Wollongong City Council has lent its weight to the push to name Sydney’s second airport after Lawrence Hargrave.
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The council has answered the federal government’s call for submissions on any facet of the proposed western Sydney airport, suggesting it should be named after the man who studied flight at Stanwell Park for more than a year.
The issue is close to the heart of councillor Leigh Colacino, who is very much behind the move.
The submission states that adopting the name “Lawrence Hargrave International Airport” would acknowledge the role he played in discovering that a curved wing created a greater lift.
“ln 1894, he became the first man to fly in Australia and his findings on boxed kites, curved surfaces and wings are recognised as an important part of the design of the first aeroplane,” Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said in the submission.
“There is not a plane flying today without a wing that is a direct descendant of the wing developed by Hargrave.”
While the Wright brothers are credited with the first flight the submission notes that Wilbur Wright acknowledged Hargrave’s work as important in their own quest for powered flight.
The submission also views the naming of the airport after Hargrave as a way to deal with his low profile in Australia.
“lt is regrettable that his achievements are widely celebrated overseas while he still remains virtually unknown in Australia,” it states.
“ln 1965 he was celebrated through a commemorative stamp and his image appeared on the first $20 note. Since then, the historical work Lawrence Hargrave conducted has been largely ignored.”
The submission also points out the benefits to tourism in the region that would flow on from the naming of the airport.
“Visitors are naturally inquisitive, and the opportunity to share the story of Lawrence Hargrave at the airport may encourage visitors to visit Stanwell Park to better understand his role in the creation of flight,” the submission reads.