All Photographs by Ron Cuskelly unless captioned otherwise
The original memorial building at Brisbane's Eagle Farm Airport was a T-shaped structure with vertical glass walls which proved to be the bane of viewers and photographers alike. Effectively, the only way to photograph the entire aircraft was at night when it was floodlit. This partial view was taken on 26 February 1966 with the camera lens close to the glass. The shiny rectangle on the nose is a plaque recording the aircraft's restoration by No 3 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Amberley.
This photograph taken on 27 August 1966 illustrates the difficulty in viewing the aeroplane as a well-dressed family of the day gaze in wonderment at this national treasure. The igloo shaped structure in the background is the Ansett-ANA passenger terminal.
By 1967 the aircraft's fabric was showing signs of deterioration so the Archerfield firm Air Charter was contracted to recover the fuselage and tail surfaces. This photograph taken on 6 October 1967 shows the aeroplane laid bare.
Engineers Roy Dalgleish and Oliver Shelley (kneeling) stitch new fabric to the underside of the fuselage on 6 October 1967. The tail surfaces were removed and taken to Air Charter's hangar at Archerfield for recovering. The removal of the old fabric revealed the passenger door that was installed after the Pacific flight when the aeroplane was converted to carry passengers. This door had been covered over in an attempt to display the aircraft as it was for the Pacific flight in 1928.
The starboard side of the cockpit on 6 October 1967 with the fabric removed.
The port side of the cockpit on 9 October 1967 with the fabric removed.
These cabin windows were not there for the Pacific flight and had been covered over when the aeroplane was restored for display in 1958. This view was taken on 9 October 1967.
This view of the starboard side was taken on 9 October 1967 and shows the baggage door (foreground with the letter S) which was installed when the aeroplane was converted to carry passengers after the Pacific flight. The original trapezoidal entry door below the windows has been removed during the restoration work.
By 13 October 1967 the fuselage had been recovered with Eonnex, a long-life synthetic fabric, and doped prior to painting. Again the forward cabin windows and passenger door have been covered over.

On 18 November 1987 the Southern Cross emerged into the sunlight for the first time in thirty years as the aeroplane was towed to its new display building at Brisbane's new airport which opened on 20 March 1988. Fittingly, the tow was performed by a party from No 3 Aircraft Depot at RAAF Amberley, the same unit which had restored the aircraft thirty years earlier.
During the move on 18 November 1987, the original wheels and tyres were replaced by Canberra nosewheels to save stress on the originals. This also reduced the height of the aircraft. The tail skid was supported on a wheel of more agricultural origins, seemingly from a wheelbarrow! To enable removal of the glass front of the building a steel truss has been added to support the roof.
The aircraft under tow along Terminal Drive at Eagle Farm on 18 November 1987 about to turn right on to the western apron. One would not hold any event involving the Southern Cross without the participation of the world's foremost Smithy historian and indeed Ted Wixted was there and in his element (brown suit in right foreground).

The move on 18 November 1987 presented a unique photo opportunity to pose the original Southern Cross with the latter day Southern Cross replica which had arrived from Bundaberg. The original aeroplane is in the foreground. The location is the Eagle Farm apron in front of the Ansett freight terminal which is partially visible at the right.
The move on 18 November 1987 presented the media and airport workers with probably a never-to-be-repeated opportunity to inspect both aircraft at close quarters.
The move on 18 November 1987 presented the media and airport workers with probably a never-to-be-repeated opportunity to inspect both aircraft at close quarters.
The Southern Cross flying replica carries the registration VH-USU which the original wore from 1931. This photograph was taken on the Eagle Farm apron on 18 November 1987. Coincidentally, while the original aircraft was moved on a pair of Canberra nosewheels, the mainwheel tyres on the replica also owe their origin to the Canberra.
The aircraft is towed (the wrong way!) along the closed eastbound lanes of Airport Drive on 18 November 1987. The planting of trees appears to have taken this eventuality into account.
The aircraft negotiates a slope from Airport Drive to the new display building on 18 November 1987. The "1985" on the rudder is the U.S. Department of Commerce identification number which was assigned to the aeroplane on 31 October 1927 for the Trans-Pacific flight in 1928. For this flight the aircraft was painted a much lighter shade of blue. In retrospect it might have been more appropriate to preserve the Southern Cross as VH-USU as it became known to many Australians and an estimated 70,000 passengers who paid for joy flights with Smithy in Australia and New Zealand.
In a push-pull operation, the original aircraft negotiates a slope from Airport Drive to the new building on 18 November 1987. The new airport control tower is clearly visible. The International Terminal is out of the picture to the right.
In a push-pull operation, the aircraft makes its final approach to the new building on 18 November 1987.
The aircraft negotiates a temporary ramp into the new building on 18 November 1987.
Safe at last. The aircraft is carefully manoeuvred into position by the men of 3AD who received a rousing three cheers from the assembled spectators on 18 November 1987.
Meanwhile, back at the Farm, all that's missing are the tumbleweeds. This is the deserted memorial building at the equally deserted Eagle Farm about a week after the new airport opened in March 1988. Visible in the distance at right is the grandstand at Doomben Racecourse. The truck in the background is travelling south on the appropriately named Southern Cross Way which is elevated above the level of the old airport site. The building was subsequently demolished.Picture: Peter Gates

Brisbane Airport on 12 December 1960. Click on the image for a larger version with captions.
Picture: QImagery

Brisbane Airport on 29 August 1989. Click on the image for a larger version with captions.
Picture: QImagery
This part of the wing, which is visible only from the cockpit, carries a number of inscriptions. The four names at right dated 20/1/88 are Adrian Armanasco, Al Heitman, Jim Rodden and Ron Tink. They were from No 3 Aircraft Depot at Amberley and they had been tasked to clean the aeroplane on this date. It is believed that Ron Tink was the author! The aircraft was relocated on 18 November 1987 and the new airport opened on 20 March 1988 so evidently it was determined that the aeroplane needed to be cleaned before the opening of the new airport. Little is known of the inscription on the left dated 15/9/48. Although not so clear here, it appears elsewhere on the aeroplane as "SHRC" and may be someone's initials or a position title. In 1948 the aircraft was in the care of the Department of Civil Aviation at Mascot. Picture: Mark Clayton
The Sir Charles Kingsford Smith Memorial at Brisbane International Airport in February 2018. The sign is now correctly minus the hyphen. Picture: Mick Raftery
The Southern Cross inside its new air-conditioned memorial building at Brisbane International Airport in February 2018. The angled glass makes daytime photography possible. Picture: Mick Raftery
The Southern Cross inside its new air-conditioned memorial building at Brisbane International Airport in June 2018. Picture: Mick Raftery

This plaque commemorates the port of origin of the 1928 Trans-Pacific flight. The photograph was taken at Oakland Airport on 10 August 1973.
Issue
Date
Remarks
4
26MAY22
 Added two aerial photographs of Brisbane Airport to show the locations of the Southern Cross Memorial.
3
20MAY22
 Added an image of the deserted memorial building at Eagle Farm. Thanks to Peter Gates.
2
21AUG21
 Added an image of inscriptions on the wing. Thanks to Mark Clayton.
1
14AUG21
 Photographs were moved from the Home Page to a separate page.