With flaps down , fast approaching the centenary next month of the historic first flight from London to Darwin by brothers Ross and Keith Smith in a twin-engine Vicky's Vimy biplane , local photographer Barry Ledwidge has strafed local authorities for failing to install and maintain proper aviation windsocks along the now busy road which was the airstrip used by the pioneer airmen .
That strip, now called Ross Smith Avenue , turned Darwin into Australia's front door. Yet it has long irked Bazza Ledwidge that windsocks placed in a memorial park along the road have for years not withstood a mild breeze yet alone wet season rippers and knock' em down (grass) storms ."Put a genuine airport windsock there , " he urged authorities .
After speaking to Little Darwin , he bravely walked from his residence , "lucky" No. 13 Ross Smith Avenue , the short distance from his house to the nearby apology for a windsock. It was found to be in a sorry state, certainly not flying . "It is all knotted ." he reported, and sent us the following graphic photographs .
 |
Anyone for netball ?
|
There had once been a bowls club at the site which when closed down was made into a memorial park for the aviators with four windsocks flying from flagpoles. This had been whittled down to one as they continually came to pieces .
"It looked as if they got Aunty Beryl to whip up a new one on the sewing machine from some inferior material , " he suggested . They certainly did not seem to be the durable ones that fly at airports all over the country helping pilot s determine the wind direction and strength .
 |
Close up looks like feed bag for Melbourne Cup nag.
|
Also, he said, the substantial monument near the foreshore at Fannie Bay marking the flight had been cleaned up and pictorial information added for the centenary celebrations , December 10 the big day . However one of the crew names was incorrect.
In his colourful career as a photographer, Ledwidge once worked on the Wagga Wagga Daily Advertiser and his boss there was Geoff Dixon who went on to become the Qantas chief . In fact , Dixon got him a job in Darwin with the Australian News and Information Bureau which next month will celebrate its 80th anniversary in Canberra . He and Dixon watched the historic Moon landing together on television .
Writing of the momentous arrival of the Vickers Vimy in Darwin after 135 hours of flying over 27 days , Douglas Lockwood, in The Front Door. Darwin 1869 to 1969,pointed out the cost of building the landing strip for the plane had been the subject of claims of overspending . The original estimate had "blown out" from 205 pound to 390 - finally nearly 500 pound . The high cost was attributed to workers demanding four shillings an hour , which upset Sir Granville Ryrie who charged the " so called working men " of Darwin were "the greatest Bolshevists in Australia ."
