Charles Kingsford-

SmithA Life

Charles Kingsford-Smith was born in 1897, in Queensland.

When he was 18, he joined the Australian Imperial Forces and joined the Royal Flying Corps the following year.

During his time in the military, he shot down two planes, was wounded, and awarded a military cross at Buckingham Palace from King George V.

After the war had ended, he remained in England, offering joyrides to the public.

In 1920, Kingsford-Smith became one of the first pilots for Qantas. He also made the first commercial flight across Australia.

In 1928, Charles Kingsford-Smith, with Charles Ulm as co-pilot, made the first flight across the Pacific Ocean in the Southern Cross.

?In 1935, Kingsford-Smith attempted to fly the Lady Southern Cross from England to Australia. On the 8th of November, the Lady Southern Cross and her crew disappeared while flying between Allahabad and Singapore. They were never heard of again.

The legacy of Charles Kingsford-Smith includes: Sydney International Airport, various coins and other currency, a postal stamp, and an electorate named Kingsford-Smith.