Flying into town for a century

ON THE BEACH: Future Gisborne Mayor, Harry Barker, was a passenger in this de Havilland DH9, pictured on Waikanae Beach, just before it took off to make the first direct flight to Auckland from Gisborne in April, 1922. Picture courtesy of Tairawhiti Museum collection

Future Gisborne Mayor Sir Harry Barker was an early enthusiast of aviation back in the pioneering era between the two world wars.

A century ago, on April 1, 1922, Mr Barker, as he was at the time, was a passenger on the first direct Gisborne to Auckland flight.

Only eight years later, Darton Field — now Gisborne Airport — opened after Gisborne Borough Council, Cook County Council and Waikohu County Council, with the support of the Gisborne Aero Club and a group of visionary aviation enthusiasts, bought and developed the site.

Harry Barker was one of those enthusiasts who promoted the development of a Gisborne airfield.

He was one of two passengers to fly to Auckland on the Canterbury Aviation Company's de Havilland DH9, named Firefly.

The other passenger was a J.E. Brosnahan of Puha, possibly John Edmund Brosnahan (1870-1953).

The pilot was Captain Maurice “Buck” Buckley who went on to have a distinguished career in aviation.

When World War 2 broke out, he was the commanding officer of RAF Feltwell in England where 75 (New Zealand) Squadron was based for much of the war.

Also on board was another Canterbury Aviation Company pilot, Les Brake.

He had flown into Gisborne in December 1921 and sold flights from Waikanae Beach while operating another Canterbury Aviation Company aircraft, an Avro 504K named High Jinks.

The company was keen to prove a two-and-a-half, non-stop Gisborne-Auckland flight was commercially viable.

Captain Buckley took off from the beach in perfect conditions, but the flight was prolonged by an extra 45 minutes because of strong winds.

The route took the aircraft across to Opotiki and along the Bay of Plenty coastline.

Bay of Plenty offered numerous places suitable for an emergency landing, reported the Poverty Bay Herald.

Mr Brosnahan, unlike Mr Barker, was also on the return flight to Gisborne on April 4 which was completed in two hours and 25 minutes.

The passenger spoke positively to the Poverty Bay Herald of the two flights.

He said that when he got on to the aircraft for the return flight, he did so with the same confidence he would have stepped into a tram car.

The return journey enjoyed more favourable weather.

Clouds were low and few in number providing for excellent visibility at a maximum height of 11,000 feet.

But the Auckland landing, in Cornwall Park, left him concerned at the “hostile” behaviour of some of the land leaseholders who were concerned the aircraft had frightened their stock.

The argument with the lessees lasted for a hour.

Mr Brosnahan compared that to the landing in Gisborne at Makaraka racecourse where a garage proprietor drove them into town.

The plane had landed at the racecourse because the tide was too high at Waikanae Beach.

Captain Buckley said the aircraft had flown splendidly.

Flight times were not specially remarkable, but the flights were “excellent tests of reliability”.

His aircraft was capable of flying for five-and-a-half hours.

The Poverty Bay Herald said the non-stop flights between Gisborne and Auckland “should do much to establish the practicability of aviation in New Zealand”.