CAC – Aviation Historical Society of Australia

DerekB03/06/202306/06/2023

Aviation Heritage Vol. 54 No. 2 (June 2023) Contents Listing

The latest quarterly AHSA journal - Aviation Heritage - has recently been posted to members. The contents of all articles are listed below: Aviation...

DerekB22/03/202321/05/2024

AHSA Melbourne Meeting March 2023 (Annie Floodin: Boeing History)

Our March 2023 Melbourne meeting featured a presentation by Annie Floodin, a historian from Boeing Historical Services who is currently visiting Australia connecting with...

DerekB30/11/202223/11/2024

Australian aviation history digital archive

In its mission to preserve and promote Australia's aviation heritage, the AHSA hosts the following digital archives. Click on the image to go to...

DerekB27/04/202204/06/2023

The Aircraft Projects of Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation

This new book by author and AHSA member Joe Vella has just been published (April 2022). Joe began writing this book in 1983 when...

DerekB29/09/202027/12/2022

Australian-built Aircraft and the Industry (Vol 2) by Keith Meggs

The latest book released by author Keith Meggs Volume 2 of this encyclopaedic work (containing only one chapter, being chapter 15, spread across two...

Cover - CAC Ceres by Derek Buckmaster

DerekB08/06/202027/12/2022

CAC Ceres – Australia’s Heavyweight Cropduster by Derek Buckmaster

The Ceres agricultural aircraft was produced by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) in Australia from 1959 to 1963. A total of only 20 airframes were...

1914 French pilot, Maurice Guillaux completed the first official airmail flight in Australia on 18 July 1914, landing in Sydney after a series of legs starting in Melbourne on 16 July. Guillaux was flying a Blériot XI monoplane, which is now preserved at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney (known as the Powerhouse Museum). Guillaux attempted to fly from Harden to Sydney on Friday 17 July but bad weather forced him to return after reaching Binalong. He continued the flight from Harden on 18 July, stopping at Goulburn, Liverpool and Paramatta before arriving at Moore Park at 2:15pm. Guillaux’ journey from Melbourne to Sydney set many records: not only was it the first Australian airmail flight, it also saw the carriage of the first air freight in the country; having covered over 930km, the flight was also the world’s longest airmail delivery at the time. Source: Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences

1935 Sir Charles Kingsford Smith flew the Southern Cross for the last time on Thursday 18 July 1935. It must have been a particularly melancholy day for Smithy as he said farewell to his wife, his infant son and his beloved aeroplane all on the same day, not knowing that he would never see any of them again. Not only was Smithy the greatest ‘stick and rudder’ pilot of his time but he was also a great preservationist, having made prior arrangements for the Southern Cross to have an honourable retirement in a museum. With Smithy about to depart for the United States by sea to collect his Lockheed Altair Lady Southern Cross for an attempt on the England to Australia record, he left it until the very last moment to surrender his beloved Old Bus to her new owners. Smithy took off from Mascot on 18 July to deliver the aircraft to the nearby RAAF base at Richmond where the aircraft was to be cared for until a museum was ready to accept it. On arrival at Richmond, with due ceremony and the RAAF Band in attendance, Smithy handed over the Southern Cross to Archdale Parkhill, Minister of Defence. As described so eloquently by aviation historian Ted Wixted: "From that moment it became the property, and the obligation, of the Australian nation." Soon after, Smithy departed Richmond by car to prepare to sail for New Zealand and Hawaii later that afternoon. As Smithy’s ship was sailing, an article "specially written for The Sun by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith" appeared in Sydney's afternoon newspaper under the headline Smithy Bids Adieu. Smithy concluded the article with a wish that; “I want to put my own plaque of memory, of polished wood or brass, in the Southern Cross. I don't know how exactly what the wording will be, but it may be something like this: To my Faithful 'Old 'Bus,' in truly grateful memory and regard, from Her Boss". Sadly, Smithy departed Australia later that same day, never to return and with his last wish unfulfilled. On Thursday 18 July 2024 things were put right with the unveiling of a plaque in the Kingsford Smith Memorial at Brisbane Airport. The plaque was sponsored by Ron Cuskelly and Mick Raftery of Brisbane and Tim Kalina of Chicago, USA. In observing Smithy’s wish for “polished wood or brass”, it was decided that Smithy deserves nothing less than polished wood and brass! Source: Ron Cuskelly