View of the burnt Spitfire which was vandalised outside the Brevet Club on Memorial Avenue near Christchurch Airport. 6 October 1984.
The original Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk.XVIE, built in 1945, never saw combat action and was presented to the Brevet Club in 1963. It was mounted outside the club and remained in place until 1983 when it was decided to replace it with a replica model. This replica, made from fibreglass, was crafted at RNZAF Base Woodbourne in Blenheim in a project overseen by Flight Sergeant Ray Allan and involved up to sixty individuals (twelve of whom were full time). After the replica was installed in 1984, the original plane was relocated to the Air Force Museum. In October that year, the replica model was destroyed in an arson attack. It was removed and a restored version was later installed. It remains in place outside Spitfire Square.
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The Discovery Wall is a large interactive exhibition which allows several people to simultaneously explore images and stories of the history of the people and places of Christchurch. It is viewable on the ground floor of Tūranga, 60 Cathedral Square, Christchurch, New Zealand or on the Mobile Discovery Wall. Images displayed on the Wall can also be found on the Discovery Wall website.
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