52 | FLIGHTPATH
Pilots get all the glory, but many of them would not have achieved their fame
without the input and backing of others. Neil Follett looks at the contribution
of three non-flying men who had a great influence on Australian aviation.
L
awrence Arthur Adamson was
born on the Isle of Man on 20 April- He qualified as a barrister af-
ter studying at Rugby and Oxford. A
severe illness led to his migrating to Syd-
ney, in search of a warmer climate, before
moving to Melbourne in 1886, where he was
soon admitted to the Bar. He turned to
teaching and held several posts before be-
ing appointed the Headmaster of Wesley
College in 1902, a position he held until his
death on 14 December 1932.
Through inheritances, he became a very
wealthy man. He had a wide range of inter-
ests, including aeronautics. Adamson was a
member of the Automobile Club of Victoria
(later to become the Royal Automobile Club
of Victoria) and, after meeting with a fellow
member, C.B. Kellow, a partner of Kellow-
Faulkiner, the Rolls-Royce agent in Mel-
bourne, he was introduced to English rac-
ing car driver Colin Defries. The outcome of
this meeting was that Adamson would fi-
nance the purchase of an aircraft from the
French manufacturer of Wright aircraft.
Kellow would organise the purchase and
transport the aircraft to Australia where
his mechanics would assemble and main-
tain it. It was also agreed that Defries would
return to France and learn to fly, so ena-
bling him to operate the aircraft when it ar-
rived in Australia.
Defries left for Europe to learn the art of
aeronautics, and ordered a Wright Model A
from the French manufacturer Société Aé-
rial. Back in Melbourne, Kellow negotiated
with entertainment promoter, J&N Tait,
who announced they had secured the rights
for Wright aeroplanes and that Colin Defries
was engaged to give demonstrations.
Problems with the supply of the Wright
prompted Defries to return to France to ex-pedite the delivery. While at sea, Defries
received a cable requesting he also pur-
chase a Bleriot.
The Wright Model A arrived in Sydney on
15 November 1909 and was assembled in
the Sydney Town Hall before being trans-
ported to the Victoria Park Racecourse
where several attempts at flight were made.
The Wright was severely damaged on the
last attempt and was transported to Mel-
bourne, where Adamson and Kellow ar-
ranged for its repair, after which it went to
Diggers Rest for final assembly. Ralph
Banks, an inexperienced English pilot was
engaged to fly the Wright and made one at-
tempt which resulted in a crash. Banks was
later to witness Harry Houdini’s flight, the
first controlled powered flight in Australia,
in the same paddock.
The Wright, together with the Bleriot,
which never flew in Australia, was eventu-In The Wings
MacPherson Robertson, with some of the participants of the 1934 air race at Laverton, in front of the KLM DC-2.