A special moment has arrived for the new Powerhouse Parramatta with the first object that will be on display when the museum opens coming in to land.
The historic Qantas Avro 504K aircraft, a replica of the airline’s first plane will feature in the major opening exhibition, Task Eternal. The Avro is suspended above a Cierva C.30A Autogiro – a forerunner of the helicopter – and the Skycraft Scout Mark 1, an ultralight aircraft designed and made by Australian Ron Wheeler.
Featured in the new museum’s largest exhibition space, Task Eternal will explore the intersection of design, innovation and technology and trace humanity’s quest to human ambition to defy gravity, take flight and journey into the sky.
The Qantas Avro 504K aircraft is one of two replicas of the airline’s first plane, built in Mascot by Qantas engineers and apprentices in 1988. Weighing more than 760 kilograms and at almost 9m long with a wingspan of 11m, the aircraft is one of more than 750 objects which will feature in the foundational opening exhibition.
“Powerhouse is proud to partner with Qantas, an organisation that has shaped how Australia connects with the world for more than a century,” said Powerhouse Chief Executive Lisa Havilah.
“The installation of the Avro 504K as the first object at Powerhouse Parramatta is a defining milestone—anchoring the museum in stories of engineering, ambition and innovation that continue to shape our future.”
State Member for Parramatta, Donna Davis, said it was an milestone step ahead of the museum’s opening.
“The people of Parramatta are watching the Powerhouse coming closer and closer to completion,” she said.
“When it opens later this year it will truly change our city. The ambition of this exhibition matches the ambition of the people of Parramatta, and I can’t wait to see it.”
Developed over four years, Task Eternal is one of the most ambitious aerospace exhibitions ever staged in the world. More than 750 objects on display including 350 objects from its own collection, and more than 250 objects on loan from more than 120 domestic and international lenders, plus 12 new commissions will be presented in the new museum’s largest exhibition space.
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.