TASMANIAN AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY Incorporated the LOG
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TASMANIAN AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY Incorporated THE LOG OF THE SEA GULL Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 2 Presentation of the Log of the Sea Gull ................................................................................. 4 Glossary .................................................................................................................................. 5 Reference Information ........................................................................................................... 5 Commentary .......................................................................................................................... 5 The Log of the Sea Gull – By Napier Lion ................................................................................... 6 Chapter 1: Introductions and Leaving Sydney ....................................................................... 6 Chapter: 2 Sydney to Jervis Bay/ Huskisson ........................................................................ 13 Chapter 3: Huskisson .......................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 4: Huskisson to Moruya ......................................................................................... 20 Chapter 5: At Moruya .......................................................................................................... 23 Chapter 6: Moruya to Twofold Bay, Eden ........................................................................... 26 Chapter 7: Eden ................................................................................................................... 31 Chapter 8: Eden ................................................................................................................... 39 Chapter 9: Eden to Lakes Entrance ...................................................................................... 44 Chapter 10: Lakes Entrance ................................................................................................. 50 Chapter 11: Bairnsdale and flight to Welshpool .................................................................. 58 Chapter 12: Port Welshpool ................................................................................................ 63 Chapter 13: Welshpool to Flinders Island ............................................................................ 70 Chapter 14: Flinders Island .................................................................................................. 76 Chapter 15: Lady Baron ....................................................................................................... 81 Chapter 16: Lady Barron and Start of Flight to Tasmanian mainland ................................. 88 Chapter 17: On to Launceston ............................................................................................. 95 Chapter 18: Launceston ..................................................................................................... 102 Chapter 19: Launceston to Georgetown ........................................................................... 110 Chapter 20: Georgetown to Cape Barren Island................................................................ 115 Chapter 21: Cape Barren Island ......................................................................................... 120 Chapter 22: Cape Barren to Welshpool ............................................................................. 126 Chapter 23: Welshpool to Lakes Entrance to Eden ........................................................... 134 Chapter 24: Eden ............................................................................................................... 142 Chapter 25: Sydney ............................................................................................................ 145 Sydney Morning Herald Sub-Leader 05 July 1921 ............................................................. 154 Epilogue .................................................................................................................................. 156 Reference Information ........................................................................................................... 157 The Sydney Mail ................................................................................................................. 157 The Log Of the Sea Gull Publication ................................................................................... 157 Captain Andrew Lang ......................................................................................................... 158 Alexander Hill, Shellback .................................................................................................... 159 Frederick Laidler, Splitpin ................................................................................................... 160 “Q” ..................................................................................................................................... 161 What happened to the Sea Gull? ....................................................................................... 162 TAHS Report Number: 2021.012.0 Page 1 of 162 TASMANIAN AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY Incorporated THE LOG OF THE SEA GULL Introduction This report presents the “Log of the Sea Gull” as written by “Napier Lion” and published in the Sydney Mail. The “Sea Gull” was a Curtiss Flying Boat which undertook the first flight from Sydney to Launceston and return between 13th March to July 4th 1921. The plane arriving in Launceston on May 20th 1921. The Trip was undertaken by captain Andrew lang as the pilot and Alexander Hill as his companion, with Captain Snook accompanying the journey in the support ship “Acielle”. The following extract from an article in the Sydney Times1 describes the purpose of the trip: There will leave Sydney shortly the outpost of one of the most Interesting and significant expeditions in the history of Australia. The party, consisting of a 30-ton auxiliary yacht and a three-seater Curtiss Seagull flying boat, will survey and photograph the eastern coast of Australia from Tasmania to New Guinea, and establish definitely every spot from which amphibious aircraft may come and go. The expedition has been fitted out by Mr. Lebbeus Hordern, and the results of his work will be presented to the Federal Government as a gift. As everybody knows, Mr. Lebbeus Hordern is 'mad on flying.' He was the pioneer of sea- planing in Australia and made his first flight from Double Bay in a Maurice Farman machine with the late Maurice Guilleaux as pilot. In those days Mr. Hordern was merely playing with aviation in search of new sensations; but when the war broke out, as it did almost immediately, he handed the Farman over to the Federal Government, and the machine was at once put into commission for the New Guinea expedition. After several years of war experience, Mr. Hordern returned to Australia convinced of the efficacy of amphibious aircraft, both for defence and for commercial purposes. Acting on this belief, he imported two Seagull flying boats, one sporting type Short seaplane, and one twin engined 10-seater Short flying boat. The first of these to be assembled was a three-seater Seagull, and, after thorough testing, she has turned out to be an eminently efficient and comfortable bus. Complete sets of photographs will be taken at every point, and all possible mooring places will be properly tried out and reported upon, with, minute attention to detail. Finally the whole of the data will be handed over as a gift to the Federal Government. It is a big job, and a fine, patriotic thing to do, and Mr. Hordern is to be highly commended for his undertaking. 1 Sydney Times, Sunday 27 Feb 1921, p18 TAHS Report Number: 2021.012.0 Page 2 of 162 TASMANIAN AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY Incorporated THE LOG OF THE SEA GULL The “Log” was published in weekly editions from 13 April to 14 September 1921. From a number of comments that are made in the “Log”, Captain Lang used a typewriter to record his journey in “real time”. In the “Log”, the dates each of the particular flights are only given occasionally. In the last Chapter, a summary of the flight statistics is given, which has been presented here also to aid the reader. Petrol Date Mileage Section Time Consumption (1921) Miles Kms Gal Litre March 13 Sydney – Huskisson 87 140 1h 45m 14 64 March 25 Huskisson - Moruya 76 122 1h 50m 15 68 March 27 Moruya – Eden 72 116 1h 45m 14 64 April 12 Eden – Lakes Entrance 160 257 4h 0m 32 145 April 18 Lakes Entrance - Bairnsdale 70 113 1h 40m 14 64 April 29 Lakes Entrance - Welshpool 120 193 2h 25m 20 91 May 16 Welshpool – Lady Barren 145 233 2h 0m 23 105 May 20 Lady Barren - Launceston 142 229 2h 40m 20 91 Down Trip 872 1403 19h 5m 152 691 [1] Broke Passage at Marlo Petrol Date Mileage Section Time Consumption (1921) Miles Kms Gal Litre June 19 Launceston - Georgetown 42 68 1h 15m [2] 8.5 39 June 22 Georgetown – Cape Barren [1] 105 169 1h 50m [3] 13 59 June 23 Cape Barren – Deal Island 70 113 1h 50m [3] 13 59 June 24 Deal Island - Welshpool 60 97 1h 40m [2] 14 94 June 26 Welshpool – Lakes Entrance 120 193 2h 0m [2] 17 77 June 28 Lakes Entrance - Eden 150 241 2h 45m [4] 19 86 June 29 Eden - Huskisson 165 266 3h 25m [4] 31 [5] 141 July 04 Huskisson - Sydney 100 161 2h 40m [2] 18 82 Return Trip 812 1308 17h 25m 133.5 607 [1] Forced to alight at Whitehouse Island through