Fact sheet 196 – Charles Kingsford Smith

Records about Australian pioneer aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith (1897–1935) in the collection of the National Archives relate mainly to his historic flights – the loss and recovery of his aircraft, the Southern Cross, in late 1929 (including the loss of the search aircraft, Kookaburra), the establishment of the Australian National Airways in 1930 and the loss of the Southern Cloud in 1931. Records about his defence service and the honours and recognition he received are also held.

Records relating to Charles Kingsford Smith held in Canberra

Selected records held by the National Archives in Canberra are listed in the table below.
Historic flights
ItemKingsford Smith and Ulm – Trans-Pacific flight1925–29A458, M314/4 
ItemKingsford Smith and Ulm – Trans-Pacific flight – Publicity arrangements1928A458, M314/4 attachment 1 
ItemKingsford Smith and Ulm – Trans-Pacific flight – Spares1927–28A458, M314/4 attachment 2 
ItemKingsford Smith and Pond – flight from America to Australia1927A1 , 1927/19970 
ItemFlight round Australia – Captain Kingsford Smith and Mr Ulm1927A458, W314/4 
ItemFlights – Australia to New Zealand – Kingsford Smith1928–35A458, AD314/4 
ItemFlights from Australia to England – Kingsford Smith and Ulm1929–30A458, AH314/4 
ItemFlight of Captain Kingsford Smith and Mr Ulm from Australia to England1929–33A2910, 406/1/121 
ItemKingsford Smith – Ireland to America1930–31A458, AQ314/4 
ItemKingsford Smith – England to Australia – solo1930A458, AR314/4 
ItemKingsford Smith – Flight to England and return1931–33A458, BN314/4 
ItemFlight – Australia to London and return – September 1931 – Air Commodore Kingsford Smith1931–33A2910, 406/1/152 
ItemSir Charles Kingsford Smith – flight to the East1932–33A458, CE314/4 
ItemSir Charles Kingsford Smith – passenger flight round Australia1933A458, CL314/4 
ItemFlights – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith – England-Australia1933A458, CO314/4 
ItemKingsford Smith, Sir Charles – Trans-Pacific flight 19341934–35A461, B314/1/7 
ItemKingsford Smith – flight to New Zealand 19351935A461, C314/1/7 
ItemSir Charles Kingsford Smith – England-Australia flight, 19351935–39A461, D314/1/7 
Personal information, honours and recognition
ItemFirst AIF service record – Charles Kingsford Smith1915–36B2455, Kingsford Smith Charles Edward 
ItemCharles Kingsford Smith – application for pilot's licence1919–21A8793, 1 
ItemHonour for Captain Kingsford Smith – awarded 18 June 19281928A2926, A6 
ItemVisit of Kingsford Smith and crew of Southern Cross to Canberra – reception and general1928A6266, G1928/3855 
ItemRecognition of achievements of Kingsford Smith1930–37A461, U314/1/1 
ItemBirthday honours 1932 – Publication of1932A2924, 1932/1 
ItemBirthday Honours 1932 – Proposed recipients sounded as to acceptability or otherwise1932A2924, 1932/2 
ItemBirthday Honours 1932 – The Honourable John Alfred Northmore (Chief Justice Western Australia) recommended for Honour of Knighthood 19321932A2924, 1932/3 
ItemBirthday Honours 1932 – State recommendations1932A2924, 1932/4 
ItemBirthday Honours 1932 – Commonwealth recommendations1932A2924, 1932/5 
ItemBirthday Honours 1932 – Correspondence with Secretary of State1932A2924, 1932/6 
ItemAviation – Sir C Kingsford Smith1934–37A981, AVI 26 
ItemKingsford Smith (in papers of RG Menzies as Attorney-General)1935–36CP450/7, 232 
ItemExtracts from the records of the Parliament of Australia – resolutions and speeches relating to the death of Air Commodore Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Mr John Thompson Pethybridge1935A461, D314/1/7 attachment 
ItemSir Charles Kingsford Smith – trophies and presentations1936–46A461, G370/1/6 
The Kookaburra incident
ItemAppointment of Committee – Terms of Reference – 1929 Committee of Enquiry – Southern Cross and Kookaburra aeroplanes1929A460, A5/38 
ItemFinancial – 1929–30 Committee of Enquiry – Southern Cross and Kookaburra aeroplanes1929–30A460, B5/38 
Item1929 Committee of Enquiry – Southern Cross and Kookaburra aeroplanes1929A460, C5/38 
ItemEvidence – 1929 Committee of Enquiry – Southern Cross and Kookaburra aeroplanes1929A460, D5/38 
ItemAir Enquiry Committee – Legal and witnesses expenses – Southern Cross and Kookaburra aeroplanes1929A460, E5/38 
ItemReport – Committee of Enquiry – Southern Cross and Kookburra aeroplanes1929A460, G5/38 
ItemSouthern Cross and Kookaburra1935–36A664, 415/401/62 
Southern Cross and Southern Cloud
ItemSouthern Cloud1931A458, AG314/1 
ItemSouthern Cross1932A458, AN314/1 
ItemPurchase of monoplane 'Southern Cross' from Sir Charles Kingsford Smith1935–44A432, 1935/1295 
ItemThe Southern Cross – acquisition of for National Museum1935–48A461, C370/1/2 
Australian National Airways
ItemAustralian National Airways – subsidy1931–32A458, AE314/1 
ItemAustralian National Airways – experimental air mail flight – Australia-England-Australia1931–32A458, V314/3 
ItemAgreement with Australian National Airways in conveyance of mail between Melbourne and Hobart1931A432, 1931/1084 
ItemRequest for financial assistance by Australian National Airways1931A6006, 1931/06/24 
Other sources
ItemGeraldton-Derby route – maintenance file1922–23A705, 7/54/119 
ItemThe Story of the Southern Cross Trans Pacific Flight 1928 by Charles Edward Kingsford Smith and Charles Thomas Philippe Ulm (registration for copyright)1928A1336, 18119 
ItemLog Books of the Southern Cross by Charles Edward Kingsford Smith and Charles Thomas Philippe Ulm (registration for copyright)1931A1336, 21651 
ItemSir Charles Kingsford Smith desirous of using name 'Anzac' for centenary race aeroplane1934A664, 507/401/401 
ItemMacRobertson International Air Race part I1933–34A461, G314/1/7 part 1 
ItemMacRobertson International Air Race part II1934–35A461, G314/1/7 part 2 

For more information

You can obtain more information about the record series listed above (and the items within the series) from RecordSearch, the Archives database. Follow the links in the series lists to go directly to information on that series. You can also use RecordSearch to find out about the agencies that created the records and to locate more records on your subject. You might also explore PhotoSearch to find out if there are photos pertaining to your subject.

RecordSearch and PhotoSearch are available online and in all Archives reading rooms.

Other sources of information relating to Charles Kingsford Smith

Fact Sheet 197 – Photographs relating to Sir Charles Kingsford Smith

Personal records and other memorabilia of Kingsford Smith are held by a number of collecting institutions, including the National Library of Australia, the Australian War Memorial and the Queensland Museum. Contact details for the National Library of Australia and the Australian War Memorial are included in Fact Sheet 2 – Addresses of other archival institutions.

updated December 2008