A Flying Life

John Duigan and the first Australian aeroplane

At Spring Plains, Victoria, July 16, 1910, John Robertson Duigan flew his aeroplane twenty feet into the air. A short hop, admittedly, but a significant moment in Australian history.

The flying career of John Robertson Duigan spanned just a decade from 1908 to 1918. His name is little known outside a small circle of aviation enthusiasts, but over 110 years ago he built and successfully flew the first aeroplane made in Australia using only photographs, journal articles, and an unreliable text book as his guides. He was the first Australian to fly a powered Australian-made aeroplane in this country.

The full story of John Duigan and his flying career has now been published for the first time in A Flying Life. From his early years as a Melbourne school boy to his heroic activities as a pilot on the Western Front in World War One, the life of John Duigan is a story of ingenuity and independence.

Details

Paperback, 176 pages

Price

RRP $19.95 Information on buying our books