Monthly Meeting

St George Historical Society Monthly Meeting

Guest Speaker: Dr Peter Hobbins - Miracle at Mascot: Surviving Sydney's 1971 Airliner Collision.

Imagine two jetliners hurtling towards each other at over 200 km/hour. Imagine 240 people aboard and the possible effects of a collision between them. This is exactly what happened on the night of 29 January 1971 at Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport. Luckily - by the narrowest of margins - the two aircraft survived the incident, although not unscathed. How could this happen at Australia's main international airport? This presentation explores the technology, politics and personal stories of that very near miss.

Dr Peter Hobbins is a historian who leads the curatorial, exhibitions, library and publishing teams at the Australian National Maritime Museum. His research focuses on the histories of science, technology and medicine - especially when things go wrong. Peter was a joint winner of the 2023 Ron Rathbone Local History Competition with his detailed analysis of the 1971 airport collision.

Afterward, enjoy afternoon tea with a delightful selection of cakes, biscuits, and slices, including gluten-free choices. Prepared with the expertise of members from the Australian Culinary Federation.

Entry is free (gold coin donations gratefully accepted)

Books and DVDs for sale.

All welcome!

Location: Level 3, Rockdale Library, 446 Princes Highway, Rockdale NSW, Australia