100 YEARS SINCE FIRST SIGNIFICANT FLIGHT IN AUSTRALIA – BELMONT RACECOURSE, BELMONT, WESTERN AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 1911
David Eyre 
(Photos © State Library of Western Australia – 229006PD & 229005PD)
The first significant aeroplane flight in Australia (lasting 45 minutes) was made by New Zealander Joseph J Hammond in a Bristol Boxkite 100 years ago today, on 9 January 1911.
Around 1,000 spectators came to witness this historic event.
The flight took off from the Belmont Racecourse, which is located about 5 km from the present Perth Airport.
The first four flights in Australia prior to this one had each lasted about 5 minutes or less, so this was the first flight in Australia of significant duration.
The Boxkite was one of two (numbers 10 & 11) brought to Australia by the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company (which later became the Bristol Aeroplane Company).
