Who was Lawrence Hargrave?
Lawrence Hargrave was an English-born Australian engineer and aviation pioneer who invented the box kite. In 1894, he lifted himself off the ground with a train of box kites at Stanwell Park, south of Sydney.
Hargrave was born in England in 1850 and came to Australia as a teenager. He worked as an engineer and explorer, and later as an astronomical observer at Sydney Observatory.
After receiving an inheritance, he devoted himself to studying flight. He built many models of flying machines, experimented with engines and studied how curved wings produce lift.
The box kite
Hargrave's box kite was more stable than flat kites and could carry heavy loads. On 12 November 1894, he used four linked box kites to lift himself about five metres into the air at Stanwell Park.
He shared his research freely and refused to patent his inventions, believing knowledge should be available to all. His work influenced early European aviators, and the box kite design was used in some early aircraft.
Hargrave appeared on the Australian paper $20 note from 1966 to 1994. The Lawrence Hargrave Memorial at Bald Hill lookout honors his pioneering work. He died in Sydney in 1915.
Did You Know?
Hargrave also developed a rotary engine, an early design later used in aircraft.