Memories Of

“Smithy”

From a Suva Correspondent Suva at last has something ap proaching a proper memorial to honour Charles Kingsford Smith and his three intrepid com panions, C. P. T. Ulm, J. Warner and H. Lyon who made the first flight across the Pacific in May-

June, 1928.

THOSE four in their three-engined Fokker aircraft Southern Cross landed on Albert Park, Suva, at 2.21 p.m. on June 5, on the second leg of the journey from Oakland, California, to Eagle Farm, Brisbane.

There has been a commemorative plaque for the event attached to the small grandstand in Albert Park for many years, but according to some people this has been wrongly sited.

Visitors never saw it, and many locals didn’t know of its existence.

A Suva identity, Mr. Robert Far quhar, has led local thinking in an effort to get something erected that would be more fitting as a memorial, and in a place where all could see it.

Earlier Moves About three years ago he was in strumental in getting a visiting Sydney man interested in the project, and tentative moves were made to get some funds donated so that a more fitting memorial could be designed and erected, probably on the foot path near the Grand Pacific Hotel.

Mr. Farquhar believed it should be on a spot over which the Southern Cross passed on its famous landing.

Some money was promised from in dividuals and organisations, but the project eventually came to nothing.

Then last year the Suva City Coun cil decided to pull down the old grandstand at Albert Park—the one carrying the plaque.

The Council, about the time the new pavilion was almost complete, decided it had better do something about the plaque, and agreed that it would be “lost” if placed anywhere in the new structure. (Over)

They reached the happy decisiox to place it on a cairn at the junction of Victoria Parade and Albert Par: Drive, just about the spot where thr Southern Cross flew over Victoria Parade into the park. So there it noy stands.

A monument always attracts atten tion, and it is a fairly safe bet ths more people will read what is on thr plaque in 12 months than the tots number who even passed a casus glance at it in the 32 years it grace; the steps into the old pavilion.

To complete the story the Counc? in May decided to name the net pavilion Kingsford Smith Pavilion, i Appropriately, the new pavilion ws officially named by Mr. Farquhau who has now seen something of hii dream come true.

Mr. Farquhar was with Suw Radio during that pioneer flight ant he kept in contact with radio office Warner when the Southern Cross lei Honolulu. He helped get the emei gency landing ground prepare© Some trees had to be cut down tf make room for the aircraft.

With its big load of petrol, thri Southern Cross was unable to tab! off from Albert Park for the fins leg of the flight, so it was flowv empty to Naselai Beach, down thd coast, and refueled for her final flighr Harry Lyon and James Warner, thrl two surviving members of that cret; of four, crossed the Pacific again it August, 1958, as guests of honour s the opening in Brisbane of the bit glass memorial hangar which norc houses the Southern Cross. In Suvsa Mr. Lyon, of Maine, and Mr. Warnei of California, met Mr. Farquha again, and visited all the spots o that flight.

Mr. R. C. Farquhar, at the unveiling of t[?] new Kingsford Smith pavilion at Albert Parl[?] Suva.

Photo: Rob Wrig[?]