Original & very rare Oct 1930 historical press photo of Charles Kingsford Smith & Mary Powell at Mascot 21 Oct 1930 when he landed there from his London to Sydney flight. [Date stamped on reverse 25 Oct 1930, also has reporting caption to the effect Charles has only eyes for Mary [his then fiance, then later that year his second wife] etc...in pencil.
[Sir] Charles Edward Kingsford Smith, MC, AFC [1897–1935]
19 x 12 cm
33.5 x 28.5 cm
Item has some age being 80 years-old [see photos for condition], we consider this 'good' & has been newly matted & mounted [floating] with acid-free materials & is in a glassed fine late 19th Century gesso gilt frame.
This item will not unfortunately be removed for shipping purposes.
Requesting a price reduction for the purpose of the above cannot be entertained.
The item is sold on an 'as is' basis.
Charles Kingsford Smith [AU Pioneering Aviator & National Hero] [1897-1935] was born on 9 February 1897 at Riverview Terrace, Hamilton in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, the son of William Charles Smith and his wife Catherine Mary (née Kingsford. His birth was officially registered and announced in the newspapers under the surname Smith, which his family used at that time. The earliest use of the surname Kingsford Smith appears to be by his older brother Richard Harold Kingsford Smith, who used the name at least informally from 1901, although he married in New South Wales under the surname Smith in 1903.
In 1903, his parents moved to Canada where they adopted the surname Kingsford Smith. They returned to Sydney in 1907.
Kingsford Smith attended school in Vancouver, Canada and then at St Andrew's Cathedral School and Sydney Technical High School in Sydney before becoming an engineering apprentice with the Colonial Sugar Refining Company at 16.
Kingsford Smith was in the army cadets until 1915; when he turned 18, he enlisted in the AIF. He became a signaller and despatch-rider and saw war service on Gallipoli and in Egypt and France before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC).
The young pilot joined No. 23 Squadron RFC on the Western Front in July 1917. In August he was wounded & shot down, resulting in the loss of some of his toes. He was awarded the Military Cross.
On 31 May 1928 he took off from California with Charles Ulm & two American crewmen in a three-engined Fokker, the Southern Cross. They flew via Hawaii and Suva to Brisbane, fighting storms and near exhaustion, completing the journey in under 84 flying hours.
In Sept-Oct 1928 with Ulm & one Australian & one New Zealander crew he piloted the plane from Sydney to Christchurch, New Zealand, demonstrating the feasibility of regular passenger & mail services across the Tasman Sea. The New Zealand Government then sponsored Charles to do a barn-storming tour around New Zealand in a borrowed NZ Air Force plane –whilst his own was being serviced. It was in Auckland that he met the Director of Lamtiques’ Great-Aunt in a stop in Auckland whilst she was on her father’s shoulders watching in the crowd that had gathered – seeing my Aunt, Charles offered her a joy-ride in the plane he was piloting; giving all comers a taste of flight – but her father Alfred, since she was only ten-years old at the time, would not let her.
20 Oct 1930 he completed his London to Australia flight hitting Darwin and arriving in Mascot Sydney 21 October, breaking a then record taking only 9 days & 23 1/2 hours, to meet the welcoming crowds and also his then fiance Mary Powell- later to be his second-wife. This photo is a record of this reception.
For his achievements, Kingsford Smith was given honorary rank in the RAAF and awarded the Air Force Cross. He continued on more record-breaking flights to show the feasibility of air passenger and mail services. In 1932 he was knighted for his contribution to aviation.
In early November 1935, Kingsford Smith disappeared 8 Nov off Burma while attempting yet another record-breaking flight.