A piece of aeronautical history will be revived by the Kalgoorlie-Boulder community with a biplane replica based on the one built in the Goldfields town during the early 20th century. The two-seater tractor biplane was built in Kalgoorlie in 1914 by mechanical engineering apprentices Paul JAENTSCH, Roy BURTON, and Walter Merlin PETERS from the Kalgoorlie School of Mines – now Curtain WA School of Mines.
The three men, together with English pilot Albert Edward GEERE, established the Kalgoorlie Aero Syndicate, with plans to build a fleet of aeroplanes in the Goldfields.
The biplane in Bayley Street, Coolgardie 1915. The hotel on the right is the Victoria Hotel with the Post Office in the background. – Photo SLWA
In April 1915 the syndicate displayed their finished frame in the Kalgoorlie Town Hall. It was the first aeroplane to be built in Western Australia. The syndicate then transported the biplane to Coolgardie with the plan to fly the aircraft back to Kalgoorlie. Bayley Street was used as the runway and the plane reached a height of 400 meters. However, an engine failure halfway between the towns resulted in the biplane crashing into the ground nose-first. The syndicate later repaired the damage and completed flights in Kalgoorlie, Northam and Perth.
The biplane crashed between Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie. Photo SLWA
Earlier this year the ‘Biplane Committee’ was formed to revive this history by creating a 7-meter-long replica of the aircraft. The committee launched the project with members of the Kalgoorlie-Boulder community at the CY O’Connor Men’s Shed on Friday 27th May. Biplane Committee president Steve Williams said the project aimed to promote Kalgoorlie Boulder and preserve this history through local craftsmen. We’re trying to use all local businesses, everything we buy will be local.
A lot of components can be made at home but most of it will be done at the CY O’Connor Men’s Shed. “We’ve got a lot of support …
we had those skills back then, and we’ve got a lot of skills now”.
Publicity office Doug Daws said the project was sparked when a community member, who had acquired the original plans of the biplane approached him wishing to create a replica. He said the original project was an incredible fete of engineering considering that aeronautical engineering was still in its infancy at the time. Kalgoorlie School of Mines students were talented people from all over the world with many amazing backgrounds and they did quite miraculous things like getting a crew together to build an aircraft. They were pioneers, building the first aircraft in Western Australia.
Kalgoorlie Biplane on display in the Kalgoorlie Town Hall – Photo SLWA
Back row – Frank OLDFIELD – Harry HICKS – Oliver PARKER – Edward GEERE – ? – Walter PETERS – Roy BURTON.
Front row – ? , Charles CAVE, Paul JENTSCH – H W DAVIDSON – Frank BRICKNELL – ? – JACKSON – W DAVIDSON.
This project will become quite famous in time and will be displayed for decades. The replica will be created by members of the CY O’Connor Men’s Shed, the Goldfields Timber group, and various other interested community members. The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Bunnings Kalgoorlie have pledged support towards the project. Construction of the replica is expected to take 12 months and when finished it will be displayed in Kalgoorlie/Boulder at a location yet to be decided. Information on the history and construction of the model will be published in a booklet to preserve the history of the project.
Biplane Committee President Steve Williams and publicity office Doug Daws at the CY O’Connor Men’s Shed. Inset The biplane crashed between Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie.
Should you be interested, or wish to have further information you can contact”
Doug Daws on dcdaws@bigpond.com or
Steve William on sew220651@Gmail.com
Further reading: http://www.hibeach.net/biplane.html
Moya Sharp
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