President: R.J. (Bob) De La Hunty OAM
Bob De La Hunty comes from a corporate background and is on the board of numerous companies including The Aerospace Foundation of Australia Limited and The Maritime and Defence Foundation of Australia Limited. As President, Bob manages the overall operation of the Society. He ensures that the Society is continually focused in accordance with its mission statement.
Bob is also responsible for the managers who control the day to day individual projects and activities of the Society. These persons directly supervise the active projects and the maintenance of all of our aircraft. He is also directly involved in the selection of new projects that are referred to the Society.
Bob, in conjunction with other Executive Committee Members, involves himself in the promotion of the Society at all levels. He is also the Society’s Chief Pilot and the endorsing pilot for both the Super Constellation and the Neptune aircraft.
He is an Executive Committee Member of the Temora Aviation Museum.
In the Queen’s Birthday 2000 Honours Lists Bob received the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in recognition for his services to Aviation and Australian Aviation Heritage specifically mentioning the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society.
Vice – President: Maureen Massey
Maureen was in senior management at Boeing /Hawker de Havilland for 31 years before retiring in 2008. Her background has always been in aviation and engineering, filling the role of Corporate Communications Manager before transferring to Engineering Design until retiring.
Maureen is widely versed in computer applications including financial, engineering and technical publications. She is the manager of the de Havilland Aviation collection which has been transferred to HARS for long term preservation. This collection includes four historical aircraft, the DH3A de Havilland Drover and DH82A Tiger Moth which are airworthy, and the CA27 Sabre and DH110 Vampire.
Maureen was the HARS treasurer and then Secretary and now Vice President.
Treasurer: David Neaves
David is a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Accountancy from the University of Wollongong. He has been in Public Practice for 30 years, the last 15 as Principal. He is a Fellow of the Australian Society of CPAs (FCPA) and a member of the Sports Aircraft Association of Australia (SAAA) and Australian Warbirds Association, member of the National Tax Agents Association and Australian Taxpayers Association.
David joined the Society in 2004 and owns 4 GA aircraft.
Honorary Secretary: Ian Debenham OAM
Ian is a former Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer and holds an Honours Degree in History and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Museum Studies. He is a retired Curator of Transport (Aviation and Maritime) and current volunteer at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (Powerhouse). As a Curator he was an advisor on aviation heritage matters to both the NSW State and Federal Governments.
Ian is a founding Committee member of the Australian Aviation Museum at Bankstown and of the Lawrence Hargrave Commemorative Committee. He is a former President, current Life Member and Committee member of the Australian Aviation Historical Society of Australia (NSW).
Ian is a current Director of Historical Aircraft Projects Pty. Ltd. (HARS contracted engineering company) and was a member of the Super Constellation recovery team in Tucson and the Dakota recovery team in Edinburgh.
On the 11 th of May 2012 Ian was invested with an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) “for services to the research, documentation and preservation of Australia’s aviation history and heritage”.
Committee Member: Professor Michael Hough AM
Michael is a former Lieutenant Colonel, qualified military parachutist and former commander of the University of NSW Regiment.
He is involved in many regional community activities and was Wollongong Citizen of the Year in 2004. He was installed as a Member of the Order of Australia in 2006. Michael received the Tourism South Coast award in 2011 for coordinating Wings Over the Illawarra.
Michael is also a University Professor specialising in business studies, Chairman of HARS Museum Board, and HARS Project Manager for the RAN Historic Flight and Museum projects.
He is heavily involved in fund raising for HARS from community and Government.
Committee Member: Malcolm Hallowes
Malcolm Hallowes background is QANTAS Engineering, senior management. Among his management appointments at QANTAS Malcolm held the position as Maintenance Planning Controller responsible for planning major maintenance activity for the QANTAS fleet together with the RAAF C-130 and B707 aircraft. He also holds signature approvals for C-130 engines & airframe together with B707 airframe and Skyhawk A4G engine & airframe. In addition, Malcolm has previous experience working on DC3, DC4, L749 Constellation, L1049 Super Constellation, B707 and L188 both engines and airframes.
Malcolm is the CASA Authorised Maintenance Controller for the Society. He directly manages all operations relating to engineering maintenance over the HARS fleet of aircraft.
Committee Member: William Smith
William is a Licenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (LAME) in airframe and engine trades.
He joined HARS in September 1990 his membership number being 14. His first overseas trip was to Tucson, Arizona to work on the Super Constellation. Since that time William has been involved in other recovery projects such as both C-47’s, Winjeel, Wirraway, Tracker, Firefly, Ceres, DC4 aircraft and led most of the engineering teams.
His work load is very significant as he is currently working and supervising the return to flying condition of the Tracker, Neptune 566, Me 108, Ceres and Morava aircraft.
William’s involvement in the HARS Management Team is of the utmost importance.
Committee Member: Gordon Glynn
Gordon has been a HARS member since 1980 and is also a HARS life member.
He is a self employed businessman currently contracting to the aviation industry for warbirds and general aviation sectors. He was formerly an accounting supervisor in the metalwork industry.
Gordon is a private pilot with various ratings on a wide variety of aircraft including the HARS Catalina and Neptune.
He was also a member of the recovery team for Neptune and Catalina overseas.
Gordon is a supporter of the Temora Aviation Museum and a member of the HARS engineering team.
Committee Member: Ross Kelly
Ross joined HARS in November 2000. For the last 31 years he has been an airline pilot with QANTAS and is recently retired as Captain on the Airbus A380.
During his time in HARS he has made use of his Semi Trailer/B Double truck licence and has assisted with the move from our Bankstown and Kent Road facilities to our current headquarters at the Illawarra Regional Airport, Albion Park Rail NSW. In addition, Ross has been involved in other transportation missions to Brisbane, Melbourne and Parkes.
Ross assists the Chief Pilot with Flight Operations and is a Captain on both the Constellation and Neptune aircraft.
He is presently working on the recovery of the C131 (Convair 340) in Tucson, USA.
Committee Member: Tony Abela
Tony has served at Senior Executive levels in mutual banking and not for profit organisations. He has a strong all round background in management, accounting and information technology, property and auditing. Tony has served on various boards and committees in the banking industry and not for profit sector.
He currently serves on two boards and their respective finance, audit and risk sub-committees and chairs two of these sub-committees.
Tony is a Fellow of the Institute of Public Accountants, Fellow of Mutuals Institute and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
He is involved with the HARS Super Constellation ground and maintenance team.
Committee Member: David Swan
David is a Commercial Lawyer who has a keen interest in Aviation History.
He has been self-employed as a Solicitor and Notary Public in private practice in the Illawarra region for 30 years.
David has been reviewing the Governance Standards at HARS to ensure continuing compliance with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission.
He has been involved in many regional community activities including President-Cram Foundation, President-Rotary Club of Illawarra Sunrise and President-Illawarra Legacy Business Committee.
David was admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1986 and to the High Court of Australia in 1989.