The HARS Southern Cross Replica will feature in the Lawrence Hargrave tribute flight over Stanwell Park Beach. Photo: Howard Mitchell.
On 12 November 1894, Lawrence Hargrave sat on a seat attached to a string of four tandem box kites of his own design and flew almost five metres off the ground at Stanwell Park Beach.
It was one of the most significant breakthroughs in the development of the flying machine or today’s aeroplanes, according to Lawrence Hargrave Society president Rob Deacon.
“It was the first time in human history that a heavier-than-air stable lift-off and landing had been achieved,” he said.
“Hargrave is a great Australian, who we can all be proud of, and he achieved so much of his success while a resident in Stanwell Park.
“The box-kite experiment of 12 November 1894 is an event of local, national and international significance.”
This Tuesday (12 November), the 130th anniversary of Hargrave’s pioneering experiment will be commemorated with a flyover of three aircraft from the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS).
A full-size replica of Kingsford Smith’s Southern Cross, a World War II era DC-3 and a Vietnam War veteran Caribou transport will fly to Stanwell Park Beach from HARS Aviation Museum, where the Lawrence Hargrave Society exhibition is housed.
At 11 am, they will stage the Lawrence Hargrave Eric Waite Memorial Flyover.
Lawrence Hargrave working on a box kite in about 1894. From the collections of Wollongong City Libraries and the Illawarra Historical Society – P01/P01817.
The Southern Cross Replica, returned to flying late last year, is based on the wood and fabric Fokker Trimotor which Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm used to fly the daring first ever crossing of the Pacific Ocean from America to Australia in 1928.
A former C-47/ Dakota USAAF and RAAF transport built in 1942 then converted to a DC-3 and named “Hawdon”, made the first passenger flight for Trans Australia Airlines in 1946, the journey from Melbourne to Sydney taking almost three hours.
HARS operates two De Havilland Caribou transports which served with the RAAF in Vietnam where the American forces dubbed them as “Wallaby Airlines”.
Hargrave moved to Stanwell Park in 1893 where he lived at Hillcrest House – the same year he began the investigations which led him to invent the box kite.
The 130th anniversary celebrations will continue on Sunday 17 November when Hillcrest House will be open to the public for a community celebration from 11 am to 3 pm.
It will include a tour of Hillcrest to learn more about Hargrave, his life and achievements and visitors can enjoy a picnic lunch on the lawns while being entertained by local musicians.
Visit the Lawrence Hargrave Society to learn more about the man dubbed the founding father of modern flight in Australia.
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