One of Imperial Airways of Britain's Short Empire flying-boats, G-ADUT Centaurus (commanded by Captain John Burgess) paid a visit to Wellington on 31 December 1937; the top photo shows a group of spectators watching it taxi past Point Jerningham on Wellington Harbour. It was en route to Lyttleton Harbour. It came back the following day, seen in the second and third photos in Evans Bay.
The S.23 was a passenger and mail flying-boat, powered by four 920-hp (686-kW) Bristol Perseus radial piston engines; 31 were built. This particular example went to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1939 as serial A18-10. Eight others were acquired by QANTAS, although not all at the same time.
As those who have the book The Aircraft of Air New Zealand and affiliates since 1940 know, two of the later S.30 type were aquired by TEAL for trans-Tasman services in 1940.
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