Major Events.
NAHC AGM Thursday
October 11. In the Soldier’s Lounge at 7.30. Adrian Leahy guest speaker.
NAHC 10th
Birthday.
At the last Board meeting it was generally
agreed that the NAHC would celebrate its 10th birthday with an open
day and BBQ on the 3rd of November. Board members will be on hand to
talk to visitors about the direction the NAHC is taking in its aim to create a
lasting memorial to the large number of men and women who trained at Nhill
during WWII.
The emphasis during the last ten years has been heavily directed
to the RAAF training base but it is likely that in the next twelve months our
interest may well be more aimed at the importance of Nhill as an early pioneer
aerodrome, or series of aerodromes. Nhill had a very important part to play in
the very early days of aviation in Australia and across the world. It is hoped
that this change in emphasis will culminate in the Nhill Centenary Air Show in 2019.
Nhill Centenary Air
Show. 26th October 2019.
Nhill has had a unique place in Australian aviation. Nhill’s first
aviator flew as an observer in WWI. The first plane to land at Nhill did so in
Nov. 1919. Nhill had the first official country aerodrome in Victoria in 1922.
Nhill took part in the World’s second longest air race (at the time) in 1922
and provided a two-way radio contact with aircraft and land bases. Nhill was
one of only fifteen aerodromes across Australia to have the latest radio
guidance system installed in 1937. Many of the pioneer aviators from across
Australia and around the world were hosted in Nhill during the early years of
aviation. The Centenary Air Show will endeavour to present a broad picture of
Nhill’s part in the pioneering of aviation as well as an air show to thrill
everyone. Please save both dates and come and join us.
The Sydney to Perth Air Race of 1929
Western Australia held a huge celebration in 1929 to mark the Centenary
of the City of Perth and the establishment of the Swan River Colony in 1829.
Part of the celebrations included an Air Race from Sydney to Perth, starting on
the 28th of September and expected to finish by October 3rd. This was to be the
second longest race ever held in the world at that time.
The various stages were broken up into day’s
travel:
First day morning, Sydney to Junee. 240 miles. Afternoon
Junee to Melbourne. 260 miles.
Second day morning, Melbourne to Nhill. 225 miles.
Afternoon Nhill to Adelaide. 200 miles
Third day morning, Adelaide to Kimba. 180 miles.
Afternoon Kimba to Ceduna. 170 miles.
Fourth day morning, Ceduna to Cook. 230 miles.
Afternoon Cook to Forrest. 140 miles.
Fifth day morning, Forrest to Rawlinna. 170 miles.
Afternoon Rawlinna to Kalgoorlie. 225 miles.
Sixth day morning, Kalgoorlie to Tammin. 250 miles.
Afternoon Tammin to Perth. 110 miles.
HC Horrie Miller’s DH9 G-AUHT
being re-fuelled at Nhill.
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Prizes
were awarded for the following sections: First Handicap £1000 to Horrie Miller
in a DH9.
Second £300 to Major Hereward de Haviland flying a
Gipsy Moth and who was the only competitor to fly the course solo.
Third £100 to AT Cunningham.
Sectional prize for each day’s travel £50.
Speed prize for the fastest time over the complete
course £300 to Major Hereward de Haviland averaging 105 miles per hour in his
Gipsy Moth named the Black Hawk.
Entry Fee was £5/5/0 irrespective of type of
machine.
Sydney to Perth via Nhill
Fred McKenzie was a talented Nhill journalist
who had a love affair with flying. His pressure on Government concerning
aviation and its relationship with Nhill was relentless and was ably supported
by Ivan Young a returned serviceman from World War One who trained in the Royal
Flying Corps and flew in the Australian Flying Corps as an observer over the
battle lines in the Western Deserts of Syria. It was during Ivan Young’s time
in the AFC that he befriended many of the Aviation Pioneers that flew through
Nhill generally stopping over-night at Ivan Young’s home in Nelson Street. Both
McKenzie and Young were heavily involved in the East-West Air Race. The
following is from the Nhill Free Press of September 1929.
Inspecting Aviation Ground. (Thursday September 5,
1929).
Messrs. McKay (president) and Hewitt, of the Melbourne Aero Club,
arrived over Nhill at 1 p.m. to-day, and landed on the aviation ground, where
they made an inspection for the purpose of obtaining information in connection
with the great Trans-Australian air race from Sydney, via Nhill, to Perth. Mr.
Hewitt "stunted" over the town before landing. The aviators departed
for Adelaide at 2.15 p.m.
Sydney to Perth via Nhill. (Monday September 9,
1929).
One of the most interesting aerial events in the history of Nhill will
take place on the 29th September when the 27 planes, entered in the East-West
air race, will arrive here on the third stage of their long journey. This air
race of 2435 miles is easily the most important aerial event that has ever been
attempted in Australia. Over £2000 will be distributed in prize money, which to
the winner, will be some compensation for the exacting test that will be made
on the pilots and the machines.
The aviation officers of the Vacuum Oil Company are well acquainted with
the route, particularly the most difficult section that lies between Adelaide
and Perth, where this Company recently played an important part in the ground
organisation for the West Australian Airways. The knowledge so gained is now
proving extremely valuable and is being availed of by many of the pilots in the
race. Extensive preparatory work is now being carried out by the Vacuum Oil
Company, and arrangements have been completed for ample supplies of Plume motor
spirit and Mobiloil to be available at all points along the route.
In this race, which, by the way, will be a handicap one, the skill of
the competing pilots will easily decide the issue between victory and defeat.
To have any hope of success it will be essential for each pilot to steer an
accurate course. A deviation for even a few minutes means many miles of
unnecessary travel. Realising this and the difficulty of consulting a map in
the open cock-pit of an aeroplane travelling at racing speed, the Aviation
Department of the Vacuum Oil Company is supplying an extremely useful strip map
container to pilots taking part in the race. This container rolls the map on
the camera film principle and enables the pilot to see 50 miles of the route at
a glance. The importance of this will be readily appreciated by any motorist
who has endeavored to read a map without stopping the car.
The race will commence from Sydney at 7.30 am on Saturday September
28th, and if it succeeds in further demonstrating the reliability of the modern
aeroplane, it will do much to help the development of aviation in Australia. In
any case it will help to bring home to residents of the eastern states the
fact, already known to travellers on the East-West air mail, that Perth is not
so far away at all.
The planes are scheduled to arrive here in the morning of the above date
and depart in the afternoon. Mr I S Young will officiate as checker in and out
and will generally supervise the arrangements at Nhill.
An escorting RAAF Wapiti
aircraft being serviced at Nhill
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Planes Arrive at Nhill
The first plane to arrive at Nhill in connection with the race was a
Moth carrying Mr G W Crocker, the Vacuum Oil Representative. On Sunday a
squadron of Wapiti aircraft from Point Cook, in charge of Flight Lieut. Wilson
landed for two hours much to the enjoyment of a large crowd who had assembled
to witness the race. Unfortunately, the race had been postponed for a day due
to exceptionally bad weather in New South Wales, so the RAAF aircraft provided
a welcome alternative for the short time they were at Nhill. The Shell Oil
Company were supplying fuel at all stops and supplying six service men so that
pilots could get complete relaxation at each stop.
Radio Connection at Nhill
Wireless Achievement, by Fred McKenzie, Sept. 1929.
One side of the great
East-West air race was the radio control system used at the Nhlll aviation
ground to keep officials in constant touch with the aeroplanes engaged in the
flight. The Wimmera amateurs, Messrs. H. Brown (Yanac Broadcasting Station),
Ivan Hodder and Alan Hutchings (Stawell), handled, the whole of the
"traffic" on the Melbourne-Nhill-Adelaide sections of the route. The
officials at Nhill were furnished minute by minute with weather reports from
the Adelaide Observatory, and thus made it possible for the aviators to proceed
on the Nhill-Adelaide section. Mr. D Whitburn, the S.A. amateur, states; that
the president of the Wireless Institute of Australia put up the most
outstanding performance in the history of Australian amateur radio. This
leading S.A. amateur used two receivers connecting the ear-pieces of the
head-phones, and listened to the messages from Nhill and Melbourne, while he
searched the air for signals from the R.A.A.F. Wapiti machines which were
following the race. Mr. J. McKean, one of the Tasmanian amateurs, was also in
touch with the radio stations at Nhill, Melbourne and Adelaide, and "stood
by" in case "skip distance" effects made direct communication between
Melbourne, Nhill, and Adelaide impossible, and in this case the Tasmanian
Amateur would have relayed the messages from Adelaide via Hobart to Nhill and
Lionel Ferris, a good friend of
the Brown family, repaired the original Brown one valve wireless receiver
first built in 1923. When in use it was coupled to headphones or a large
trumpet-type speaker.
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Melbourne, and thus preserve the continuity of service.
The brief mention of H
Brown of the Yanac Broadcasting Station needs some explanation. In 1929 Herb
Brown was a farmer near the small township of Yanac about 30 kilometres
north-west of Nhill. Herb built his first single valve receiving set in 1923,
believed to be the first receiving set for at least 100 kilometres in any
direction. It was capable of receiving signals from Melbourne and Adelaide as
well as other coastal stations and ships at sea. He went on to build a
transmitter and his call sign 3NN was heard in 1925 by amateur radio
enthusiasts in Launceston, Melbourne, Temora, Sydney and Warrnambool. It is
most likely that by 1929 Herb Brown would have been the only person in the
whole of the Lowan Shire who could have provided the communication from Nhill
for the race. Herb Brown’s pioneering work with wireless is legendary in the
Nhill District. Note:
The term
wireless was in constant use in Australia until WWII when the US air force
arrived in Australia. It was only then that the term ‘Radio’ came into common
use.
East West Air Race
Unfavourable Weather
Encountered
Main article October 2, 1929
In 1878
Lawrence Hargrave, of New South Wales, conceived the idea of artificial flight
from the study of the movements of birds, fishes, and insects, and in 1898,
Richard Threlfall, then professor of physics at the University of Sydney,
stated publicly that Hargrave was the inventor of human flight. In 1900 Wilbur
Wright, the American, asked permission to use Hargreave’s patents, only to be
told by the latter that he took out no patents and wished the Wright Brothers
every success in applying his discoveries to the utilization of flat and curved
horizontal planes, and straight vertical planes as used in the making of boxed
kites that bear his name. In 1903 the Wrights, using Hargraves plans solved the
problem of human flight. Hargrave also devised and constructed model engines
and with revolving cylinders carried off the propeller blades; from that were
developed the engines of the Bleriot monoplane that first crossed the English
Channel, and the famed Gnome rotary engine. So the successful aeroplanes were
based on Australian discoveries, and the march of progress in aeroplane
construction went on.
The
late Harry Hawker, the first proficient Australian aviator, joined the Sopwith
training school in England in 1912, and in June 1913 he achieved a height
record of 13,400 feet and covered 1043 miles in a seaplane in 55 3/4 hours. In
the early months of 1914, Hawker did some flying in Australia, but returned to
England and during the Great War worked as a test pilot for the Sopwith
Company. He was killed at Hendon on 16th, July 1921 when competing in an aerial
derby.
First aircraft to land at Nhill.
DH 6
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Writing
in the Nhill Free Press late in 1911 and quoting Hawker’s exploits Mr T
Shanasy, of Nhill, in one of his characteristic letters stated that aerial
transport would soon be a very important factor in Australia, that he had
closely followed the development of aviation and that he intended to erect an
aeroplane landing place in his back yard. While the doctor’s prophesy was not
practicable as far as the ‘back yard landing’ is concerned, Nhill is today
Victoria’s greatest inland airport, within a few miles of being situated
directly half-way between Melbourne and Adelaide on the direct transcontinental
air route.
Mr.
Sydney Officer was the first to bring an aeroplane to Nhill. and the pilots
Lieuts. Jones, Brealey and McKenzie have become famous aviators within the
Commonwealth’s civil airways communications. When Mr Officer's DeHaviland
machine (a submarine spotter) was flown to Nhill, it landed on the racecourse
and many local and district residents went for a fly at £5 to £8 per head per
flight. A number of other aeroplanes came to Nhill and used Messers J & TW
Rintoules’ paddock at the rear church for a landing ground, but it was found
unsuitable.
Then
one day in 1922 Francis Birtles, the Australian explorer while flying in South
Australia to explore the Lake Eyre basin with Lieut. Briggs as pilot, landed on
what is now known as the old landing ground on Mr H L Bond’s Nhill Station
paddock adjoining the Dimboola Road. After a representative from the ‘Nhill
Free Press’ had an interview with the famous explorer in reply to a question
Lieut Briggs said, “You have here the finest and most suitable landing grounds
I have seen in Australia.
Messers
Herbert and Otto Moll, the owners of the property, with the representative of
this journal, after protracted negotiations with the Royal Australian Air Force
Department, including Lieut, Col. H C Brinsmead, were successful in inducing
the Commonwealth Government to establish the Nhill aviation ground which is
more extensively used than any other inland ground in the State. It was over
Nhill at 11.8 am on Tuesday 23rd of March 1920, that the late Sir Ross and Sir
Keith Smith, then the world’s greatest aviators, with mechanics Bennett (now
deceased) and Shires, when they were concluding the last stage of their flight
from England to Australia, delivered the first aerogram in Victoria, including
letters from Mr. Guy Innes, editor of the Melbourne ‘Herald’ and Hon A S Rodgers
M H R to the ‘Free Press’, Sir Alan Cobham, the famous English airman, Lieut.
Col. Brinsmead, who flew around the rim of Australia, Captain McNamara V C, the
Prime Minister (Mr Bruce), and all the notable Military and civil aviators have
flown over, or landed at Nhill, and it is to Nhill and Deniliquin the trainees
of Point Cook make their initial flights in order to gain their wings. When the
old aviation ground was resumed for allotment purposes, ex-Lieut. I S Young, of
the R.A.A.F., and Mr Sutherland, placed their property at Halpin Park at the
disposal of the R.A.A.F., for the use of civil aviation.
Nhill
has lost one aviation ground, and steps should be taken to prevent a like
occurrence in the future. Other Wimmera towns are making sure of possessing
suitable landing grounds and in this respect are showing real progressiveness.
Flying in a large continent like Australia with its perfect conditions, is
going to be one of the main methods of transportation in the future. The
aviation ground at Halpin Park should be secured permanently, and a road made
direct to same, in place of the round-about method of approaching it as at
present.
Events
during recent years point strongly to the position Nhill holds as one of the
leading inland airports in the state, and when arrangements in connection with
the great aerial derby were completed, Nhill was chosen as the third landing
stage of the big East-West air race of 2450 miles, reputed to be the second
longest race of its kind ever held. Extensive preparations were made locally to
have everything running smoothly and Mr. I. S. Young, who was in charge of the
operations at Nhill, and his assistants, successfully carried out their duties.
Messers H. R. Brown, A. Hutchings and I Hodder, who had a complete transmitting
and receiving wireless set installed on the ground, were kept busy until
midnight on Tuesday, being in constant touch with Melbourne and Adelaide, and
also the Wapiti machines accompanying the competitors.
The highly modified moth, VH-UIQ
of Major Hereward de Havilland being refuelled at Nhill.
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Weather conditions were far from favourable for the Melbourne-Nhill
stage of the race, and at five minutes past ten when the first two planes,
piloted by B. Heath and H. C. Miller were observed racing in from the east the
wind was increasing in ferocity almost to a gale. Heath was the first to pass
the line just 20 seconds ahead of his rival. After a lapse of several minutes,
H. DeHavilland's machine was sighted bumping and rolling against the wind, He
reached his destination at 20 min. and 15 secs, past 10. A remarkable
performance was put up by J. R, Guthrie, in his D.H. Gipsy Moth. He was the
fourth to arrive at 10.23, after having experienced a forced lauding about five
miles from Melbourne and having lost about 10 minutes. Assistant-Organiser
Chadwick reached Nhill simultaneously with Guthrie. L. C. Lee Murray was next
at 10.33.30, followed by A T Cunningham at 10.50.30, K. R. Farmer at 10.51, W H
Penny at 10 64 and A. A. N. Pentland at 11.5.
An
unusual happening befell C. Eaton in his Gipsy Moth. Eaton reached the 'drome
at 11.7.30, but turned 200 yards short of the line and landed on the golf
links. He had, however, insufficient petrol to carry him to the finishing
point. After re-fuelling Eaton completed the course, and was timed at 11.19,
having unfortunately lost 11 1/2 minutes. Eaton was doubly unfortunate in that
but for an error of judgment he could have passed the line in the first place.
Fifteen
seconds later E. Edgar Davies passed over at 11.19.25. E. W. Leggatt also
misjudged and landed about a quarter of a mile ahead in a stubble paddock. He
crossed the line at 11.21.25. P. Manifold was next at 11.37.45, followed by C.
N. McKay at 11.44.45.
At
this stage it began to rain steadily, and many spectators left the aviation
ground. The sky was overcast, and the wind terrific, and it was decided to
postpone continuance of the race indefinitely.
Suddenly
a plane was observed coming in from the north. It was piloted by F. K. Bardsley,
who stated that he had been carried about 50 miles out of his course and had
landed at Netherby. His official time was 12.8. Netherby is a small township north of Nhill.
DH50A
VH-UMC of Bertie Heath at Nhill with attending Austin 7.
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By
this time all the competitors had arrived excepting P. Knapman and H. F. Baker,
one airman stating that he had seen Baker turn back. It was not until an hour
later that Knapman put in an appearance, arriving at 1.13.25. He had found it
necessary to land, on one occasion, and had experienced a very rough journey.
Captain Guy Moore, secretary of the Victorian section of the Aero Club. who was
a passenger in a D.H. 50 piloted by Major Murray Jones, had a forced landing at
Ararat, and did not reach Nhill until about 2 o'clock. He then decided, after
receiving weather reports from Adelaide, and reviewing the situation at Nhill,
where indications were apparently favorable for flying, to continue the next
stage of the race, and competitors stood by their machines preparatory to
starting at 3 o'clock, at which time the first plane departed, piloted by L. C.
Lee Murray, followed three minutes later by A, T. Cunningham. Then followed at
minute intervals J. R. Guthrie, F. K. Unite the next stage of the race, and
competitors stood by their machines preparatory to starting at 3 o'clock, at
which time the first plane departed, piloted by L. C. Lee Murray, followed
three minutes later by A. T. Cunningham, then followed at minute intervals J.
R. Guthrie, F. K. Bardsley. H. C. Miller. A. A. N. Pentland, W. H. Penny, C.
Eaton, B. Heath, H. DeHavilland, E. E. Davies, P. Manifold, P. Knapman, K. R.
Farmer, and C. N. McKay. At 3.46 E. W. Leggart got away, having found it
necessary to return to the 'drome for refuelling purposes.
Accompanying
the race machines were four Air Force Wapiti planes in charge of Squadron
Leader Summers, who controlled the handicapping of the race, starting, etc.,
and carrying a doctor and wireless apparatus.
At 10
minutes past four in the afternoon, the little Klemm monoplane, piloted by H.
F. Baker, reached Nhill and departed at 4.46 for Cooke's Plains en-route for
Adelaide.
The
actual fastest flying time was credited to B. Heath, who covered the distance
in 2 hrs. 16 min; H. C. Miller was second with 2.24.20, and H. DeHavilland
third with 2.29.15. P. Knapman, who had experienced a very rough trip, took
5.34.25. This was the slowest time recorded, with the exception of H. F. Baker,
who actually occupied 8 hours 39 minutes, but who has been eliminated from the
race.
Unknown aircraft at Nhill being serviced during East
West air race
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All
the aviators declared that they had experienced a very bumpy passage, and that
the wind had increased in velocity as they neared Nhill. Early yesterday
morning, the wireless operators stated that, with the exception of Baker, the
competitors had checked in safely at Adelaide. Baker had previously intimated
his intention to make the Nhill-Adelaide section in two stages, owing to the
lateness of his departure.
Representatives of the Vacuum Oil Co., and the Shell Co., were kept busy
at the ground, when the work of refuelling the machines was entrusted to them.
Air Race photographs above have been scanned from
original photographs lent to the Nhill Aviation Heritage Centre by former Board
Member and Mustang Pilot, Max Carland. Wapiti photo and most of the captions by
courtesy of the O’Reilly Collection.
Note: The third paragraph in the following article gives
some indication of the importance amateur radio at Nhill played in the
successful organisation of the Air Race.
Review
of Nhill Aerodrome Master Plan
Hindmarsh Shire have asked for a review of the
Nhill Aerodrome Master Plan, first adopted in 2011, so that it adequately
reflects current needs within the Shire. It is interesting to briefly review
work that has been completed as per the original master plan and recommendations
that have not been acted on at this stage.
1. Ambulance Transfer Station has been built.
2. New 5000 litre fuel facility is complete.
3. Refurbishment of Flight Office is complete.
4. Ahrens Hangar has been built including fire-fighting
water tanks and bitumen paving.
5. The Flight Office has been refurbished.
6. An RV Parking area and dump point have been
completed.
7. More than 500 trees have been planted.
8. Extensions to toilet facilities are almost
complete.
Recommendations still
awaiting action.
1. New entrance to aerodrome.
2. Extensions and modifications to the Ahrens
Hangar.
3. Design of proposed air park, housing, hangars
etc.
Starting from the left is the refurbished WWII
Flight Office with the new fuel facility in the foreground, the Ahrens
Hangar and fire water storage tanks. On the right is the WWII Bellman
Hangar with just the corner of the Nhill Aeroclub WWII Building showing on
the extreme right.
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4. Design of industrial
area.
