Thirroul Public School students Bronte Yarrow and Ryan and Magan Fairley helped colour the sky over Stanwell Park beach.

History full of colour and life

By Kerri Carr

The sky above Stanwell Park beach was a spectacular sight on November 9 as students from district schools celebrated Lawrence Hargrave Memorial Kite Day.

Lawrence Hargrave School assistant principal Rob Deacon said Australian history was brought to life for more than 500 students from Lawrence Hargrave, Thirroul, Coledale, Scarborough, Otford, Stanwell Park, Warwick Farm, Mount St Thomas and Keiraville public schools.

Mr Deacon said the day paid tribute to pioneering aviator Lawrence Hargrave, who on November 12, 1894 was the first person in the world to achieve heavier than air vertical lift-off, while tethered to four box-kites.

"Lawrence Hargrave was lifted 16 feet above Stanwell Park Beach. Hargrave's breakthrough contributed significantly to the development of the first aeroplanes," Mr Deacon said.

Hargrave's box-kite flight was celebrated as a great Australian achievement by the school children in attendance. A ceremony in the picnic area included a flag raising, guest speakers and musical performances.

An actor played the part of Lawrence Hargrave and gave life to the history lesson. School children pledged to maintain the memory of Hargrave's achievement and to protect the Hargrave memorials which commemorate him. (The original school kite day was organised in response to vandalism of the Hargrave Memorial on Bald Hill in 2001.) Guest speakers included author of Wind Beneath his Wings -- Lawrence Hargrave at Stanwell Park Michael Adams and Hargrave family representative Dick Hargrave. Local folk singer Michael Blanche also performed.

Students moved onto the beach to fly their own kites -- some made in class -- at the actual location of the box-kite flight.

Richard Webb of Figtree attempted to re-enact the Hargrave box-kite flight by flying his four box-kite replicas, but it was not windy enough, and therefore no person was lifted off the beach by the box-kites.

The Historic Aircraft Restoration Society staged a low-level flyover of two Winjeels, a Cessna, DC3 and a Neptune between Kiama and Helensburgh as a tribute to Lawrence Hargrave and late aviation historian Eric Waite.

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