Flying-Boat Nears New Zealand

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 79, 27 December 1937, Page 7

Flying-Boat Nears New Zealand

-Press Assn.-

TASMAN CROSSING Imperial Airways' Centaurus Leaves Sydney HOP TO AUCKLAND

(By Telegraph-

-Copyright.)

"(Received 27, 2.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Dee. 27. t Imperial. Airways flying-boat Centaurus, in command of Capt. j. W. Burgess, left for New Zealand at 4.30 this morning, and was expected to reach Auckland at about 3.30, New Zealand time. A single letter carried by the Centaurus from Sydney will convey official greetings from the Minister of Defence, Mr. H. V. Thorby, to the New Zealand Minister of Defence, the Hon. F . Jones, inthe following terms:— "May I take this opportunity of eonveying seasonal greetings ^ to you on the oecasion of this visit from the United Kingdom of Imperial Airways' flying-boat Centaurus. My Government feels that this flight is another step towards the establishment of a regular ai*-service hetween our two Dominions, thereby ]inking your Dominion with our Mother Country." The Centaurus has aboard 1500 gallons of fuel, which is sufficient to take the giant boat to Auckland and baek without a stop in favourable -weather. The Centaurus landed at Rose Bay, the new flying-boat base at Sydney, at 8.40 a.m. fro'm Bri/bane on Christmas Eve. Thousands of people aiound tlie hajrbour foreshores had their first glimpse of the giant flying-boat. The commander, Captain Burgess, during the official welcome, declared Rose Bay an ideal base for this type of aireraft. ▲ party of Parliamentarians, including the Premier, Mr. B. S. B. Stevens, and the Lora Mayor, were taken lor

a half-hour's flight over the harbour and cily, which greatly impressed them. Mr. Stevens described the Centaurus* visit as an epoch-making event. The Centaurus haa a particular interest in the Dominion as its commander, Mr Burgess, is a New Zealander. He attended Wellington College from 1922 to 1925, and after leaving •went to sea for a while. Later he worked for twelve months for a motor company at Wellington, where he re-

newed his acquaintance with Mr. W. R. Phillips, New Plymouth. On leaving the motor firm Mr. Burgess worked his passage to England and joined the Royal Air Eorce for flve years. After three years itt the Air Force in England, Mr. Burgess was transferred to 3ahrein, in the Persian Gulf. During the Melbourne centenary he led a squadron of bombers which attended flie celehrations. When he had eomoleted the five years with the air force Mr. Burgess joined Imperial Airways, vorkiifg his way up in twelve months io commander of the Centaurus. On his arrival in New Zealand Mr. Burgess will be met by his wife, a for•ner Wellington girl, who travelled vith their small son on the Tamaroa, vhieh Teached port a few days ago. Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Burgess have risited New Zealand sinee their mar'iage in England in 1930. Mr. Burgess 's father is captain of ihe Government steamer Matau, one of lis brothers is a second engineer on a ^ew Zealand-Yancouver steamer, and mother is a harbour pilot. Mr. Burgess is about 30 years of age.