(Source: The First One Hundred Years by R.S. Medew and I.M. Bowman - A History of The Medew Family in Victoria - page 11 extracts) - Charles Turner Medew (1829-1915 ) arrived in Victoria from England in 1857. He eventually settled in Ringwood as the original purchaser of Crown Allotment 32, Section C, where he built his own home in 1888 and became well known locally "for his fine building work and stone masonry." ... "In his retirement, Charles Medew experimented with model helicopters. About 1910, at the age of 80 years, he was able to raise these helicopters to such a point of efficiency that, just with an elastic wound propeller, when released they could fly upwards to the height of the large oak trees." ... "(Also) In 1910, Charles obtained plans and made a model of the Wright Brothers' biplane entirely of wood, with laminated wood propeller and driven by twisted elastic bands." This model remained in his workshop for many years after his death and with his family's permission was eventually placed in the Melbourne Science Museum.3 pencil drawings showing assembled parts and sectional views of a model helicopter.

postcard: On front: biplane with floats being put into water, wooden ramp from wharf. No. 851 on tail of plane. Men standing along wharf observing. On rear of card addressed to : Mr. J.G. Watson, St. Kilda Street, Elsternwick, Victoria. On LH side ' Nov 19th, 225 HP Sustcam ? ' My dear Dad, I am going up to A. Adam's probably this week and will have the metric spanners sent out. I came across a good pipe bender today cannot test the piping am enquiring about it will let you know the results. I can get you several useful articles over here if you want them. Fas?'aviation, civilian, j.g. watson postcard, basil watson collection, j.g. watson

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

Basil George Watson was an aviation pioneer born in Bendigo 12/10/1893. The family moved to Melbourne when he was a child. In 1914 he went to England to work as an engineer for the Sopwith Aviation Company. He also took flying lessons and received his licence in 1915. He now worked as a test pilot for Sopwith but when a crash rendered him unfit for military duty, he returned to Australia in late 1915. He designed and constructed his own biplane in the back yard of his Elsternwick home. At the end of 1916 he tested his plane by flying from Point Cook to Bendigo and then to Melbourne. This included an aviation display in Bendigo. He followed this by flying to Warnambool 25/1/1916. He then set up an experimental airmail flight from Melbourne to Mount Gambier. On 28th March 1917, Watson was demonstrating aerobatics for the entertainment of AIF servicemen at Point Cook, when his plane collapsed and fell into the ocean close to shore. Unfortunately, Watson was tangled in the plane's wires and died. On hearing of his death, the bells of St Pauls in Bendigo and the Bendigo fire bell tolled.A paper detailing the life of Bendigo pilot Basil Watson, one of the first Australian pilots. 4 pages.aviation, basil watson, sopwith

Photographs collected by Earnest Albert Simmons W/2129 Royal Australian Navy. Enlisted 30 June 1941 and discharged 14 October 1946 with the rank of Leading Stoker. Posting at discharge was HMAS Lonsdale..1) Ship .2) Submarine conning tower .3) Ship .4) Hospital ship .5) Ship at anchor .6) Launch at ships side .7) Ships at anchor .8) Sunken ship .9) Ship .10) Group on launch .11) Ship firing a broadside .12) Wooden sailing vessel .13) Ship .14) Ship .15) Pilot station .16) Ship .17) Ship .18) Ship.s deck and biplane .19) Partially sunken ship .20) Two ships .21) Ship .22) Ship - damaged .23) Ship .24) Statue and colonade .25) Searchlights .26) Ships deck at sea .27) Aircraft .28) Ship .29) Ship .30) Troop ship .31) Swimmers at ships side .32) Ship .33) Ship .34) Ship deck at sea .35) Ship .36) Submarine .37) Ship .38) Ship .39) Ship .40) Two ships at sea .41) Ship .42) Aircraft carrier .43) Ships symbol .44) Sketch of Berbera .45) Sketch of biplanes .46) Boat at pier .47) Tug boat .48) Ship .49) Ship at wharf .50) Ships at wharf .51) Aircraft carrier .52) Ship .53) Ship at wharf .54) Ships at wharf .55) Ship .56) Two ships .57) Tug boat .58) Diagram comparing the size of two ships .59) Ship sailing past lighthouse .60) Postcard HMAS "Stuart". .1) Hobart and Glascow at Colombo .2) British submarine returning to Alexandria after claiming a victory - note Skull and X Bones .3) HMS Glascow at Colombo .4) Ex Italian hospital ship taken over by British. RAMB II .5) HMS Exeter .6) The landing party returning .7) Part fleet at Colombo .8) British ammunition ship sunk by sabotage in Alex Harbour .9) HMS Exeter .10) On the approach of the island. Note twin Lewis guns .11) HMS Ajax bombarding Bardia .12) A native boat used along coasts and Indian Ocean .13) RMS Georgie refoated at Pt? 1941 .14) HMS Carthage .15) Pilot station at Colombo .16) Aquitania .17) Ajax on patrol with Hobart and battle fleet .18) Hobart rolling in the Bight .19) HMS Gnat (river gun boat) hit by torpedo at Tobruk .20) - .21) Mauritania .22) Italian cruiser sunk by HMAS Sydney .23) Greek destroyer .24) Memorial of Mohomed Pasha Alexandria. Presented by Musso .25) Searchlight at Alexandria .26) Hobart pile driving in heavy weather .27) Lockheed Hudson dive bombing .28) - .29) HMS Galatea? x 1 turret at stern .30) Troops on Aquitania .31) Boys swimming in the middle lakes at Ismalia in the centre of Sues Canal .32) A water NG ? .33) - .34) Hobart striking heavy weather .35) HMS Jupiter .36) British submarine entering Alex .37) Queen Mary .38) Queen Elizabeth .39) Nieuw Amsterdam .40) - .41) Achilles .42) HMS Aircraft carrier - Illustrious .43) Symbol of Hobart's Pom-Pom .44) - .45) - .46) - .47) - .48) Mohoja and Oronties .49) Mohoja .50) - .51) - .52) HMAS Murchison 1954 .53) Strathmore .54) - .55) - .56 - .57 - .58) HMAS Vendetta .59) HMAS Cowra .60) - photographs, ran, hmas

Items in the collection relating to ARTHUR GEORGE HOLLEY no 13556 RAN Refer cat no 2134 for his service record. The photographs are from his personal album, and are mainly official photographs widely available among the services. The photographs are from Australian , British and American sources. This set illustrates Holley's service on HMAS Canberra in the period 1928-1930 Whilst not taken personally, they do capture the events he and his Canberra crewmates would have experienced and witnessed.Each desription is preceeded by an approximate date e.g.1940 06 is June 1940. 1. 7963-1 1933 Holley A nd B turrets HMAS Canberra Portsmouth England 2. 7963-2 1934 Spring cruise HMAS Squadron Australia Canberra and destroyers 3. 7963-3 1941 Holley hobart 4. 7963-4 Holley Canberra firing 8inch guns 5. 7963-5 Holley Canberra salvo 8inch guns 6. 7963-6 Holley Canberra 7. 7963-7 Holley HMAS Canberra in heavy seas 8. 7963-8 Canberra Welcome home 9. 7963-9 Holley ship with biplanes flypast from 015 10. 7963-10 holley Swains reef Queensland 1930s 11. 7963-11 Holley with 2 shipmates from HMAS Canberrahmas canberra, interwar period, arthur george holley

Extract from The Spectator of June 12, 1946: "From the Queensland 'Methodist Times'. Dreams do come true. At any rate, that is what the Rev. Cliff Lanham believes, who after the lapse of several years finds that his early dream of a Flying Patrol for the Inland is now an actuality. The Methodist Inland Mission Board has purchased from the Disposals Commission of the R.A.A.F. a De Haviland Fox Moth Biplane. Indeed, two machines have been bought, but one will be broken up for spare parts. This 'new angel of the air' is fitted with a 130 h.p. engine and possesses a cruising speed of 100 miles per hour. The petrol consumption is only that of a big six-cylinder car—18 miles per gallon. In addition to the pilot there is room for three passengers, and a stretcher is installed whereby urgent cases of sickness or accident can be flown to the nearest hospital. In this machine, Mr Lanham proposes to cover the whole of S. W. Queensland and a portion of the Northern Territory from his headquarters at Mt Isa. It takes little imagination to realise what a boon the 'flying parson' will be to those of the great outback." …. "Before [Mr Lanham] inaugurated the scheme [the idea of a flying parson] he spent his first furlough from inland mission work (and incidentally £60) learning to fly. 'In a month,' he says whimsically, 'I was a pilot of sorts.' Mr Lanham is a son of the Church. His parents were staunch Methodists, and their home offered generous hospitality to mininsters and preachers. His brother, the Rev. Percy Lanham, M.A., died in Libya when on active service as a chaplain. His widowed mother must be proud of her tall, stalwart son, whom the Church now sends forth on his flying mission for the Lord. May he ever be wafted through inland skies on two wings and a prayer." It is of interest to note that although Cliff Lanham's brother, Percy, is listed in the Methodist Church of Australasia's Ministerial Index (9th Edition, Revised to 1961) Cliff Lanham himself is not listed as either active or deceased.Three B&W identical photographs of Lanham standing next to a Methodist Inland Mission bi-plane. Lanham and an unidentified man are holding a stretcher between them with a boy of about 10-11 on it. They seem to be exiting the plane. The original photograph F69-1 is a 110x65 mm Kodak print; the other two are 195x145 mm enlargements. Lanham is wearing a white shirt and grey trousers, the other person is wearing a safari helmet.All three photos identify "Rev. Cliff Lanham" on the back. They seem to have been originally used or intended for use by The Spectator.lanham, cliff, queensland, methodist inland mission, flying parson

Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith is a famous Australian, well known in civil aviation history for his courageous endeavours in flight. He broken many flight records for long distance and time travelled and he was also a war hero in World War 1. He has been referred to as being “known to millions of Australians as “Smithy” … he was one of Australia’s true twentieth-century legends”. In honour of his place amongst the world’s famous pioneers his image is featured on Australia’s $20 note, Sydney airport is named after him, there is a memorial to Kingsford Smith, Taylor and Ulm at the Anderson Park, also in Sydney and his plane “Southern Cross” is on view at Brisbane Airport. Kingsford Smith wrote ‘The Old Bus’ (1932) and he and Ulm were co-authors of ‘Story of 'Southern Cross' Trans-Pacific Flight’ (1928). His also wrote a book about his own life ‘My Flying Life’ which was published after his death in 1937. and the story of his life was filmed in Australia in 1946. A BRIEF HISTORY OF SIR CHARLES EDWARD KINGSFORD SMITH (1897 – 1935) … Kingsford Smith was born 9th February 1897 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. His parents were William Charles Smith and Catherine Mary, nee Kingsford. His mother’s maiden name of “Kingsford” was added to the family name when they spent time in Canada from around 1903 to 1907, after which they returned to Sydney, Australia. In 1915 Kingsford Smith enlisted in Australian Imperial Force. He served in 4th Signal Troop, 2nd Division Signal Company at Gallipoli Peninsular as a ‘sapper’ or combat engineer and later in Egypt and in France as a dispatch rider. In 1916 Kingsford Smith was transferred to the Australian Flying Corps as a sergeant. He was discharged after training in England and commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps. He was appointed fling officer and soon joined the 23rd Squadron in France. He brought down four machines in his first month there and also did invaluable work attacking enemy targets. He was wounded and shot down and later awarded the Military Cross ‘for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty’. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1918 and served as a Flying Instructor with the R.F.C. Kingsford Smith was not allowed to participate in the 1919 England to Australia air race because of assumed lack of navigational experience. He and his pilot friend Cyril Maddocks formed a business and flew joy-flights in both England and America. In America he did some stunt flying with a Flying Circus. Kingsford Smith returned to Australia in 1921 and found employment as a pilot. He soon realised the value of air transport in such a vast country. He formed a partnership with pilot Keith Anderson in 1924 and they purchased two Bristol Tourer biplanes. Their business broadened to include Charles Ulm and became the Interstate Flying services in Sydney. Together they performed important ‘demonstration’ flights including a flight around Australia in 10 days and 5 hours using very limited navigational equipment. Kingsford Smith immediately started to search for support to do a trans-Pacific flight. This support came from the New South Wales government, Sidney Myer and G. Allan Hancock, an American oil magnate. On 31st May 1928 Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm and two American crewmen, Harry Lyan and Jim Warner, took off from Oakland, California and flew to Brisbane via Hawaii and Suva. This historic flight took 83 hours and 38 minutes. Their Fokker plane had three engines and was named the “Southern Cross”. This amazing achievement resulted in huge financial subscriptions. Kingsford Smith was awarded the Air Force Cross and appointed as honorary squadron leader, Royal Australian Air Force. Kingsford Smith flew his Southern Cross plane from Point Cook in Victoria to Perth nonstop. Then in September – October 1928, with Charles Ulm and an Australian crew, he piloted the Southern Cross from Sidney to Christchurch New Zealand. This flight showed that was possible for regular passenger and mail services across the Tasman Sea. Kingsford Smith flew his plane to England to an order for four aircraft, planning to use them for an inter-capital air service in Australia. Sadly on 1st April 1929 he was forced to land, having lost radio contact with the ground and having run into bad weather over north – west Australia. Keith Anderson and Robert Hitchcock both perished before the search party reached them. Once official enquiries were completed the flight to England continued in June and was completed in record time of 12 days and 18 hours. In January 1930 Kingsford Smith piloted the “Southern Cloud”, one of the new Avro Ten planes, on the first flight of his airline, the Australian National Airways, from Sydney to Melbourne. The “Southern Cross” was overhauled in Holland by the Fokker Aircraft Co. and in June 1930 Kingsford Smith achieved an east-west crossing of the Atlantic from Ireland to Newfoundland in 31.5 hours. Kingsford Smith returned to England and took delivery of an Avro Avian biplane that he named the “Southern Cross Junior” and flew solo from England to Darwin, Australia. This record breaking flight took less than 10 days. He beat four other planes that had left England before him and he was 5.5 days faster than Hinkler. Sadly Kingsford Smith’s “Southern Cloud” was lost during a flight from Sydney to Melbourne in 1931 with no surviving crew or passengers; in 1958 the wreckage was discovered in the Snowy Mountains. Later that year Kingsford Smith flew his “Southern Cloud” from Australia to Timor, collecting mail from a damaged Imperial Airways plane in Timor. Other flights followed. Kingsford Smith was knighted in 1932 for his services in Aviation. He returned to selling joy flights then established the Kingsford Smith Air Service, a flying training school in Sydney. In 1933 Kingsford Smith flew the amazing record flight in “Miss Southern Cross” – a Percival Gull - from London to Wyndham in Western Australia in just over ten days. The Australian Commonwealth then gave Kingsford Smith a large grant and he was also appointed as aviation consultant to Vacuum Oil Co. Another flying record was made when Kingsford Smith and Sir P.G. Taylor flow “Lady Southern Cross” from Brisbane to San Francisco in order to sell her there; the west-east-trans-Pacific flight made aviation history. They returned to Australia to make an attempt at the trans-Tasman flight but their attempt failed due to engine failure; they managed to get back to Sydney safely, minus most of their cargo. Kingsford Smith had his unsold “Lady Southern Cross” shipped back to England, from where he and J. T. Pethybridge in the “Lady Southern Cross” attempted another record breaking flight from England The Old Bus Author: Charles Kingsford Smith Publisher: Distibuted by Herald Feature Service Date; 1932Label on spine cover with typed text RA 629.1309 KIN flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, the old bus, charles kingsford smith

Postcard: two people seated in cockpit/rear seat of plane. Man is wearing goggles, woman wearing scarf, and goggles. Writen on bottom ' Mr. G. Hamel & Miss. T. Davies'Topical Postcard Col, Winton, Hants.aviation, civilian, g. hamel , t. davies, basil watson collection, g. hameo, t. davies.

Postcard: man wearing goggles and flying hat, seated in cockpit of plane. Written on on bottom of image ' B.C. Hucks'aviation, civilian, b.c. hucks, basil watson collection, aviation, b.c. hucks.

Postcard: man, wearing harness and flying cap, seated in cockpit of plane. Written on image ' M. Pegoud'Topical Postcard Co., Winton, Hants.aviation, civilian, m. pegoud

Postcard: man seated in cockpit of plane. Man is wearing jacket, goggles perched on head and ear muffs. Written on bottom RH of image: ' M. Pegoud, the aviator who has flown upside down & looped the loop' n On LH side ' Topical Post Card Co. Winton'Topical Post Card Co., Wintonaviation, civilian, m. pegoud, basil watson collection, m. pegoud, aviation, looped the loop.

Postcard: sepia coloured card. Young man wearing a jacket and peaked style 'porkpie' hat ( on back to front ) sitting in cockpit of plane. Written on bottom of card in white ' Tom. Sopwith' and 'copyright'Topical Postcard Co., Winton, Hants.aviation, civilian, tom sopwith, basil watson. biplane, aeroplane

Black and white photograph of Basil Watson sitting in bi-plane. Basil is wearing a jacket and tie.photograph, aircraft, basil watson collection

These goggles and helmets were issued to flying recruits for learning to fly biplanes.Leather helmet with suede lining, under chin strap, earphone inlets with snap locked flaps. Metal framed goggles with leather surrounds, adjustable rubber strap and split glass lenses.Made in England Patent. R51067 scratched into metal.

DH Tiger Moth Aircraft were used by the RAAF as elementary trainers in the empire air training scheme of 1940-44 during which time Australia trained 27,387 aircrew members. Although primarily employed as trainers, a few Tiger Moths were camouflaged and used operationally with army co-operation units in New Guinea. The Tiger Moth remained in RAAF service for almost 17 years, and several Tiger Moths were also transferred to the RAN after World War II. Eventually, on 9 January 1957, the last 10 RAAF Tiger Moths were flown from Point Cook to Tocumwal for disposal.The de Havilland Tiger Moth aircraft is a 1930's biplane which was a primary trainer aircraft used to train over 27,000 aircrew in Australia during the Second World War.Black frame with gold insert and cream mounting containing black and white photo of several planes in the background and numerous aircrew members in the foreground. Front: Aircrew Training. DH Tiger Moth Aircraft were used by the RAAF as elementary trainers in the empire air training scheme of 1940-44 during which time Australia trained 27,387 aircrew members. Royal Australian Air Force No.11 in a series of 25. raaf, aircrew, training, world war 2, tiger moth

Sopwith Pup. One of a collection of 25 model aircraft made by Brian Anthony DOWD The Sopwith Pup was a British single-seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service in the autumn of 1916. Camouflaged two winged plane with red, white & blue circles on top wing. Has red, white & blue stipes on tail fin.1 on top wing & on sides of plane.model airplanes, sopwith pup

Berliner Joyce OJ2. One of a collection of 25 model aircraft made by Brian Anthony DOWD The Berliner-Joyce OJ was an American biplane observation floatplane developed by the Berliner-Joyce Aircraft for the United States Navy during the early 1930s.Minature model plane with khaki body, yellow wings, cream tail & fin. Red, white & blue stars on wings.U.S Army 34model airplanes, berliner joyce oj2.

Gloster Gladiator. One of a collection of 25 model aircraft made by Brian Anthony DOWD The Gloster Gladiator was a British-built biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s.Silver bi-plane with blue & yellow diamonds on top wing and sides with red, white & blue circles. K7984model airplanes, gloster gladiator.

Hawker Demon. One of a collection of 25 model aircraft made by Brian Anthony DOWD The Hawker Hart was a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft of the Royal Air Force. Silver bi-plane with red, blue & white circles & black and white checks on top wing & on both sides. Red, white & blue tail fin.K1938model airplanes, hawker demon.