Sir Charles Kingsford Smith's ride!
Yesterday I had Sir Charles on the door to the men's toilets at Archerfield Airport in Brisbane. I guess rather undignified having him collect 20 cents to use the facilities, poor man after being such a pioneering aviator in his day. Luckily for us, one of his most famous planes, the Southern Cross was never scrapped and is now the central piece of the Sir Charles Kingsford Smith Memorial at Brisbane Airport. Here's a note from what they have to say (more below).
"Calling all aviation enthusiasts and Brisbane historians, allow extra time on your next trip to Brisbane Airport to visit the the Kingsford Smith Memorial.
This memorial is dedicated to the early Australian aviator Sir Charles, best known for making the first trans-Pacific flight from the United States to Australia, the first non-stop crossing of the Australian mainland and the first flight between Australia and New Zealand.
The preserved “Southern Cross” aeroplane, which Kingsford Smith used for the trans-tasman flight is on display at this memorial, and Brisbane Airport is the custodian of this important relic for the Commonwealth of Australia.
The best way to tour the centre is through a self-guided tour of the information boards, or via the voiceover system that tells the story of the Southern Cross."
Sadly, the Memorial is a bit tucked away on the way into the airport, and hard to find and get into. Also, the front windows lean in to the top and it looks like BNE (Brisbane Airport...Corporation) doesn't know about window cleaners. Between reflections and dust, even with a PL filter it was hard to get a decent nose on shot.
In my last year of work before retirement we moved to new large premises at Eagle Farm* on the old airport property. We had a competition to name the conference and break out rooms (note the modern nomenclature!) which I won, naming them after pioneering men and women of aviation in Australia. A small legacy to Smithy and his friends. I hope ten years on they still have those names. We also have an original oil painting of a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo which is entitled "Smithy" (the artist's title). I like to think they both have a little spirit of each other in their wings.
Here is the full story of Southern Cross and much about Smithy! The Aviator that is.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Cross_(aircraft)
* For much of its life, Brisbane Airport was known simply as Eagle Farm Airport after the suburb in which it was located. Now it's big enough to be a suburb in itself and moved a little east end on end.
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith's ride!
Yesterday I had Sir Charles on the door to the men's toilets at Archerfield Airport in Brisbane. I guess rather undignified having him collect 20 cents to use the facilities, poor man after being such a pioneering aviator in his day. Luckily for us, one of his most famous planes, the Southern Cross was never scrapped and is now the central piece of the Sir Charles Kingsford Smith Memorial at Brisbane Airport. Here's a note from what they have to say (more below).
"Calling all aviation enthusiasts and Brisbane historians, allow extra time on your next trip to Brisbane Airport to visit the the Kingsford Smith Memorial.
This memorial is dedicated to the early Australian aviator Sir Charles, best known for making the first trans-Pacific flight from the United States to Australia, the first non-stop crossing of the Australian mainland and the first flight between Australia and New Zealand.
The preserved “Southern Cross” aeroplane, which Kingsford Smith used for the trans-tasman flight is on display at this memorial, and Brisbane Airport is the custodian of this important relic for the Commonwealth of Australia.
The best way to tour the centre is through a self-guided tour of the information boards, or via the voiceover system that tells the story of the Southern Cross."
Sadly, the Memorial is a bit tucked away on the way into the airport, and hard to find and get into. Also, the front windows lean in to the top and it looks like BNE (Brisbane Airport...Corporation) doesn't know about window cleaners. Between reflections and dust, even with a PL filter it was hard to get a decent nose on shot.
In my last year of work before retirement we moved to new large premises at Eagle Farm* on the old airport property. We had a competition to name the conference and break out rooms (note the modern nomenclature!) which I won, naming them after pioneering men and women of aviation in Australia. A small legacy to Smithy and his friends. I hope ten years on they still have those names. We also have an original oil painting of a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo which is entitled "Smithy" (the artist's title). I like to think they both have a little spirit of each other in their wings.
Here is the full story of Southern Cross and much about Smithy! The Aviator that is.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Cross_(aircraft)
* For much of its life, Brisbane Airport was known simply as Eagle Farm Airport after the suburb in which it was located. Now it's big enough to be a suburb in itself and moved a little east end on end.