VH-URW  de Havilland D.H.84 Dragon II   (c/n  6080)
                            VH-URY   de Havilland D.H.84 Dragon II   (c/n  6082)

                           

                               Sister aircraft to VH-URX (the nose of which is also visible in this shot).    This lovely photograph
                               is courtesy of the Geoff Goodall collection and shows all three of MacRobertson Miller's Dragons
                               resplendent in their dark royal blue and silver trim.  The two gentlemen in attendance are the pilots
                               who normally flew these machines - Messrs G. McCausland and Bert Hussey.

                               Complete histories from Fred Niven:
                               VH-URW:  One of three D.H.84s ordered by M.M.A. for their new North-West W.A. service (with VH-URX & URY).  U.K. CoA 4363
                                          was issued 4/7/34.  Test-flown at Maylands 29/8/34.  Registered VH-URW to MacRobertson Miller Aviation Co. 31/8/34 (CoR 487)
                                          - 8 passengers.   Named 'Pilbara'.    Its color-scheme was dark, royal-blue, with silver wings, tail & stripes etc.  On 9/12/34, it
                                          inaugurated M.M.A.'s Perth-Daly Waters service, to connect with the Australia-England air route (pilot George McCausland).
                                          On 8/3/35, it overturned on landing in waterlogged ground near Wyndham, WA, turned over on its back & was damaged, with injury
                                          to the pilot, Arthur Affleck, or his single passenger.  Affleck then rode on horseback some 80km to Ivanhoe Station, with the mail,
                                          to pick-up a relief aircraft.  Jimmy Woods rode horseback from Ivanhoe Station, repaired the aircraft, using Bushell’s tea chests as
                                          replacement plywood & later flew the aircraft back to Maylands, for full repairs.  Its CofR lapsed 30/8/36 & it was Struck-Off-Register,
                                          but was renewed 21/9/36.  In 3/39, it was sold to W.R. Carpenter & Co., Sydney, for use by Mandated Airlines.  Registered to
                                          W.R. Carpenter & Co. Ltd. 22/3/39.  It crashed into Little Wau Creek 30/1/40, during a misjudged approach & attempted go-round,
                                          while landing at Wau, NG, on a Salamaua-Wau flight (pilot Ron E. Doyle).  The pilot & 2 passengers were killed.  The wreckage was
                                          sold to Kevin Parer 30/3/40, for use as spares for D.H.84 VH-AEA, of Parer's Air Transport Co.  Parts were flown to Salamaua,
                                          then by boat to Wewak.  Kevin Parer later began to rebuild the aircraft & offered it to the Australian Government early in 1942 for £675.
                                          However, before the Government could consider the offer, its remains were destroyed (& Kevin Parer was killed) by enemy action 1/42.
                                          Struck-Off-Register 11/3/42.
                                      
               
                               VH-URY - One of three D.H.84s order by M.M.A. for their new North-West W.A. service (with VH-URW & URX). 
                               Registered VH-URY to MacRobertson Miller Aviation Co. 11/9/34 (CoR 489) - 8 passengers.   Named 'The Murchison'.  
                               Its color-scheme was dark, royal-blue, with silver wings, tail & stripes etc.  It crashed, after an engine failed on take-off at
                               Halls Creek 7/11/34; causing extensive damage to a wing, its nose, undercarriage, engine-mounts & propellers.
                               There were no major injuries to the pilot, George McCausland, or any of his 4 passengers, including the local Department Inspector.
                               Horrie Miller repaired the aircraft on-site; suffering considerable hardship for some 2 months, in often 40°c-plus heat, to do so.
                               Miller then flew it back to Maylands, for further repairs.  It hit a boundary fence, whilst taxying downwind, at Port Hedland 5/4/35,
                               damaging the lower starboard extension wing.  Parts of VH-URW were used to allow it to fly again quickly.  On 21/11/36, it was
                               forced-landed in rocky ground, at an unknown location, due to fuel starvation, after a vapor-lock (pilot Cecil Ralph Clarke).
                               This resulted in damage to the port wing & engine bearers.  It was bought by Airlines (W.A.) 13/8/38.
                               Registered to Airlines (W.A.) Ltd. 27/8/38.    It was used on Airlines (W.A.)’s eastern Goldfields services.  IMP by RAAF 15/7/40.
                               Struck-Off-Register 22/7/40.  It was ferried by Charles Snook to the Guinea Airways workshops at Parafield, SA.
                               It was converted by Guinea Airways & delivered to 1.EFTS, Parafield, SA 18/7/40, becoming A34-6 for an Air Observers’ School.
                               Struck-Off-Register 22/7/40.  On 20/8/41, it collided with a truck at Mt. Gambier & suffered damage to both wings & engines;
                               after flying for only some 155 hours with the RAAF.  It lay at Mt. Gambier for 19 months & repairs were protracted.
                               It was sold to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd. 5/43 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, based at Cloncurry.
                               Registered VH-URY to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd. 22/6/43 & named ‘John Flynn’.  To T.A.A. 24/7/49, still named 'John Flynn'.
                               It crashed at Cheviot Hills, Qld, 20/10/53, was damaged-beyond-repair & was Struck-Off-Register 22/10/53.