On 16 May 1940 a military Avro Anson aircraft with the call sign BNA, crashed into the north east face of Mount Torbreck, 300 m below the summit. Mount Torbreck is located in central Victoria, not far from the townships of Eildon and Snobs Creek. All four men on board were killed.
The aircraft was one of three Avro Anson training aircraft that had flown from Pierce Air Force Base in Western Australia, and were on route to the Central Flying School at Camden in NSW. They had all successfully refuelled at Point Cook in Victoria, and had then taken back to the skies at 11.45 am.
Poor weather conditions caused their plans to be altered. After flying over Yea and making a transmission, two of the planes decided to return to Point Cook in Victoria, with the third successfully plotting a path to Cootamundra in NSW. One of the planes bound for Point Cook disappeared!
On 23 January 1941 eight months after the aircraft disappeared, two local men (Messrs Stan Sawers and John Fry) discovered the lost military plane approximately 300 m below the summit of Mount Torbreck on the north east face. At 3.15 am the next day (Friday 24 January) a recovery party left for the crash site in order to bring the bodies of the four men back to Alexandra.
Access to the Memorial site and Cairn is via a 2.4 km uphill walk along the Avro Anson Memorial Track. The walking track is in medium grade, however can be very slippery in the wetter months.
Camping is permitted at Barnewall Plains located a further 4 km drive from the Avro Anson Memorial Carpark on Barnewall Plains Road.
Always be aware of snakes and spiders in the bush and take care when on or near roads. Children should always be supervised when in the bush. Always let someone know of your travel plans, and take food and water with you when walking long distances.