Biographical entry Hargrave, Lawrence (1850 - 1915)

Summary

Lawrence Hargrave participated in several explorations into New Guinea, before joining the Sydney Observatory (1878-1883) as an assistant astronomical observer. He then devoted his time to research in aeronautics and human flight. As well as inventing the box kite, he developed three crucial aeronautical concepts, the cellular box kite wing, the curved wing surface and the thick leading wing edge (aerofoil). His work was pivotal to development of aviation in Europe.

Archival resources

Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales

• Lawrence Hargrave - Records, 1865 - 1910, ML MSS 299 and ML MSS 3119; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
• Lawrence Hargrave - Records, 1910 - 1913, MS Q236; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
• Lawrence Hargrave - Records, 1914, MS Q216; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
• Lawrence Hargrave - Records, 1866 - 1915, AJCP M367-372; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details

National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection

• Lawrence Hargrave - Records, 1908 - 1915, MS 352; National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection. Details

Powerhouse Museum

• Lawrence Hargrave - Records, 1866 - 1915, P2756, P3174, P3321; Powerhouse Museum. Details

State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection

• Lawrence Hargrave - Records, 1866 - 1915; State Library of Victoria, Australian Manuscripts Collection. Details

Published resources

Books

• Naughton, Russell, Lawrence Hargrave, Australian Aviation Pioneer, Monash University, 1999. Also available at https://www.crc.gov.au/HTMLDocuments/Documents/PDF/CRC%20directory%20%20-%20Jan%202011%20update%20-%20FINAL.pdf. Details

Book Sections

• Inglis, Amirah, 'Hargrave, Lawrence (1850-1915), Aeronautical Pioneer and Inventor', in Bede Nairn and Geoffrey Serle (eds), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 9, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1983, pp. 196-198. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A090194b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Inglis, Amirah, 'Trials of an Inventor in Australia: the Case of Lawrence Hargrave', Records of the Australian Academy of Science, vol. 1, no. 1, 1966, pp. 18-41. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9660110018.htm. Details
• McArthur, I. D., 'A History of Aeronautical Research and Development in Australia', ARL Tech. Memo/App. 21, December, 1969, 1969. Details
• Shaw, W. Hudson, 'Lawrence Hargrave - an Appreciation', Journal and Proceedings of The Royal Society of New South Wales, vol. 96, 1963, pp. 17-30. Details
• Shaw, W. Hudson, 'Lawrence Hargrave: Fact and Fallacy', Records of the Australian Academy of Science, vol. 1, no. 3, 1968, pp. 45-52. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9680130045.htm. Details

Newspaper Articles

• Pain, Stephanie, 'Flights of Fancy', New Scientist, no. 2275, 27 January 2001, pp. 44-45. Details

Online Resources

• 'Hargrave, Lawrence', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1461261. Details

See also

• Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Technology in Australia 1788-1988, Online edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, 3 May 2000, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/index_h.html. Details