Remembering Harry G Hawker
Harry George Hawker was born in a Brick house on a dirt road in the country market gardening community of South Brighton (now Moorabbin/ Highett both in the City of Kingston) Australia. His farther George Hawker, a Blacksmith born in Harcourt and raised in Malmsbury Victoria and his Mother Mary Ann Anderson from Stawell.
As a child he took interest in the Steam Locomotives that past his home and watching birds from a tree he had nailed railway spicks in, to get high and closer to them. The surrounding swamps (now drained) supported many varieties of water birds. George Hawker taught Harry and his brother Bert about Engineering and Blacksmithing. After many moves an hardships during the Victorian land bust the family settled in Balaclava an inner suburb of Melbourne. Working at one of the largest Motor workshops in Melbourne, the Tarrant Garage. Were he meet and became friends with, Harry Kauper, Harry Busteed, Cecil Defraga, Hori Miller and Maurice Shmith, all who would gain fame in many fields. After moving to England, he gained a job with Tom Sopwith and soon became one of the most important figures at Sopwith and the World of Aviation. On this page we hope to regain the fame Harry Hawker had at the beginning of the last Century and inform people about this extraordinary aviator and his life. Awards Altitude Records, Distance records, Duration Records, speed Records one of the first attempts on the Atlantic and Land speed records. Responsible for the design testing and manufacture of the Sopwith Tabloid, Pup, 1 1/2 Struter, Dolphin, Camel. Member of the British Empire (MBE) and the Air Force Cross (AFC)
|
|