Ended up departing at 9:14am this morning, sadly missed it.

Got some photographs the day before luckily!
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1777/...62498b1a_b.jpg

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1832/...115f89eb_b.jpg

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1778/...358b670f_b.jpg

Ive never seen this happen before, yesterday I got QF583 over to Perth to get a ride on a 747, just prior to departure they changed runway config to SODROPS, thought for sure we would taxi up and use 34L due to the operational requirements specified in the ATIS, however when I expected to turn right to cross over 34L we turned left and blasted off from runway 16L....I have never seen anything bigger than a A330 depart off 16L/34R, anyone else find it unusual or is it just me?

16l is not that much different to 07/25 when it comes to TODA/TORA (ie 100 ft shorter), while it’s not QF policy to use the runway for heavier ops it does happen occasionally.

I've seen Polar & Singapore 747 freighters depart 16L heading to MEL. Air Pacific 744s quiet often departed 16L to Fiji. Even United 744's back when they had the SYD-MEL tag.

I have a suspicion that the first 747 to depart from 16L was a Qantas special operation to the Avalon Airshow at the turn of the century. It was full of fare-paying show-goers on a day trip.