Uploaded October 2019 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
In the words of Ross Smith
An excerpt from Ross Smith’s book – ‘14,000 miles through the air’ London : Macmillan, 1922.
Read by Mark Saturno. Produced by Fiona Croall/Figmedia
On 19 March 1919 Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes announced a competition for the first Australian aviators to fly from England to Australia within 30 days with a prize of £10 000.
South Australian brothers Ross Smith (pilot) and Keith Smith (navigator) with engineers Walter Shiers (SA) and James Bennett (Vic) were the first successful crew.
In 2019, the centenary year of the prize-winning flight, we celebrate them and their significant achievement which paved the way for postal and commercial flights to Australia.
These podcasts were produced as part of the State Library of South Australia’s exhibition Heroes of the skies: The Smith brothers and the Great Air Race of 1919 held from November 1st 2019 until April 5th 2020.
The personal papers of Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith held by the State Library of South Australia have been digitised and are now available through https://digital.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/pages/ross-keith-smith
In the words of Ross Smith
An excerpt from Ross Smith’s book – ‘14,000 miles through the air’ London : Macmillan, 1922.
Read by Mark Saturno. Produced by Fiona Croall/Figmedia
On 19 March 1919 Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes announced a competition for the first Australian aviators to fly from England to Australia within 30 days with a prize of £10 000.
South Australian brothers Ross Smith (pilot) and Keith Smith (navigator) with engineers Walter Shiers (SA) and James Bennett (Vic) were the first successful crew.
In 2019, the centenary year of the prize-winning flight, we celebrate them and their significant achievement which paved the way for postal and commercial flights to Australia.
These podcasts were produced as part of the State Library of South Australia’s exhibition Heroes of the skies: The Smith brothers and the Great Air Race of 1919 held from November 1st 2019 until April 5th 2020.
The personal papers of Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith held by the State Library of South Australia have been digitised and are now available through https://digital.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/pages/ross-keith-smith
