The Empire 'boats' were designed in 1934 to implement the Empire Air Mail Service, carrying unsurcharged letter mail throughout the British Empire and Dominions between the terminals at Southampton, Durban and Sydney - later continuing to Auckland, New Zealand. Some of the payload was available for small numbers of passengers and freight. The 'boats were operated by Imperial Airways Limited (IAL), QANTAS Empire Airways (QEA) and Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL).

The IAL and QEA Empire flying-boats ran the Empire Air Mail Service for two years and ten months, ending with the outbreak of World War II in 1939. With Pan American Airways, the IAL 'boats pioneered the Atlantic crossing and one was employed on the Bermuda-New York service. Two 'boats were armed and impressed into the Royal Air Force to become casualties of the Norwegian campaign. IAL changed to British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC).

Short C Class "Coolangatta" was impressed into the RAAF as A18-13.

This model was created by Mr. Findlay McKenzie of Dundee, Scotland, official model maker to the Imperial War Museum, Duxford with financial assistance from Mr. Michael Tatum, Managing Director, Atlas Copco UK and Mr. George Paul, Imperial War Museum, Duxford UK, specifically for Australian Aviation Museum Curator Trevor Dean.

Model on Loan to the Museum from Mr. Trevor Dean.

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