ALBUM - "Southern Cross Junior at end of Tasman flight, Feb 1931"

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Description1/ Plane number G-ABCF
2/ caption under photo "Southern Cross Junior at end of Tasman flight, Feb 1931"

Guy Menzies completed the first solo crossing of the Tasman Sea on January 1931. He landed his single engine Avro Avian plane, Southern Cross Junior, in the La Fontaine swamp near Harihari, mistaking it for a grassy paddock. The plane tipped over, an ignominious end to a record-breaking flight. Initially, local residents refused to believe that he had flown across the Tasman Sea, and were only convinced when he produced a sandwich bag from Sydney airport.

The landing spot near Harihari is marked by a memorial. The swamp has been drained.

Photos from Jack / John McKay's photo album
Date of Photo1931Map^[1]ContributorMalcolm

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Location (city or town)HarihariPersonGuy MenziesOrganisation (eg business)Southern Cross Junior EventSouthern Cross Junior at end of Tasman flight, Feb 1931"

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Date Created13th August 2025

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