Charles Kingsford Smith receiving flowers from a young girl
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- Type
- Photographs
- Date
- 9 September 1928 - 10 September 1928
- Place
- Richmond, New South Wales, Australia
- Materials
- Paper, Photographic emulsion
- Collection
- John Snell collection
- Accession number
- AR00264.001
Description
A black and white photograph depicting a young girl placing flowers in the lapel of Charles Kingsford Smith's jacket. There is an aircraft in the background. Handwritten on the reverse, 'Charles / Kinsford [sic] / Smith / RICHMOND RAAF / "Southern Cross" / at rear'.
On 10-11 September 1928, Charles Kingsford Smith piloted 'Southern Cross' fom Richmond aerodrome, New South Wales, to Wigram aerodrome, Christchurch, New Zealand, with co-pilot Charles Ulm, wireless operator Tom H McWilliams and navigator Harold Litchfield. They were farewelled at Richmond aerodrome by a small crowd, following delays and a number of cancelled flight starts during the week prior. It was the first successful trans-Tasman flight, made during the same year as the first trans-Pacific flight and first non-stop across Australia flight by Kingsford Smith and Ulm in 'Southern Cross'.
About the collection
The John Snell collection consists of three photographs showing the aircraft 'Southern Cross' with pilot Charles Kingsford Smith, co-pilot Charles Ulm, wireless operator Tom H McWilliams and navigator Harold Litchfield, with other assistants and observers at Richmond aerodrome prior to the first successful trans-Tasman flight, in September 1928. The partnership between Kingsford Smith and Ulm began with a flight around Australia in 1927 and a desire to undertake international long distance flights. After securing a suitable aircraft, named 'Southern Cross', in the United States of America, Kingsford Smith and Ulm, with American crew members James Warner and Harry Lyon, made the first flight across the Pacific Ocean, from Oakland, California, to Brisbane, Queensland in May-June 1928. Kingsford Smith and Ulm were quick to plan further flights and in August made the first non-stop flight across Australia, with new crew members Litchfield and McWilliams. The planned trans-Tasman flight was delayed by a court case with Kingsford Smith and Ulm's former partner Keith Anderson and then by unfavourable weather conditions. Crowds had assembled on several ocassions to watch their departure, only to be disappointed by flight cancelations. When the 'Southern Cross' and crew eventually took off at 5.25 pm on 10 September, they were cheered on by a 'small crowd', mostly family and friends. The flight to New Zealand, the first across the Tasman Sea, was completed during the early hours of 11 September when, after flying through severe storms, the 'Southern Cross' arrived at the Wigram aerodrome.
Read live from the Museum's Collection API (12/11/2026, 6:53:13 am). Record last updated by the Museum 2026-09-30. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.