Centenary of Powered Flight in Tasmania

Delfosse Badgery with his French Caudron biplane. Part of this image was used in the Tasmanian Mail story of 17 September 1914. The image was found here ~
http://tps.org.au/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=186

Delfosse Badgery standing by his plane. Photo kindly provided by Donna Hayward

A side view of Delfosse Badgery’s plane. Photo kindly provided by Donna Hayward

As the centenary of the first powered flight in Tasmania approaches in 2014, the question of how to remember the event arises.

A report in The Tasmanian Mail of Thursday 17 September 1914, describes Delfosse Badgery from New South Wales making three flights in his French Caudron biplane at the Elwick Show Ground on the previous Saturday.

Alison Alexander in her book ‘Glenorhy 1804-1964’ described this event as a fund-raiser for the war (p.145).

Nearly 2000 people attended the historic aeronautical event at the Show Ground, but the first powered flight in Tasmania happened two days before the public event.

“The first known flight in Tasmania was on September 10, 1914, by New South Wales pilot Delfosse Badgery, at the Elwick showgrounds. Mr Badgery had shipped his biplane to Tasmania for the event. The Mercury reported that the first flight was a “private ascent for the benefit of the press.”
The Mercury, 31 March 2010 ~
http://www.mercurynie.com.au/documents/FlightMER31MAR2010p49.pdf

The Badgery flight came to my attention in 2006, when arranging a display of the Kangaroo Bluff Battery at the Glenorchy Library.

When seeking out local military history to add to the show, to give the display local relevance, I was delighted to discover the first powered flight in Tasmania to demonstrate the use of air power in modern warfare.

The story of this flight became a little more interesting, when I found that Badgery later married Dorothy Wall, the creator of Blinky Bill, for which their son, Peter, was an inspiration.

A centenary celebration of Tasmania’s first powered flight may now be in the planning stages and if this is the case, I would be delighted to hear about it.

Enquiries to the Royal Hobart Show have revealed that they were not aware of this historic event happening at the ground and could see good reason to honour this chapter in Tasmania’s history.

I will place information on Tasmania’s first powered flight on my website and update this as more comes to light, especially any plans to celebrate the centenary.

If anyone has any ideas or suggestions for remembering and celebrating this historic event, they could be included in comments after this story.

Having a presence in the virtual worlds, I will also create a display that folk from anywhere around the world can visit and explore using an avatar.

The displays will be located in Second Life and InWorldz, which are both free to visit.

In the virtual world it is possible to build full-size working models, so if anyone would like to participate in pixel model making, this would be excellent.

The display and any models made could also be available to schools, using the sim-on-a-stick system for virtual worlds, which is a stand-alone system within the computer, is not connected to the Internet and is quite commonly used in classrooms now.

There is certainly scope for further stories about Delfosse Badgery, his marriage to the creator of Blinky Bill and early flight in Tasmania.

Would anyone know more about the first powered flight in Tasmania’s history?

If so write to [email protected] and the email will be forwarded to Kim Peart

From the Tasmanian Mail

AVIATION AT HOBART
The Tasmanian Mail
Thursday 17 September 1914

DISPLAY AT THE SHOW GROUND
THREE FLIGHTS BY MR BADGERY

On Saturday afternoon nearly 2,000 people were attracted to the show ground at Elwick to witness the first public flying machine demonstration in Tasmania by Mr Delfosse Badgery, the son of a Moss Vale squatter, and first aviator to bring a machine to this State. Two special trains were chartered to run from the city, at a charge of 2s. 6d., including admission to the show ground. Those who otherwise got there paid 2s. admission. Though the afternoon was chilly and showery, with occasional bursts of sunshine, the affair was well patronised. There were scores of motor cars and quite a crowd of cyclists and people in horse vehicles in and around the ground. A number of people occupied the grand stand, while the second stand, at the cattle sheds side of the oval, was crowded. Lady Ellison-Macartney and family were present, attended by Major Kerr-Pearce, and, among others, many prominent citizens. Mr Badgery had advertised to give demonstrations of military aircraft work, including bomb dropping flour bags to be used for the purpose, trick flying, and aerial manoeuvring, none of which performances came off. All had seen moving pictures of aviators’ performances, read thrilling accounts of deeds of the airmen, and so all knew that men could fly: and to see it done filled everybody who had come to the ground with interested expectation. They certainly did see Mr Badgery perform three short flights, but were disappointed at the limited character of the display. After a considerable wait the machine, a biplane of Cordarian type, driven by a 45h.p. Anzani motor, was pulled out from under the canvas tent on the oval, running along the ground easily on its rubber-tired chassis wheels, and the City Band played “See the conquering hero endure.” The airman clad in black rubber overalls and the regular thin tight-fitting bonnet-shaped headgear of the same material, took his seat on the biplane. The tractor screw, unlike the monoplane, the biplane screw acts as a tractor in front, instead of a propeller having been set spinning around, the four men holding the machine back, near the posts on the cattle sheds side of the ground, released their grip, and the machine instantly shot forward, ran along the ground 30 or 40 yards, then rose rapidly and gracefully, like a soaring bird over the land, in the direction of Glenorchy. It was an exhilarating moment, and the spectators cheered lustily. Gleams of bright sunlight temporarily showed up the fragile-looking craft, outlining every part of it and accentuating the beauty and novelty of the sight, toward which all eyes were upturned. The airman turned around at a good turning speed and at a height of nearly 1,000ft., the loud throbbing burr of the motor being distinctly heard all the time, and it was noticed that the birds in the trees in and around the grounds flew away, as though quite scared. After going a short distance in the direction of Elwick racecourse, the aviator put about and turned toward the show ground, dropping rapidly and almost vertically for some 360ft., and took to the ground so very easily and gracefully, about the middle of the arena, that the people again burst into cheering. Mr Badgery brought the machine up the oval to the side opposite the grandstand, and left his seat. Meanwhile, a slight scalding shower had come on, and he said it was raining hard and very cold up above, that the raindrops hit him in the face severely, and the wind he found to be very trying, while the freezing wind-pockets quite batted him during his few minutes aloft. Lady Ellison-Macartney and her children came forward, and the airman was introduced to them by the Hon. C. J. Davies, M.L.C., and Sir Elliott Lewis, M.H.A. They had a good look at the machine. Mr Badgery explained it’s working, and he said that he had never before experienced such intensely cold rain and baffling wind simultaneously. He was surprised to find, upon alighting, that it was not raining on the ground. It was deemed necessary to run the machine into its tent to be “wiped down,” thereby removing, as it was explained, the extra weight. This involved an interval. Two more flights followed, each occupying about five minutes, and over the same course. In the second one, the aviator momentarily soared higher, and then came down again in another light and brief shower of rain. The third flight was similar to the other two, the case with which the machine took to the air and alighted being such as to cause the spectators to cheer each time. Immediately the aviator had alighted the third time the band played the National Anthem, and a crowd surrounded the machine, inspecting it. Some of the people were disappointed at not seeing the trick flying, but it was explained that the weather conditions were not at all suitable.

(The text of this story was transcribed by hand from microfiche at the Tasmanian Reference Library)

Kim Peart at the Kangaroo Bluff Battery, Bellerive ~ The Mercury, 1 January 2006

It was through investigations for local relevance for a military display on the defences of Hobart in the Gelenorchy Library in February 2006, that Tasmania’s first powered flight came to light.

~Media Release~
Friday 10 February 2006

Kangaroo Bluff Battery Display
Glenorchy Library 6-17 February

Due to the unfortunate fire in the Glenorchy Library last night, persons interested in catching the display on the Kangaroo Bluff Battery, Bellerive, and local military connections in the Glenorchy City area, may have lost the opportunity, as the Library has been shut for repairs until further notice.

The display was not damaged in the fire and it is hoped its visit to Glenorchy can be extended at the Library, or in another venue, to allow all interested to catch up on this interesting era of our history.

The display includes photos of the first flight in Tasmania by Delfosse Badgery in 1914 at the Show Ground in a Caudron biplane that he built. After searching through the archives in the State Library, it was also discovered that Mr Badgery was invited to Tasmania as a guest of the State Government in 1964 to celebrate the 50th year since the first flight and the display includes an article on this.

There is already discussion a’foot about how the event could be celebrated in 2014, when it will be 100 years since the first flight in the State.

The display and the story of the first flight would be of interest to students, as it is a wonderful window into our history. After all, it is powered flight that led directly to space travel.

A fascinating aspect of Badgery’s life is that after serving as an airman in WWI, he returned to marry the creator of Blinky Bill, Dorothy Wall, as if two souls of the imagination were drawn together. This knowledge brings out another element to the creation of Blinky Bill.

Their son Peter, who was an inspiration for Dorothy in writing and illustrating many of the antics of Blinky Bill, also became a pilot and served in the RAAF.

Reference:
‘Dorothy Wall – the creator of Blinky Bill – her life and work’
Angus and Robertson, 1988
A number of chapters in this book include the story of Delfosse Badgery and their relationship.

Main picture:
Mr. Delfosse Badgery flying his 45 h.p. Anzani-Caudron-type biplane at Elwick Racecourse, Hobart, Tasmania. The image was found here ~
http://flyingmachines.ru/Site2/Crafts/Craft28613.htm