Bert Hinkler Papers

Series 1: Telegrams (February 1928)

Series number
1
Series title
Telegrams
Date
February 1928
Scope and content

Telegrams of congratulations to Bert Hinkler after his successful solo flight from England to Darwin in February 1928. One offers him passage home on cruise liner, and one is from New Delhi.

Description
52 telegrams
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Biographical history
In February 1928 Hinkler made the first solo flight to Australia in G-EBOV and won fame; he took slightly over fifteen days and the Australian government gave him £2000. He was made an honorary squadron leader in the Royal Australian Air Force Reserve and was awarded the Air Force Cross. (Australian Dictionary of Biography)
Notes
English
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Series 2: Patent specifications (1917-1928)

Series number
2
Series title
Patent specifications
Date
1917-1928
Scope and content

Patent specifications, plans and related correspondence, including 'Improved Undercarriage for Aircraft', 'Improvements in or connected with Aeroplanes having folding wings' and 'Improvements relating to duplicate controlling means applicable to aeroplanes and the like.' Includes issue of 'The Australian Official Journal of Patents' dated 13 March 1917.

Description
11 documents
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Series 3: Certificates

Series number
3
Series title
Certificates
Scope and content

Certificates relating to Bert Hinkler.

Description
2 certificates
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Items in this series:

Certificate (1919)

Unit ID
OM68-24/3
Item title
Certificate
Date
1919
Scope and content

Royal Navy certificate for Bert Hinkler for service from 1914-1917.

Description
1 certificate
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Certificate (1911)

Unit ID
OM68-24/4
Item title
Certificate
Date
1911
Scope and content

Certificate of Scholarship presented to Bert Hinkler from the International Correspondence Schools, Kingsway, London, dated 23 October 1911.

Description
1 certificate
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Series 4: Correspondence (1913-1933)

Series number
4
Series title
Correspondence
Date
1913-1933
Scope and content

A collection of letters, mostly handwritten from Bert Hinkler to his mother. 

Author / Creator
Hinkler, Herbert John Louis, 1892-1933
Description
27 letters
Additional format
Digital copies available
System of arrangement
Chronological
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Biographical history
Bert Hinkler, was born on 8 December 1892 at Bundaberg, Queensland, son of John William Hinkler, German-born stockman, and his wife Frances Atkins, née Bonney. (Australian Dictionary of Biography)

Items in this series:

Letter (24 April 1913)

Unit ID
OM68-24/5
Item title
Letter
Date
24 April 1913
Scope and content

Letter dated 24 April 1913, from Bert Hinkler to his mother, from Auckland New Zealand, describing his time on tour in New Zealand with Arthur Stone

Arthur Burr Stone (1874–1943) also known as A.B. Stone and 'Wizard' Stone, was an American aviation pioneer.

Description
1 Letter
Additional format
Digital copy available
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Letter (1 June 1913)

Unit ID
OM68-24/6
Item title
Letter
Date
1 June 1913
Scope and content

Letter from Hinkler to his mother, sent from Napier New Zealand. He comments that it is one year since he met Arthur Stone and saw his first aeroplane.

Description
1 Letter
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Digital copy available
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Letter (15 June 1913)

Unit ID
OM68-24/7
Item title
Letter
Date
15 June 1913
Scope and content

Letter from Hinkler to his mother, from Sydney. He is back in Australia after a crash in New Zealand which wrecked the plane and injured Stone. He talks of his intention of leaving Stone, to get taken on in England.  

Description
1 letter
Additional format
Digital copy available
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Letter (undated)

Unit ID
OM68-24/8
Item title
Letter
Date
undated
Scope and content

 A single page of an undated letter, numbered 5. Hinkler writes of successfully passing an exam and being highly recommended as Gunnery Instructor.

 

 

Description
1 page
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Digital copy available
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Letter (29 March 1914)

Unit ID
OM68-24/9
Item title
Letter
Date
29 March 1914
Scope and content

Letter from Hinkler to his mother, from Liverpool, England. His news includes mention of him getting a job at the Sopwith Aeroplane Works in London. 

 

Description
1 letter
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Digital copy available
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Letter (9 October 1914)

Unit ID
OM68-24/10
Item title
Letter
Date
9 October 1914
Scope and content

Letter from Hinkler to his mother, from the Central Flying School at Upavon, England where he is undergoing a course of instruction in aviation. 

Description
1 letter
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Digital copy available
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Letter (5 May 1915)

Unit ID
OM68-24/11
Item title
Letter
Date
5 May 1915
Scope and content

Letter to "My Dear Mother" from RNAS Whitely Bay, Northumberland, chronicling a ‘typical day’ in the forces. 

Description
1 letter
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Letter (11 March 1916)

Unit ID
OM68-24/12
Item title
Letter
Date
11 March 1916
Scope and content

Letter from Hinkler to his mother, from Shepherds Bush, London, giving her instructions to send all her letters care of the Queensland Government Offices, who will forward all his mail to wherever he is stationed. He has met with the editor of the magazine ‘Aeroplane’; Bert outlines his idea/solution to the current problem of night flying and Zep [zeppelin] raids.

Description
1 letter
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Digital copy available
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Letter (1 April 1916)

Unit ID
OM68-24/13
Item title
Letter
Date
1 April 1916
Scope and content

Letter from Hinkler to his Mother, sent from London. He tells her his last idea has not gotten further, but he has other ideas which he is progressing with the help and approval of the Officer in Charge.

Description
1 letter
Additional format
Digital copy available
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Letter (27 August 1917)

Unit ID
OM68-24/14
Item title
Letter
Date
27 August 1917
Scope and content

Letter from Hinkler to his Mother, from France. He relates his experience of various night raids he has done over Bruges and Ghent. He also hopes to have his ‘pilots ticket’ before he leaves England so he can stand a chance of joining the Australian Flying Corps.

Description
1 letter
Additional format
Digital copy available
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Letter (11 July 1918)

Unit ID
OM68-24/15
Item title
Letter
Date
11 July 1918
Scope and content

Letter from Hinkler to "My Dear Parents" from Eastbourne (England) with the 'pleasing' news that he has passed various tests and graduated as a pilot. 

Description
1 letter
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Postcards (1918-1919)

Unit ID
OM68-24/16
Item title
Postcards
Date
1918-1919
Scope and content

Two postcards with parts of what appears to be two separate letters, both speak of attacking the enemy from the air, bombing and machine gunning. The postcards have images of mountains and printed text in Italian.

Description
2 postcards
Additional format
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Letter (2 October 1918)

Unit ID
OM68-24/17
Item title
Letter
Date
2 October 1918
Scope and content

Letter from Hinkler to his sister May, from Italy. He thanks her for her letter giving news from home and gives details of his flying. 

Description
1 letter
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Digital copy available
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Letter (7 May 1919)

Unit ID
OM68-24/18
Item title
Letter
Date
7 May 1919
Scope and content

Letter from Hinkler to his parents, from London. He talks of his proposed flight from England to Australia and his frustration with delays as well as of his recently patented 'gadget' the Navigation Board. Includes a typed transcript of the letter. 

Description
1 letter
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Digital copy available
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Letter (23 September)

Unit ID
OM68-24/19
Item title
Letter
Date
23 September
Scope and content

Typed letter from Hinkler to his mother from London giving information about his plans to fly home to Australia.

Description
1 letter
Additional format
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Letter (3 June 1920)

Unit ID
OM68-24/20
Item title
Letter
Date
3 June 1920
Scope and content

Letter from Charles Grey, editor of ‘The Aeroplane’ magazine Mrs Hinkler (Bert's mother). He writes that Bert left London on Monday to fly to Italy and is reported to have arrived safely. 

Description
1 letter
Additional format
Digital copy available
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Letter (6 December 1922)

Unit ID
OM68-24/21
Item title
Letter
Date
6 December 1922
Scope and content

Letter from Hinkler to his parents, written from his home 'The Nest' in England. 

Description
1 letter
Additional format
Digital copy available
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Telegram transcripts (1928)

Unit ID
OM68-24/22
Item title
Telegram transcripts
Date
1928
Scope and content

Collection of ten hand-written half-pages [being the text of telegrams] describing Hinkler's progress on his solo trip between England and Australia in 1928. Includes his description of arriving in India, Bima, Victoria Point, Singapore, Basra and finally Darwin.  

Description
10 pages
Additional format
Digital copies available
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Letter (14 July 1927)

Unit ID
OM68-24/23
Item title
Letter
Date
14 July 1927
Scope and content

Letter from Hinkler to his parents, from Manchester. 

Description
1 letter
Additional format
Digital copy available
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Letter (10 December 1928)

Unit ID
OM68-24/24
Item title
Letter
Date
10 December 1928
Scope and content

Letter from Hinkler to his mother from 'Mon Repos', Southampton

Description
1 letter
Additional format
Digital copy available
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Letter (28 August 1929)

Unit ID
OM68-24/25
Item title
Letter
Date
28 August 1929
Scope and content

Letter from Hinkler to his mother from Southampton.

Description
1 letter
Additional format
Digital copy available
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Letter (30 October 1929)

Unit ID
OM68-24/26
Item title
Letter
Date
30 October 1929
Scope and content

Type written letter from Hinkler to his mother from Southampton. 

Description
1 letter
Additional format
Digital copy available
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Letter and manuscript (1936)

Unit ID
OM68-24/27
Item title
Letter and manuscript
Date
1936
Scope and content

Letter dated 19 May 1936, from literary agent Rogers & Co, to Mrs Hinkler. He encloses the manuscript of the first chapter of the  autobiography, that Hinkler had started prior to his death.

Description
1 letter
1 manuscript
Additional format
Digital copies available
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Envelopes

Unit ID
OM68-24/28
Item title
Envelopes
Scope and content

Two envelopes addressed to Mr William Jenner, Supervisor, c/o Department of Public Instruction, Primary Correspondence School, College Road, Brisbane. One has the received stamp from the Department dated 5 July 1944. 

Description
2 envelopes
Additional format
Digital copies available
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Letter (1 July [1944])

Unit ID
OM68-24/29
Item title
Letter
Date
1 July [1944]
Scope and content

Letter dated 1 July [1944?], signed Fr. A. Hinkler (Bert's mother), North Bundaberg to Mr W. Jenner, discussing information on Hinkler's childhood. 

 

 

 

Description
1 letter
Additional format
Digital copy available
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Letter (1928)

Unit ID
OM68-24/30
Item title
Letter
Date
1928
Scope and content

Letter of congratulations to Hinkler from the Australian Department of Defence, on behalf of Senator Sir William Glasgow, Minister for Defence. [1928?]

Description
1 letter
Additional format
Digital copy available
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Letter (1928)

Unit ID
OM68-24/31
Item title
Letter
Date
1928
Scope and content

Letter of congratulations to Hinkler from the Australian Department of Defence, on behalf of the Prime Minister, Stanley Bruce [1928?]

Description
1 letter
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Digital copy available
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(27 digital)

Series 5: Newspaper cuttings

Series number
5
Series title
Newspaper cuttings
Scope and content

A collection of newspaper clippings relating to the aeronautic exploits of Bert Hinkler including his death when his plane crashed in the Apennine Mountains in Italy in 1933. Many are undated and from unidentified newspapers. Some are from papers from the town of Bundaber, Queensland where his was born. 

 

 

Description
105 clippings
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Series 6: Cutting book (1908-1910)

Series number
6
Series title
Cutting book
Date
1908-1910
Scope and content

A student's notebook of newspaper clippings relating to the beginnings of flight entitled 'Conquest of the Air: aeronautics, the world of Flight'.

Description
1 scrapbook
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Series 7: Publications (October 1927)

Series number
7
Series title
Publications
Date
October 1927
Scope and content

One issue of the magazine Airways,  Vol. 4, no. 2 (Oct. 1927), in which the cover story is Twelve hundred miles, non-stop by Bert Hinkler.

Description
1 magazine
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Series 8: Photographs

Series number
8
Series title
Photographs
Scope and content

Three black & white photographs. Two show Hinkler with his aircraft, one includes an official greeting party. The third photograph is of Hinkler's grave site in Cimitero degli Allori, Florence, Italy.

Description
3 photographs
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