Digital Photograph - Boarding TAA DC-3 to Tasmania, Essendon Airport, 1948

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Description Of Content:: Man in suit and woman in dress and jacket, standing on the stair of a Douglas DC-3 aircraft, ready to board.

This photograph shows Patricia and Henrick Von Sonnewald about to board a plane to Tasmania from Essendon Airport, 1948. His widow Patricia remembers: 'Henrick had fled Germany before World War II, dismayed by the Nazi movement. He arrived in Australia to represent his uncle's precision machine factory on the eve of World War II and was promptly interned at Tatura for the next five years. By the time of this photograph, Henrick had built an Australia wide business, a year after his release from Tatura. He had a tie manufacturing business, and he and Patricia would travel all around Australia to different department stores. He had come out of Tatura very poor, as all of his goods had been confiscated. But he noticed that there were very few good ties available in Australia. He was very fashion conscious and decided to start his own business.' The DC-3 (VH-TAI) they are boarding belonged to Trans Australia Airlines and was named 'Oxley' following the policy of the airline to name their aircraft after noted explorers. This photograph was taken by an unknown friend with Henrick's camera.
Acquisition Information:: Copied from Mrs Patricia Morgan, 2006
Acknowledgement:: Contributed by Mrs Patricia Morgan

Discipline:

History

Themes this item is part of:	Migration Collection, Melbourne's Biggest Family Album Collection
Primary Classification:	AIR TRANSPORT
Secondary Classification:	Air Travel
Tertiary Classification:	passengers
People Depicted:	Sonnewald, Patricia; Sonnewald, Heinrick
Organisations Depicted:	Oxley Airlines; Essendon Airport
Model Name/Number:	DC-3; DC3
Format:	Digital Still Image: Black & White
Place & Date Depicted:	Essendon, Victoria, Australia, 1948 Source of Date Depicted: Contributor's memory.
Photographer:	Unknown Relationship of Photographer to Contributor: Unknown friend.