Project blog

Photo by the author. Martin Place Dec 2019.

Christmas smoko

What is going on in this photo? The event was exactly 100 years ago.

Gibbons, O. (1919). On 10 December 1919 the Vickers Vimy was sighted approaching Australia by sailors aboard the HMAS Sydney, 100 miles from Darwin. Upon seeing the ship, the Smith brothers and crew dropped a message in a bottle which was collected by the ship’s crew. It said “Very glad to see you. Many thanks for looking after us. Going strong.”

Source Aces Flying High

Five years ago I started on this project with a post about the 100th anniversary of HMAS Sydney’s victory over the SMS Emden on 09/11/1914. Much has been written since. A travel guide of sorts follows…

On August 10 the John Laffin Memorial Lecture day was held at the recently renovated Hyde Park Memorial