The Simmonds Spartan biplane, believed to be the sole survivor of its kind in the 
world, was built in England in 1929, and registered No 93 in New Zealand on May 27 1930 as ZK ABZ.

During the next decade, it was flown by some distinguished aviation pioneers, among them Captains M. C. McGregor,
 T. W. ("Tiny") White, J. Findlay, W. Parke, Maurice and George Buckley,
 who fought in the First World War as members of the Royal Flying Corps, and others,
 including E F. Harvie, on passenger, airmail, and parachuting flights through New Zealand.

From the end of 1933 until mid 1936 ZK ABZ was used extensively for general commercial flying and the training of
 pilots at the New Zealand Airways Ltd flying school at Saltwater Creek in Timaru. 
In 1937, it was sold by the company to Mr. H. Dobson of Ashburton. 

In 1940, ZK ABZ was purchased by Mr. S. J. Lister of Temuka who had flown on his first solo flight in 1934 
and for his A licence test at Wigram in April 1935.

During the second world war the aircraft was flown on Home Guard exercises, using an allocation of motor spirits
 authorised by the Fuel Controller especially for that purpose.

The Spartan made its last flight in 1947 so that a flying sequence could be recorded on movie film. 

Mr. Lister whose association with the aircraft spanned on half a century, resolved to keep the airframe
as a memorial to the pioneers of New Zealand aviation, and stored in a hangar on his farm.

The aircraft was refurbished, as it stands today – in 1967 by RNZAF tradesmen, for the 50th anniversary of 
flying at Wigram in November that year, and again by the Canterbury Aero Club for the 
Kingsford Smith golden jubilee re-enactment at Wigram in 1978.

The Simmonds Spartan was made available by Mr. Lister in 1982 to be used as an exhibit 
by the Geraldine Vintage Car and Machinery Club.