Western Australian Centenary Air Race Explained

The Western Australian Centenary Air Race (also known as the East-West Air Race) was a 2450miles air race held in 1929 from Sydney to Perth to commemorate the centenary of Western Australia.^[1]

The £1000 handicap winner was Horrie Miller^{[2] [3]} and the £300 fastest overall time prize was won by Briton Major Hereward de Havilland (22 hours 50 minutes 23 seconds), who flew the course solo, the only competitor to do so, in a modified de Havilland Gypsy Moth.

Determining results in the handicap event was found to be a difficult task, with type of machine, weather conditions, wind direction and strength of wind for each half day's hop, supplemented by times of starting being taken into consideration.

700 people had turned out at Kalgoorlie to see the competitors off on the final leg of the race. Victorian C.D. Pratt and his co-pilot J.R. Guthrie were both seriously injured when their Gypsy Moth Corio crashed near Baandee, east of Perth. Weather conditions after leaving Tammin were said to be atrocious, with at least one forced landing and one crash.

The 17 teams left from Mascot in Sydney on 29 September 1929 and 14 finished at Maylands Aerodrome on Sunday 7 October.^{[4] [5]}

Fastest times

1. H. de Havilland (22 hours 50 minutes 23 seconds)
2. Heath (23.24.51)
3. Miller (23.31.58)
4. Cunningham (26.56.52)
5. Pentland (27.14.44)
6. Eaton (28.17.30)
7. McKay (29.23.10)
8. Bardsley (29.37.58)
9. Davies (29.32.54)
10. Manifold (30.31.58)
11. Farmer (31.35.7)
12. Knapman (32.4.49)
13. Lee Murray (32.30.0)
14. Penny (32.56.20)

See also

• Silver Centenary

Further reading

• Adelaide Observer, 28 September 1929, page 20d, 12 October 1929, pages 33 (photographs)-61.

Notes and References

1. Web site: East-West Air Race Ends. The Age. 7 October 1929. 2008-10-24. 15 September 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090915114612/http://www.150.theage.com.au/view_bestofarticle.asp?straction=update&inttype=1&intid=621. dead.
2. H.C. Miller – Horrie Miller and the centenary air race of 1929. Sunday Independent (23 hours 31 minutes 58 seconds), 16 Dec. 1984, p. 18
3. Web site: Western Australian Aviators Hall of Fame . 24 October 2008 . 13 April 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090413152242/http://www.alanblencowe.com/imagesalan/03HallOfFame.htm . dead .
4. News: AIR RACE. . . Adelaide . 19 September 1929 . 14 March 2012 . 13 . National Library of Australia.
5. Web site: Klems Heavy Task. 1 October 1929. 2008-10-29. The Age. 15 September 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090915120800/http://www.150.theage.com.au/view_bestofarticle.asp?straction=update&inttype=1&intid=620. dead.