When a cyclone hit Darwin in March 1937 it caused extensive damage and at least one death , the Sydney Morning Herald went to great lengths to get the first photographs of the disaster. Reports had come through that Government House , schools , many houses , including all at Myilly Point , had been damaged ; places known to be out of operation were the Customs House and the Telegraph Station . The Vic Hotel , which lost its roof in the 1897 cyclone, had again been unroofed . There were grave fears for the safety of the pearling fleet.
By Peter Simon
The Sydney Morning Herald , which used its own planes to distribute newspapers in rural areas of NSW, discussed the situation with one of its reporters, Jack Percival , who was closely connected with leading aviation figures , one of whom was P.G.Taylor , author of this 1944 published book, recently unearthed in Townsville , which includes coverage of the dramatic two day event.
It was decided that Taylor would fly Percival in a Gull aircraft from Sydney to Oodnadatta or Farina in South Australia and pick up the cyclone photos flown down by a Guinea Airway's flight from Darwin . Things did not go as planned .
Heading for Broken Hill, they made a night time landing at Condobolin , with the aid of a smoke fire , for fuel . On take off , the Gull hit a mound of dirt and the starboard spat was crushed against the wheel and the undercarriage ended up in an "unnatural angle ."
Consideration was given to asking Kiwi aviatrix Jean Batten to be a sport and lend the undercarriage of her plane which was the same as the damaged Gull , but there was no way of getting it in time .
Heading for Broken Hill, they made a night time landing at Condobolin , with the aid of a smoke fire , for fuel . On take off , the Gull hit a mound of dirt and the starboard spat was crushed against the wheel and the undercarriage ended up in an "unnatural angle ."
Consideration was given to asking Kiwi aviatrix Jean Batten to be a sport and lend the undercarriage of her plane which was the same as the damaged Gull , but there was no way of getting it in time .
Taylor began making frantic repairs with the help of a local welder who had an oxyacetylene blowtorch . While this was going on , enterprising Percival , still intent on getting the photographs to Sydney despite the mishap , used his knowledge of the aviation industry to save the situation .
Taylor had great confidence in Percival's capacity to resolve difficult situations and wrote of past experiences where the reporter had been able to get telegraph offices in various places to open at impossible times. He provided the following example of his skill :" I think his best effort was at the village of Laboen Hadji on the island of Lombok in the Netherland Indies when he opened the local post office at some extraordinary hour and sent a cable to Australia through a Chinese Malay who could not speak or understand English ."
Percival was able to contact pilot Cyril Kleinig in Adelaide who had a single seater 1917 Scout who subsequently picked up the photos at Farina , flew to Broken Hill , where the mended Gull duo took possession of the precious cargo of photographs.
Another fuel stop was made at Condobolin to make the run to Sydney. However, bad weather was encountered and the plane was forced down at Orange , and taxied up against the hedge of a farm for shelter .
While they were invited for a meal, Percival telephoned the manager of Orange picture theatre who arranged for a local man to speed through driving rain in a car to the Sydney Morning Herald , arriving at 11.24pm , with the photographs . At the Orange Hotel , a jug of beer was drained to honour the brave car driver who had finished the run .
UPCOMING : More adventures of Percival and Taylor, including what happened when Percival and his wife were captured by the Japanese.
Taylor had great confidence in Percival's capacity to resolve difficult situations and wrote of past experiences where the reporter had been able to get telegraph offices in various places to open at impossible times. He provided the following example of his skill :" I think his best effort was at the village of Laboen Hadji on the island of Lombok in the Netherland Indies when he opened the local post office at some extraordinary hour and sent a cable to Australia through a Chinese Malay who could not speak or understand English ."
Percival was able to contact pilot Cyril Kleinig in Adelaide who had a single seater 1917 Scout who subsequently picked up the photos at Farina , flew to Broken Hill , where the mended Gull duo took possession of the precious cargo of photographs.
Another fuel stop was made at Condobolin to make the run to Sydney. However, bad weather was encountered and the plane was forced down at Orange , and taxied up against the hedge of a farm for shelter .
While they were invited for a meal, Percival telephoned the manager of Orange picture theatre who arranged for a local man to speed through driving rain in a car to the Sydney Morning Herald , arriving at 11.24pm , with the photographs . At the Orange Hotel , a jug of beer was drained to honour the brave car driver who had finished the run .
UPCOMING : More adventures of Percival and Taylor, including what happened when Percival and his wife were captured by the Japanese.
