The Tragedy O[?]
pp. 98-99 · Read in the full issue
Bert Hinkler
Although aviator Bert Hinl has been dead for 30 years, story is only now told.
R. D. Mackenzie, In Solo,
all the facts down and man in the telling to capture some of flavour of the golden age of avia of the twenties and thirties anc the rather retiring, indepenc stubborn, and in some ways ti figure of Hinkler.
Yet it could have been a b book. The story is somei pedestrian in its pace —a little much “local boy makes good” ii approach.
Only in his epilogue do Mackenzie’s words underline for reader the tragedy that could been brought out better en n As he says, “Looking back over last years of Hinkler’s life, or constantly aware of a chain of fortunate scenes which heralded end, and the fact that—given a less barren, less eroded and sc by world depression—his undor talents should have prospered borne fruit to a much greater e?
But the combination of the ecom crisis and his retiring nature shunned publicity led to an inevii end”.
Bert Hinkler, born in Bundai Queensland, had a consul ambition from youth to becoc
Bert Hinkler, in 1931.
ier. At 14 he built himself a pair f wings with arm sockets in the ope of flying with them, but he soon talised that “the main power gained y my two short legs running at their ardest” was not enough for him to scome airborne so his invention ent on the scrap-heap.
Later he joined up with the merican airman Wizard Stone as s mechanic in a barn-storming ;reer, but it was not until World 'ar I that he won a licence himself ith the infant Royal Air Force.
First Solo Flight In the hard years that followed, nkler made the first solo flight >m Britain to Australia, the first »ht across the South Atlantic from st to east and many more less portant flights—but as dramatic d as dangerous—in other spheres Fore being killed in a crash in the lian Alps.
He was at that time, January, 13, making another attempt at an gland-to-Australia record.
Because of the world depression, I a whole series of events which >eared to be quite out of his itrol, Hinkler time and again had eat his heart out in frustration.
Vhile his faith in aviation was dfied, life saw to it that he was the man to justify it publicly, death undoubtedly was a tragic ;te, cutting short the career of a n who could well have surpassed igsford Smith in achievement.— SOLO. Published by the Jacaranda s. 25/-.)