State Library of South Australia

Presentation of the cheque to the England to Australia flight crew. [PRG 1701/1/8] • Photograph

Info

Share
- facebook
- twitter
- pinterest
- google+
- email
Buy
Download
Permanent link
Print

Prev List Next

Summary

Caption: 'The presentation of the cheque by Prime Minister W.M. Hughes'. Copy of a photograph showing the presentation of the cheque to the winning crew of the first flight from England to Australia. Captain Sir Ross MacPherson Smith, Lieutenant Sir Keith MacPherson Smith, Lieutenant James Mallett Bennett, and Lieutenant Walter Henry Shiers, by Prime Minister William Hughes, along with other parliamentarians, on the steps of Parliament House, Melbourne, on 27 February 1920. See also B 17705.

Restrictions

This image has no known copyright restrictions.

Please refer to the State Library's Conditions of use.

Learn more about copyright and our collection.

Physical description

Photograph (black and white, print), 27.1 x 34.7 cm, on mount 40.1 x 41.6 cm.

Dates / Publication details

27 February 1920

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

Return to catalogue

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

5,609 x 4,440 pixels (24.9 MP)

Size

74.74 MB

Ask Us

If you would like further information about this image, please Ask Us