Sir Charles Kingsford Smith (CF)
Published on Nov 23, 2015
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
This is Charles with his sister Elsie, when he was 3 years old.
He had 4 brothers & 2 sisters.
When he was 18 he became a soldier in World War 1, and learnt to fly planes in England. He was wounded during the war, and lost 3 toes on his left foot. He was given the Military Cross medal for his bravery by King George of England.
After the war, Charles wanted to keep flying planes. He loved to fly. He was dreaming of doing things that had never been done before...
This is Charles Kingsford Smith with his Mum and Dad.
Charles Kingsford Smith was the first person to ever fly across Australia without stopping, from Point Cook in Victoria to Perth.
Charles Kingsford Smith was the first pilot to fly across the Pacific Ocean from California to Brisbane. He stopped at Hawaii and Fiji to refuel. The flight took 83hours & 38 minutes. (that is like doing 14 days of school in a row without stopping!) He was welcomed home as a hero. He was also the first to fly back the other way from Australia to America.
Photo by Sam Ilić
The "Southern Cross" was the name of the plane that Kingsford Smith flew across the Pacific Ocean. This is the moment the plane landed in Brisbane. When he landed, the first thing his Mum said to him was "Charlie, you dirty monkey, go and have a bath!"
Inside the cockpit of the "Southern Cross"
Charles Kingsford Smith was also the first to fly from Australia to New Zealand, and back again. He broke many speed records as the fastest to fly from Australia to England, and fastest to fly all the way around Australia. He was the first to fly around the whole world which took him 12 days and 18 hours.
Photo by Sprengben [why not get a friend]
Charles Kingsford Smith was knighted for services to aviation on June 3rd 1932 giving him the title of 'Sir'. He also received the Air Force Cross medal, and was made an Air Commodore of the Royal Australian Air Force.
Charles Kingsford Smith showed that it was possible to link Australia with other countries through air travel, (aviation) and that was important because it would help Australia grow as a nation. Nowadays, millions of people fly over the Pacific Ocean each year. But now it only takes 14 hours instead of nearly 84 hours!!
On the 8th November, 1935, Sir Charles was flying from England to Australia in a plane named the "Lady Southern Cross". The plane disappeared over the Andaman Sea. The plane and the pilots were never found. Sir Charles Kingsford Smith was just 38 years old.
Photo by vgm8383
This is the only part of the plane, the "Lady Southern Cross" that was ever found.
Sir Charles was on the old Australian $20 note, & has an international airport named after him, as well as many other memorials to honour his achievements.
The "Southern Cross" is part of a memorial in Brisbane.
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith was brave and determined, and was able to show that ordinary people can do extraordinary things.
DID YOU KNOW...?
*Sir Charles Kingsford Smith was one of the first ANZAC's, and he fought at Gallipoli
*He had a fear of water after he nearly drowned when he was 10years old.
*Before I moved to Nelson Bay, I went to school in Canberra. My old school was called 'Kingsford Smith School' named after Sir Charles.
Photo by Nick Kenrick .
