Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, D.F.C; M.C. 1897 - 1935

left to right: Kingsford-Smith, Isaacs, Game

1932 Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, An Historical Photo with The Governor General, Sir Isaac Isaacs and Air Vice-Marshall Sir Philip Game, Governor of New South Wales. (2)

Sir Isaac Isaacs, Q.C; G.C.B; G.C.M.G. The first Australian born Governor General, also Member of the 1897-98 Federal Convention. Isaacs spoke in the convention as a Victorian. He had a special interest in the position of the larger states. He was insistent on the primacy of the House of Representatives. He was a strong supporter of the referendum as an instrument of decision for constitutional change, and for the resolution of deadlocks between the two houses, and he did not favour joint sittings.(3)

Sir Philip Game G.B.E; K.C.B; D.S.O. A distinguished soldier and airman. Sir Philip was Governor of New South Wales during the volatile days of the Great Depression. In 1932 Jack Lang as Premier of New South Wales attempted to violate the Audit Act and evade payment of government debts. When he refused to provide an undertaking that his government was not engaging in illegal activities he was finally dismissed by Sir Philip Game, the Governor of New South Wales, who then called fresh elections, which members of the Lang government lost.(4)

Highlights in the flying career of our namesake [1]

 1917
Gained Military Cross for bravery as pilot in Royal Flying Corps.

I919
Refused permission to fly from England to Australia in a Blackburn Kangaroo.

I920
Air Circus performer in United States.

1922
Appointed Chief Pilot of Western Australian Airways.

1927
Kingsford Smith and Ulm broke the round-Australia record by flying 7,500 miles in I0 days 5 hours 15 min, in a Bristol Tourer.

I928
Kingsford Smith and Lieut. G. Pond flew continuously in the `Southern Cross' at San Francisco for 50 hours 4 minutes.

I928
May 3Ist, Kingsford Smith, Ulm, Lyon and Warner flew from San Francisco, via Honolulu and Suva, to Brisbane, Australia, a distance of 7,389 miles over ocean in 83 hours 38 minutes.
This was the first crossing of the Pacific by air.

I928
August 8th, Kingsford Smith, Ulm, Litchfield and McWilIiams flew in the Southern Cross non-stop from Melbourne to Perth, 1,090 miles.
This was the first non-stop flight across Australia.

1928
September. Same crew flew `Southern Cross' from Sydney to Christchurch, New Zealand 1,624 miles. This was the first aerial crossing of the Tasman Sea.
The return flight was made in October,
this was the first flight from New Zealand to Australia.

I929
March 31st. Same crew took off from Sydney to fly to England, but were lost for I2 days at 'Coffee Royal' in north-western Australia. They were found by the aeroplane `Canberra'.

1929
June 25th. Same crew made the first flight from Sydney to London in record time of I2 days I8 hours.

1930
Kingsford Smith, van Dijk, Saul and Stannage in `Southern Cross' made
first successful east-west crossing of North Atlantic from London to New York.
From Ireland to Newfoundland, I,900 miles in 3I hours 30 min.[Index]

I930
Kingsford Smith landed at Oakland Airport, California.
He was the first pilot to circumnavigate the globe.
The Southern Cross took off from Oakland on May 3Ist, 1928, and landed at Oakland, July 4th, I930.

I930
Solo in the `Southern Cross Junior', a small Avro Avian machine, Kingsford Smith broke
the England Australia record
by flying I0,070 miles from London to Darwin in 9 days 22 hours 15 min.

I93l
Kingsford Smith rescued first England-Australia airmail from Koepang in April, and in May took
first Australia-England air-mail to Akyab.

1931
Kingsford Smith, in Avro Avian `Southern Cross Minor' failed in an attempt to break Australia-England solo record through illness; but made the trip in I3 days.

I931
Kingsford Smith flew `Southern Star' Sydney to London and returned with first Christmas air-mails.

I933
October 4th. Kingsford Smith broke solo England Australia record by flying a Percival Gull monoplane, `Miss Southern Cross', I0,070 miles from London to Darwin in 7 days 4 hours 44 minutes.

1933
Kingsford Smith, Taylor and Stannage flew to New Zealand in `Southern Cross' in I4, hours. Return flight was made in I3 hours 42 minutes.

I934
Same crew repeated flight to New Zealand and back.

I934.
September I0th. Kingsford Smith set a trans-Australia record from Sydney to Perth
in Lockheed Altair `Lady Southern Cross' by flying a 2,I00 miles in 10 hours.

1934
October 20th. Kingsford Smith and Taylor made first flight from Sydney to San Francisco in `Lady Southern Cross', flying 7,389 miles across the Pacific Ocean.

1935
May I5th. While attempting to fly to New Zealand in `Southern Cross', propeller damaged half-way across Tasman Sea. Machine and crew saved by Taylor's transfer of oil in flight.
Crew: Kingsford Smith, Taylor and Stannage.

1935
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and John Thompson Pethybridge lost their lives while attempting an England-Australia flight record in the `Lady Southern Cross'. After leaving Allahabad on November 7th the machine disappeared.(1) [Index]

For further information see:
(1) Smithy by John Stannard,P118. Published by Geoffrey Cumberlege OUP 1950
(2) Photograph in the Queensland Museum
(3) Sir Zelman Cowen Daniel Mannix Lecture 1978
(4) Greenwood, Nigel. For the Sovereignty of the People IBIS EDITIONS AUSTRALIEN 1999

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