Talk on Aviation Pioneer Captain Harry Butler and The Red Devil
Wed, 13 Nov
|Henley Beach
Les Parsons and I will give a talk on Captain Harry Butler and The Red Devil at the City of Charles Sturt library at Henley Beach. Come along and here about the pioneer aviator who introduced aviation and the first passenger flights in South Australia!


Time & Location
13 Nov 2019, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Henley Beach, Library, 378 Seaview Rd, Henley Beach SA 5022, Australia
About the event
The Red Devil: The story of South Australian aviation pioneer, Captain Harry Butler, AFC
In this presentation, Les Parsons and Dr Samantha Battams will tell the story of Captain Harry Butler, pioneer aviator of South Australia, based on their recent book. Captain Butler made a significant contribution to early aviation in South Australia and Australian postal history. Butler undertook the first passenger flights in South Australia, was the first person in the southern hemisphere to fly over a significant body of water (with airmail), took the first aerial photographs and sold his Hendon airport to the government which became South Australia’s first government airport. The Smith Brothers and crew landed their Vickers Vimy in Butler’s airfield at Northfield after their first UK-Australia flight.
Somewhat lesser known Butler’s strong relationship with another early SA aviation pioneer, Carl Wittber, with whom Butler teamed up with to build an early home made…