Southern Cloud Memorial
Highlights
- Explore the Southern Cloud Memorial's soaring concrete wings, symbolising Australia's first major civil airline disaster.
- Discover the intriguing history of the Southern Cloud, revealed during the Snowy Mountains Hydro Scheme construction.
- Uncover relics and engine parts enclosed within the memorial, providing a tangible connection to aviation history.
- Relax in the nearby picnic area, offering a peaceful spot to reflect on this significant historical site.
The Southern Cloud Memorial is dedicated to the airliner, Southern Cloud, which was one of Australia’s greatest air mysteries. On March 21, 1931, the three-engine aeroplane disappeared without a trace on a flight from Sydney to Melbourne. It was Australia’s first big civil airline disaster.
The mystery was solved 27 years later during the Snowy Mountains Hydro Scheme construction. On October 26, 1958, Tom Sonter, a carpenter, left his camp 15 miles from Happy Jacks and came upon pieces of rusted metal. The riddle of the Southern Cloud had been solved. The Southern Cloud lay on the southwest side of the densely timbered mountain ridge of the now Kosciuszko National Park.
The Memorial is made of concrete wings 40 feet across that soar from the blunt apex of a triangle. A grill encloses the face of the memorial and the recovered engine parts of the Southern Cloud and other historic relics. Recorded information is available, telling the story of the Southern Cloud. It was erected by the Cooma Lions Club.
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