Biographical entry Smith, Ross Macpherson (1892 - 1922)

Summary

(Sir) Ross Macpherson Smith and his brother Keith were the earliest of the long distance flyers. They won the Australian government-sponsored England-Australia Race in 1919, flying a Vickers Vimy aircraft.

Details

Born Adelaide, 4 December 1892. Died Weybridge, near London, 13 April 1922. KBE ca 1920. Warehouseman, G.P. Harris Scarfe & Co., Adelaide; enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force August 1914; served in Gallipoli and Egypt; Australian Flying Corps August 1917-1918, receiving the Military Cross twice and the Distinguished Flying Cross three times; flew from England to Australia with his brother Keith (qv) in 28 days, November-December 1919; planned to fly around the world in a Vickers Viking amphibian in 1922, but died while test-flying the aircraft when it spun into the ground.

Related entries

Published resources

Book Sections

• McCarthy, John, 'Smith, Sir Keith Macpherson (1890-1955) and Sir Ross Macpherson (1892-1922), airmen', in Geoffrey Serle (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 11, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1988, pp. 654-656. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A110674b.htm. Details

Online Resources

• National Library of Australia, 'Smith, Ross Macpherson', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-574266. 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/scripts/tia-dynindex.php3?EID=P003962. Details