CREW OF CENTAURUS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 13 January 1938, Page 7

CREW OF CENTAURUS

ENTERTAINED AT DINNER GUESTS OF COMMONWEALTH (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph —Copy righ l] SYDNEY, 12th January. Captain J. W. Burgess and the crew of the Centaurus were the guests of the Commonwealth Government at a dinner to-night. Speakers included the Deputy-Prime Minister, Sir Earle Page, the Minister of Defence, Mr H. V. C. Thorby, the British High Commissioner in Australia, Sir Geoffrey Whiskard, and the Australian representative of Imperial Airways, Mr A. E. Rudder. In the course of his acknowledgment Captain Burgess emphasised the value of aircraft in these troublous times. He said it was most necessary that the Empire should be linked and he was proud of the small part he was playing in initial steps to that end. The flight of the Centaurus to Australia and New Zealand had been accomplished without difficulty. A number of people were deeply impressed by the size of the Centaurus. The fact was that flying-boats of the future would dwarf the Centaurus. Yet Sydney harbour would be capable of accommodating machines of any size or type and do the job well, he said. No reference to the disappearance of the Somoan Clipper was made at the dinner.

Captain Burgess asked that his great appreciation should be sent to New Zealand for the overwhelming hospitality extended to the Centaurus crew during the recent visit to the Dominion.