Harry George Hawker was born on 22 January 1889 at South Brighton, Melbourne. He was the son of George Hawker, blacksmith, and Mary Ann Hawker, née Anderson, both Victorian-born. He attended schools at Moorabbin, East Malvern, St Kilda and Prahran. In 1901, he left school at the age of 12 and became a trainee mechanic at the Melbourne branch of Hall & Warden bicycle depot. In 1905 he joined the Tarrant Motor and Engineering Co. as a qualified mechanic and, in about 1907 he set up his own workshop at Caramut, western Victoria. In 1911 he left for England with the intention of becoming an aviator. In June 1912, he was employed by Sopwith Aviation Co. Ltd and worked on the Sopwith-Wright biplane. He enrolled in a flying school where he was personally taught by Sir Thomas Sopwith, and obtained his licence a few months later. He went on to become a test pilot, a renowned aviator who won many competitions, and a designer who improved aircraft safety and performance. He was killed while flying a French Goshawk on a trial run near Hendon, England, on 12 July 1921. Colour photograph unmountedOn the plaque: Harry Hawker 1889-1921 Aviator & Aircraft Designer lived here 1900-1911. Plaque unveiled for City of St Kilda by Weston Bate 12 February 1989st kilda, plaques, harry hawker, hg hawker, gourlay street

Framed black and white photograph of two restored WWII aircraft. Typed label at the bottom of the frame reads: "Two restored second world war aircraft flying over Albury area June 1990. Top: Wirraway Intermediate Trainer, built by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) in Australia under licence. 600 H.P. Pratt and Whitney wasp engine also built by CAC under licence. Top speed 200mph range 640 miles. Bottom: American Kittyhawk Fighter Bomber. Flown by RAAF in the Middle East and South West Pacific Areas. Top speed 355m.p.h. at 20,000 feet."kittyhawk, bombers, aircraft, pilots, world war 2

Historical Details: The AARG aircraft VH-UPR was the first Desoutter to be imported into Australia, and arrived in 1930. VH-UPR was imported by the local Desoutter agent Hart Aircraft Services and spending its early working life with them at Essendon Airport until 1937, wher. Description: Desoutter Aircraft was formed by Marcel Desoutter in 1929 at Croydon Airport in England. The company produced the Dutch designed Koolhoven FK41 under licence as the Desoutter II. The museum’s Desoutter II arrived in Australia in December 1930 and was o. Level of Importance: National