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Charles Kingsford Smith – Fact sheet 196

Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, an Australian pioneer of long distance flying

Sir Charles Kingsford Smith (A1200, L96364)

Records about Australian pioneer aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith (1897–1935) in the collection of the National Archives relate mainly to his historic flights – the loss and recovery of his aircraft, the Southern Cross, in late 1929 (including the loss of the search aircraft, Kookaburra), the establishment of the Australian National Airways in 1930 and the loss of the Southern Cloud in 1931. Records about his defence service and the honours and recognition he received are also held.

Records relating to Charles Kingsford Smith held in Canberra

Selected records held by the National Archives in Canberra are listed in the table below.

Historic flights

Series title	Date range	Series number
Kingsford Smith and Ulm – Trans-Pacific flight	1925–29	A458, M314/4
Kingsford Smith and Ulm – Trans-Pacific flight – Publicity arrangements	1928	A458, M314/4 attachment 1
Kingsford Smith and Ulm – Trans-Pacific flight – Spares	1927–28	A458, M314/4 attachment 2
Kingsford Smith and Pond – flight from America to Australia	1927	A1 , 1927/19970
Flight round Australia – Captain Kingsford Smith and Mr Ulm	1927	A458, W314/4
Flights – Australia to New Zealand – Kingsford Smith	1928–35	A458, AD314/4
Flights from Australia to England – Kingsford Smith and Ulm	1929–30	A458, AH314/4
Flight of Captain Kingsford Smith and Mr Ulm from Australia to England	1929–33	A2910, 406/1/121
Kingsford Smith – Ireland to America	1930–31	A458, AQ314/4
Kingsford Smith – England to Australia – solo	1930	A458, AR314/4
Kingsford Smith – Flight to England and return	1931–33	A458, BN314/4
Flight – Australia to London and return – September 1931 – Air Commodore Kingsford Smith	1931–33	A2910, 406/1/152
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith – flight to the East	1932–33	A458, CE314/4
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith – passenger flight round Australia	1933	A458, CL314/4
Flights – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith – England-Australia	1933	A458, CO314/4
Kingsford Smith, Sir Charles – Trans-Pacific flight 1934	1934–35	A461, B314/1/7
Kingsford Smith – flight to New Zealand 1935	1935	A461, C314/1/7
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith – England-Australia flight, 1935	1935–39	A461, D314/1/7

Personal information, honours and recognition

Series title	Date range	Series number
First AIF service record – Charles Kingsford Smith	1915–36	B2455, Kingsford Smith Charles Edward
Charles Kingsford Smith – application for pilot's licence	1919–21	A8793, 1
Honour for Captain Kingsford Smith – awarded 18 June 1928	1928	A2926, A6
Visit of Kingsford Smith and crew of Southern Cross to Canberra – reception and general	1928	A6266, G1928/3855
Recognition of achievements of Kingsford Smith	1930–37	A461, U314/1/1
Birthday honours 1932 – Publication of	1932	A2924, 1932/1
Birthday Honours 1932 – Proposed recipients sounded as to acceptability or otherwise	1932	A2924, 1932/2
Birthday Honours 1932 – The Honourable John Alfred Northmore (Chief Justice Western Australia) recommended for Honour of Knighthood 1932	1932	A2924, 1932/3
Birthday Honours 1932 – State recommendations	1932	A2924, 1932/4
Birthday Honours 1932 – Commonwealth recommendations	1932	A2924, 1932/5
Birthday Honours 1932 – Correspondence with Secretary of State	1932	A2924, 1932/6
Aviation – Sir C Kingsford Smith	1934–37	A981, AVI 26
Kingsford Smith (in papers of RG Menzies as Attorney-General)	1935–36	CP450/7, 232
Extracts from the records of the Parliament of Australia – resolutions and speeches relating to the death of Air Commodore Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Mr John Thompson Pethybridge	1935	A461, D314/1/7 attachment
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith – trophies and presentations	1936–46	A461, G370/1/6

The Kookaburra incident

Series title	Date range	Series number
Appointment of Committee – Terms of Reference – 1929 Committee of Enquiry – Southern Cross and Kookaburra aeroplanes	1929	A460, A5/38
Financial – 1929–30 Committee of Enquiry – Southern Cross and Kookaburra aeroplanes	1929–30	A460, B5/38
1929 Committee of Enquiry – Southern Cross and Kookaburra aeroplanes	1929	A460, C5/38
Evidence – 1929 Committee of Enquiry – Southern Cross and Kookaburra aeroplanes	1929	A460, D5/38
Air Enquiry Committee – Legal and witnesses expenses – Southern Cross and Kookaburra aeroplanes	1929	A460, E5/38
Report – Committee of Enquiry – Southern Cross and Kookburra aeroplanes	1929	A460, G5/38
Southern Cross and Kookaburra	1935–36	A664, 415/401/62

Southern Cross and Southern Cloud

Series title	Date range	Series number
Southern Cloud	1931	A458, AG314/1
Southern Cross	1932	A458, AN314/1
Purchase of monoplane 'Southern Cross' from Sir Charles Kingsford Smith	1935–44	A432, 1935/1295
The Southern Cross – acquisition of for National Museum	1935–48	A461, C370/1/2

Australian National Airways

Series title	Date range	Series number
Australian National Airways – subsidy	1931–32	A458, AE314/1
Australian National Airways – experimental air mail flight – Australia-England-Australia	1931–32	A458, V314/3
Agreement with Australian National Airways in conveyance of mail between Melbourne and Hobart	1931	A432, 1931/1084
Request for financial assistance by Australian National Airways	1931	A6006, 1931/06/24

Other sources

Series title	Date range	Series number
Geraldton-Derby route – maintenance file	1922–23	A705, 7/54/119
The Story of the Southern Cross Trans Pacific Flight 1928 by Charles Edward Kingsford Smith and Charles Thomas Philippe Ulm (registration for copyright)	1928	A1336, 18119
Log Books of the Southern Cross by Charles Edward Kingsford Smith and Charles Thomas Philippe Ulm (registration for copyright)	1931	A1336, 21651
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith desirous of using name 'Anzac' for centenary race aeroplane	1934	A664, 507/401/401
MacRobertson International Air Race part I	1933–34	A461, G314/1/7 part 1
MacRobertson International Air Race part II	1934–35	A461, G314/1/7 part 2

Other sources of information relating to Charles Kingsford Smith

Photographs relating to Sir Charles Kingsford Smith

Personal records and other memorabilia of Kingsford Smith are held by a number of collecting institutions, including:

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