Albany Advertiser (WA : 1897 - 1954), Tuesday 11 December 1928, page 4


Capt. Frank Hurley

Pisturesque Figure in Austra

lian Aviation.

NOBBLE EXPLOITS.

Captain Frank Hurley, the airman who crashed in the Spirit of Australia, is a man of many parts-explorer, navigator, engineer, photographer, journalist and aviator1-whose experiences range from Polar wastes to tropical jungles. He was born in Sydney and his early life was devoted to the study of engineerins-, from which he retired to follow the trail of adventure. He is recognised as probably the best scenic photographer in Australia, and his ability in this field and as a journalist won for him membership with Sir Douglas Mawson's .expedition to the Antarctic in 1911. He made a second journey to the Antarctic in 1913 with the Shackleton expedition, and had a very exciting experience when the Endurance was crushed by an icepack in the Weddell Sea. Most of the crew were on the ice alongside the vessel when her sides began to cave in under the pressure of the grinding floes. The ship could only survive for a few minutes, but during that time Hurley climbed over the side, dived into ice cold water and rescued his camera from his cabin. He then recovered Ms chemicals and other apparatus, and succeeded in getting the whole safely landed on the ice, just as the ship was reduced to splinters, her hull crushed like an eggshell. Later, on his return from the Antarctic he was appointted to the Australian military forces in France and Palestine as official war photographer, and his work in this capacity is well known.

New Guinea Visits.

In recent years Hurley took two expeditions to New Guinea, and was the first to successfully emoloy seaplanes and aircraft there. During the second expedition, he was kindly granted the loan of a flying boat by the late Mr. Lebbeus Hordern, but thè atmospheric conditions in Papua were so bad that after attempting to fly the maciiine without success, the fabric rotted and the boat had to bc abandoned. In the course-of one of his excursions up the Fly River, Hurley slipped while carrying his camera and other photographic apparatus, and he and bis equipment were deposited in the river. It was a verj difficult place to get out of, but thc intrepid photographer was not satisfied with rescuing himself and mad« heroic efforts to retrieve his equipment, which he ultimately suceeedec in doing.

While in Papua he made a verj fine film, "Pearls and Savages," ant went with it to America. He canvas sed it there with very little success however, and it was eventually tak en up in London, and Hurley travel led England for some months, showing the film and lecturing.

One of his "relaxations," as h< would term it, when at home in Nev South Wales, was to climb the Threi Sisters Rocks at Katoomba, some times planting a Union Jack on thi pinnacle. Once, though, when des cending from one of these climbs, h< missed his usual route and fount himself on a jutting point of rocl about a foot square, perched hig] above a fearful abyss. He manage« to clamber to a sitting position, bu happening to look down, he admit! his nerve nearly failed him, and i was only with difficulty that he wai able to maintain his precarious hold Ultimately he was able to get bael into a standing position on the po in of rock, and by dint of slow ant perilous descent, reached the botton in safety.

When the late Captain Ross Smitl

auu ma companions new across Australia at the conclusion of the first flight from England, Frank Hurley went with them, and it was in the cockpit of the Vickers Vimy that the inspiration was born to undertake the present great flight. He is the first Australian to undertake the night to England.

Leaving Wyndham, on the northwest coast, to where he had flown by easy stages through Central Australia from Sydney, Captain Hurley and his two companions, Flying Officer Moir and Pilot Ofñcer H. C. Owen, in The Spirit of Australia, crossed the Timor Sea on the 5th November and reacher Sourabaya. Good progress was then made via Singapore to Calcutta and Karachi, but at Bundar Abbas the 'plane was seized by Persian officials, and the unfortunate delay prevented the possibility of a. record flight to London. Eventually the flight was resumed to Bushire, Bagdad and Borne, and the crash

came at Malta.

Supplies of spirit and oil had been established at convenient intervals throughout the route, and in a telegram to the Sydney ofiSce of the Shell Company of Australia, Captain Hurley expressed his appreciation of the Quality of the oil supplied and thc service rendered by the Shell organisation, which had helped to make the

flight successful

A Christmas Camp for Boys_Rtaliisng that each year there are many children who are unable to afford a health-giving holiday at some of our cooler southern ports, Toe H, Western Australia, has inaugurated a Children's holiday league. During January next (from the 14th to the 27th), the local branch of the above society is arranging for fifty boys from the metropolitan area to spend a fortnight in Albany. Special care is being devoted to the personnel of the camp, so that the most beneficial results will be obtained. A fund for the financing of thir worthy object has been opened i:Perth. There are, however, a num. ber of ways in which citizens of A'?bany and the surrounding districts could assist. The secretary or t ie local branch of Toe H (Mr. F, Constantine, High School, Albany) would be pleased to hear from those who could assist by lending during the above dates any of the following articles: Old rugs or blankets, small boilers, frying pans or baking dishe? Contributions of fowls, eggs, fruit, or vegetables would also be great'y appreciated. The secretary would like to hear from those who can av sist in the above way as early as possible, as it in intended to arrange for a camp for Albany children later on, and it ls hoped that as many ai possible will respond to this appea".

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