Western Suburbs flight to Dubbo in 1930

Western Suburbs District Cricket Club Sydney | November 08, 2023

A rather weather beaten old 'photo was delivered to Pratten Park recently and, fortunately, the Groundsman, current Wests' First Grader, Nick Cutler, was there to receive it. 

The photograph (attached) and lovingly restored as well as possible by Wests Archives, was taken by a local Dubbo photographer at Easter 1930, and it depicts what he has called the 'Southern Star' and the visiting Magpies Players, Manager and Scorer lined up on the runway.

The monoplane was actually called the 'Southern Cloud', a ‘sister ship’ of Kingsford Smith’s ‘Southern Cross’, a high wing monoplane and, in fact, one of five purchased by 'Smithy' for his fledgling ANA fleet. The 'plane's details can be seen on the photograph caption.

Among the tourists was Selby Burt, Western Suburbs’ Player #237 and the highest wicket taker in the Club's history (793 wickets at an average of 16.45), in a career that stretched from 1923 to 1942. Selby's great, great grandson, Tom Burt, is Wests' First Grade Player #699.

Raymond Bardsley (better known as ‘Mick’), stalwart Wests' identity Peter Bardsley’s father and brother of Test Captain Warren, is also in the Touring Team photograph. Mick and Warren debuted for Wests on the same day, October 4th, 1919, versus Paddington. They are numbers 185 and 186 respectively.

Other First Graders on tour were Charles Willis, Vince Johnston and Ron McKinnon. The Magpies were a very successful club in that era, being First Grade Premiers in 1928-29 and Grade Club Champions in 1928-29 and 1931-32.

We can only hope that Wests also went well in Dubbo and enjoyed their trip. Chances are, they all would have felt very 'lucky' shortly after, as the Southern Cloud went missing during 1931. It was recovered by a Snowy Mountains project worker in 1958, approximately 20 kilometres off its intended flight path. All seven on board had perished.

Perhaps Don Bradman also experienced the 'luck', as he travelled on Southern Cloud shortly after the Wests' jaunt. 

Heaven knows, people of the era certainly deserved a little luck. Besides the potential perils of the early days of flight, there were tough times generally, after a world depression and more problems developing in Europe. 

The Spirit of Cricket was very important to all in and around 1930....as it is today!

Raymond 'Mick' Bardsley - Western Suburbs cap #185 played 11 first class games for NSW from 1920 to 1926