced into the area.
  • FC_034. B&W photograph.  Aircraft G-AUCL
  • FC_035. B&W photograph. G-AUCL. The Avro 504J with rotary engine on which Frank Colquhuon was taught to fly.
    This image also appears on page 20 of Frank Colquhoun’s 2001 book Cockpit and Spanner.

For more information

See our G-AUCL Flickr Album for digitised images and other digitised information.

Maylands Historical and Peninsula Association acknowledges the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, live, and learn. We acknowledge that we tell the stories of Noongar Country and we pay our respects to Elders past and present. This always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this website may contain images or names of people who have passed away.