State Library of South Australia

Ross and Keith Smith after arriving in Darwin. [PRG 1701/1/6] • Photograph

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Summary

Ross and Keith Smith with mechanics James Bennett and Walter Shiers and a large crowd of welcoming spectators gathered to view their arrival, standing in front of the Vickers Vimy aircraft after landing in Darwin. Caption: 'The Vickers Vimy just after landing at Darwin on December 10, 1919'.

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Physical description

Photograph (black and white, print), 25 x 35.3 cm, on mount 38 x 41.8 cm.

Dates / Publication details

10 December 1919

Creator

Furlong, John S. B

Subject

Smith, Ross Macpherson, Sir, 1892-1922
Smith, Keith Macpherson, Sir, 1890-1955
Bennett, James Mallett, 1894-1922
Shiers, Walter Henry, 1889-1968
Vickers Limited.
England-Australia air race, 1919.
Vickers aircraft.
Vimy (Bomber).
Airplanes -- South Australia.
Air pilots -- South Australia.
Crowds -- South Australia.

Catalogue record

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Historical information

In 1919 Australian Prime Minister William Hughes offered a £10,000 prize on behalf of the Australian government for the first Australians to fliy an aircraft from England to Australia, in under 30 consecutive days. Of the six teams that entered the race, the winning crew and first to fly an aircraft from Enlgand to Australia, flew in the Vickers Vimy G-EAOU bomber, departing London on 12 November 1919, and arriving in Darwin 27 days and 20 hours later, on 10 December 1919. They flew via Lyon, Rome, Cairo, Delhi, Calcutta, Singapore, and Surabaya in Indonesia (where the aircraft became bogged and bamboo mats were placed on the airstrip), finally arriving in Darwin. The crew consisted of South Australian pilots and brothers Captain Ross MacPherson Smith and Lieutenant Keith Macpherson Smith, with mechanics Sergeants Walter Henry Shiers and James Mallett Bennett. The four men shared the prize money, Keith and Ross Smith were knighted, and Shiers and Bennett were awarded bars to their Air Force Medals and honorary commissions. After the flight, the crew flew to Sydney and eventually returned to Adelaide in 1920, making many stops along the way for spectators to welcome home the victors.

Digitisation information

Date

15/11/2016

Format

image/tiff

Resolution

5,709 x 4,095 pixels (23.4 MP)

Size

70.16 MB

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