The Southern Cross Monument
By Rachel Joynt & Remco DeFouw
This sculpture celebrates Portmarnock's unique role in world aviation history. This beach, known as the Velvet Strand, was used as a runway for the first successful East-West Transatlantic flight, on 24th June 1930.
After a gruelling 33 hours the ‘Southern Cross’ landed at Harbour Grace, Newfoundland. It was the final leg of the first circumnavigation of the globe by aircraft. The pilot was Australian Aviator Sir Charles Kingford Smith, Co-pilot Evert Van Dyk, Irish Navigator Capt. Paddy Saul, Wireless Operator John Stannage.
The Velvet Strand was also used by aviators Jim Mollison to achieve the first solo East-West crossing of the Atlantic in the ‘Hearts Content’, and by Charles Ulm in ‘Faith in Australia’
Artist's Title
‘Eccentric Orbit’
‘The globes axis & bronze neelde points directly at the North Star. This fixed point around which all stars appear to revolve has been used for navigation for thousands of years.’
Marker is on Strand Road (Road 106) 0.2 kilometers south of Wendell Avenue, on the left when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
