MASCOT - 6 October 1945

Mascot was used to stage the arrival in Hawaii. The Southern Cross stands in front of Hangar 16 with the windsock. Immediately behind it on the left of the image is Adastra's Hangar 15 with multiple skylight panels. The pitched roof hangar at extreme right is Adastra's old Hangar 8. Director Ken Hall supervises from a set of steps to the left of the crane-mounted camera.

This map of Mascot (circa 1946) shows the location for the Hawaii arrival sequence (marked with an X) in front of Hangar 16. The map confirms that a windsock was mounted on this hangar. Hangars identifiable in the images are circled in red. (Source: NAA)

Filming is interrupted by the arrival of an American C-47. Director Ken Hall is standing on a ladder next to the camera crane. Visible in the background at right is a B-24 Liberator.

Director Ken Hall demonstrates the finer points of the hula while seemingly oblivious to the risks of smoking in close proximity to so many grass skirts.

Musicians and hula dancers greet the arrival of the Southern Cross in Hawaii a.k.a. Mascot. The pitched roof building with sloping sides in the background is Hangar 8 which was occupied by Adastra until they moved to Hangar 15 around the time that the movie was filmed.

Ron Randell, who played Smithy in the film, relaxes on set with some of the hula dancers who helped to transform Mascot into Hawaii. The pattern of the skylights suggests that this might be outside Hangar 15.

RICHMOND - 7 November 1945

This is how the future Southern Cross enters Smithy's life. The clearly improvised sign on the hangar appears to read "Californian Airlines Inc" in order to set the scene as Oakland, California. This building has been identified as Hangar 3 at Richmond (see image below). There is a scene in the film (29:14) where the future Southern Cross is rolled out of a hangar for Smithy's first viewing of the aircraft and in the best Hollywood traditions it's "love at first sight". However, in the film it's a different hangar without the sign (see screen grab below). The aeroplane is yet to be named Southern Cross but it is likely that the name is already there but covered in washable paint or suchlike. The aircraft in the right of the image is a C-47 displaying the callsign VH-RFV. This aircraft was MSN 16552/33300, RAAF A65-105 which later became VH-UPQ.

This photograph from the Powerhouse Museum Crome Collection was taken at Richmond on 18 July 1935 as the Southern Cross was being handed over to the Commonwealth Government. The Southern Cross is positioned opposite the saw-tooth roofed Hangar 3. In the best Ernie Crome tradition, the photograph bears the signatures of many notable people who participated in the ceremony. Conspicuous by its absence is the signature of Smithy himself. This is easily explained by Smithy's departure for New Zealand and Hawaii on the RMMS Aorangi later that same day. Clearly there would not have been sufficient time to develop film and prepare a print for his signature. Mary did not accompany Smithy on this voyage and poignantly, fate would determine that Smithy would never return to Australia. The signatures are:

Beau Sheil (Smithy's Business Manager)
P.G. Taylor (Flew with Smithy and famous in his own right)
John Ulm (Charles Ulm's son then 14 years-old)
Wing Commander William Dowling Bostock (C.O. of RAAF Richmond)
John Stannage (Radio operator on the Southern Cross)
Mary Kingsford Smith (Smithy's wife)
Rev. Colin Graham Scrimgeour (Radio commentator)

The photo was taken by a Sydney Morning Herald staff photographer from an aircraft (probably a DH60) flown by Harold Durant who was chief pilot for the newspaper and a director of Kingsford Smith Aviation Service. The Rev. Colin Graham Scrimgeour, radio evangelist and Auckland Aero Club executive member, was apparently in the right place at the right time for a seat on the Southern Cross handover flight.

There was another passenger aboard the Southern Cross on the flight from Mascot to Richmond who didn’t have the opportunity to sign this photo. William Owen Ellis Fielding-Jones had died two weeks earlier and his ashes were consigned to the Pacific off Sydney Heads by John Stannage. Jones was well-known to Smithy, a former neighbour, who granted his final wish. The aircraft also performed an aerial tribute above the grave of Keith Anderson.

The RAAF Band is located in the bottom right hand corner, seemingly about to march into position. The aircraft in the bottom right corner is believed to be Percival Gull Four VH-UTC. (Research: Mick Raftery)

This RAAF photograph of the CAC NA-16 A20-1 (effectively the Wirraway prototype) was taken over Richmond in 1938. Clearly visible at top right is the saw-tooth roofed Hangar 3 which appears as the "Californian Airlines" hangar in the first photo in the Richmond series. There appear to be no fewer than eight similar hangars which might have been used as the location for the roll-out scene in the movie (see image below).

This screen grab from the film (at 29:47) shows the rollout of the future Southern Cross. It is almost certainly one of several similar hangars at Richmond. Note that there is no sign on the hangar and the aircraft is yet to be named.

Australian actor Ron Randell, who played Smithy in the film, is attended to by a make-up artist who might be Mr. A. Ezzard who is credited as such in the film.

The female lead gets a chair for her make-up. Australian actress, Muriel Steinbeck, who played Lady Mary Kingsford Smith in the film, receives attention from a make-up artist to the apparent delight of admiring RAAF personnel at Richmond.

Australian actress, Muriel Steinbeck, who played Lady Mary Kingsford Smith in the film and Australian actor Ron Randell, who played Smithy, pose next to the tail of the Southern Cross. Another connection between the movie and the real events of July 1935 is Randell's cap. The headgear he wore in the movie was Smithy’s Air Commodore's uniform cap, which was graciously loaned to Ken Hall by the Kingsford Smith family.

Actor Ron Randell exits the Southern Cross on set at Richmond.

One of the remarkable features of the film was that several famous people played themselves in the movie. Most famous of all was P.G. 'Bill' Taylor (later Sir Gordon) who flew the Southern Cross for the cameras. For the film he recreated his courageous feat of transferring oil between engines in flight during an aborted flight to New Zealand in 1935. For his bravery, which saved the aeroplane and all onboard, he was awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal (later known as the George Cross). Other famous contemporaries of Smithy who appeared in front of the cameras and behind the scenes were Prime Minister William Morris 'Billy' Hughes, John Stannage, Harry Purvis and John Kingsford Smith. The movie also saw the screen debut of revered Australian actor Bud Tingwell who appeared as one of the air traffic controllers in the opening sequence of the film. Bud Tingwell had flown Spitfires and Hurricanes during the war and at the time of filming he was flying Mosquitoes with No 87 Squadron RAAF.

P.G. 'Bill' Taylor exits the cockpit of the Southern Cross during filming at Richmond. Bill Taylor was one of only two pilots who were permitted to fly the Southern Cross for the film, the other being Harry Purvis.

This scene recreates the handover of the Southern Cross to the Australian government at Richmond on 18 July 1935. This was the last time that Smithy flew his beloved Old Bus.

Ken Hall directs a melancholy Smithy played by actor Ron Randell in a scene depicting the handover of the Southern Cross to the Australian government. The real event occurred on 18 July 1935 when Smithy flew his beloved Old Bus for the last time. Later the same day he departed Australia, sadly never to return.

This image was apparently taken during the recreation of the handover of the Southern Cross to the Australian government. What is happening here is something of a mystery. In the background is a Lockheed Ventura, some 39 of which were stored at Richmond after the war. The object at the top of the image is not an anachronistic Iroquois helicopter but rather a boom microphone!

Southern Cross Flights for the Movie. Then and Now.

The scene portraying where the Southern Cross departed Oakland and crossed the coast was filmed south of Sydney over the Royal National Park headlands and escarpment. The point is named The Dagger at Era Beach. Just south of here is Stanwell Park where aeronautical pioneer Lawrence Hargrave experimented with his kites.

The arrival in Australia and crossing the coast scene was filmed over Avalon Beach and onto Pittwater where P.G. Taylor would regularly sail.

To represent the Australian landfall and flight from Ballina to Brisbane after the Pacific Ocean crossing, the Southern Cross was flown north along the Kiama coastline. Smithy would return to this coast five years later and depart from Seven Mile Beach, Gerroa on another Tasman Sea flight.

Filming of the scenes where Smithy conducted joy flights in the Southern Cross and received news of being awarded a knighthood, took place at the Menangle Park racecourse. A runway was constructed through the centre of this track during WWII for use as a dispersal airfield for the military.

This photo is taken from the SLNSW collection and was taken on a direct track from Richmond to Mascot, presumably while the Southern Cross was being flown between these filming locations. The racecourse at the middle left is Rosehill and further downstream along the Parramatta River is the site of the 2000 Olympic Stadium.

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Further Reading about the Movie on Adastron